24 BULLETIN" 501, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The fact must not be overlooked that while for clearness in dis- 
cussion dairy farms have been divided into the two general types, 
in actual conditions there are farms where dairying is found in every 
degree of intensity. As the farm becomes more specialized in 
character the feeding practice must be changed to conform with the 
individual conditions. Each farmer or dairyman must formulate 
his own ration, but in so doing it is necessary that he first learn what 
his feeding problem really is, and having done this, decide upon a 
feeding practice which will produce milk so that the dairy will con- 
tribute to the maximum farm profit. 
THE LABOR PROBLEM. 
The data presented above show that the labor item is second to 
feed in importance, and is approximately one-fourth of the total 
expense of keeping a cow. With the increased demands for cleaner 
dairy products it is reasonable to expect that in many cases more 
work will be necessary, both in caring for the cows and for the milk. 
This may also require more efficient labor on many farms and perhaps 
higher wages. In attempting to reduce the cost for labor it must be 
remembered that a cow responds to good treatment, and the efficiency 
of labor has a close relationship to the profitableness of the dairy 
business. This point is emphasized by the Minnesota Experiment 
Station x in the following statement: "We know of many instances 
where the best of the dairy cows were kept and where good methods 
of feeding were practiced ; and still results fell far short of what might 
reasonably be expected, simply because the animals did not receive 
the kindly treatment which is so essential to a cow giving much milk 
for a long period." 
On specialized dairy farms where hand milking is practiced a 
number of laborers are hired primarily for work in the dairy. The 
dairy enterprise seldom provides work to keep the men profitably 
employed throughout the day, largely because more men are required 
to milk than are needed to do the other dairy work. It may be 
expected that the use of milking machines on these farms will change 
this labor requirement to some extent. Nevertheless, the same gen- 
eral principle holds good, that he who would economize on this expense 
for labor must provide other work during that part of the day when 
labor is not needed in the dairy. For this reason the growing of 
some field crops is always advisable. On each of the four farms from 
which data have been presented all labor used on the farms has been 
charged to the various enterprises at a uniform rate per hour 
Inasmuch as this labor was primarily employed for the dairy, it might 
seem logical to charge the portion thus used at a higher rate and to 
charge the labor used in the production of crops and on other farm 
work at a lower rate. At the same time, labor on the more general 
i See e, p. 34. 
