l 
FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 91 
Table LII gives the facts concerning feedstuffs raised, fed, sold, 
and purchased. Almost exactly one-tenth of the total corn produced 
for grain was sold, the remaining nine-tenths being fed. A much 
larger proportion of the oats produced was consumed on the home 
farm. The total value of feedstuffs produced on these 378 farms and 
not sold, valued at average farm prices, which are somewhat less 
than market prices, was $402,082. Of this, $36,061 represented an 
increase in inventory over the previous year, and was hence not fed 
during the year to which this study relates. This leaves a total of 
_ $366,021 worth of feedstuffs produced and fed on these farms during 
the year, or $49.79 worth per animal unit. 
Adding to this the $10.11 worth of feed bought, we have a total 
value of feed per animal unit of $59.90. The actual commercial 
value of the feedstuffs used on these farms is thus in the neighbor- 
hood of $60 per animal unit. The corresponding income was $84.90, 
a difference of about $25. 
The above figures include all kinds of animals kept on these farms 
except that in determining income per animal unit the work horses 
were left out of consideration. It does not follow from these figures 
that the farmers would have made more profit if they had had no 
live stock. In the first place, the stock furnishes a very good mar- 
ket for much of the crop products of the farm. Had it not been 
- for the live stock on these and other farms in this region this market 
with present prices would not have existed. In the second place, the 
presence of the animals permits a diversification of crops which in 
itself distributes the labor throughout the summer and part of the 
winter and thus enables the farmer to do a larger proportion of his 
work instead of hiring it done. In the third place, the live stock 
furnishes directly a large amount of employment at times of the 
year which would otherwise remain unoccupied. We shall also see 
later that the manure produced by the live stock on Chester County 
farms has a very decided money value, by reason of the increased 
i yield of crops resulting from its use. This value is about $15 per 
animal unit. This, together with the excess of income over feed ‘ 
value, gives about $40 per animal unit as reward for labor, shelter, 
up-keep of equipment, etc., made necessary by the presence of the 
live stock. Except in the case of poultry and dairy cows, the amount 
of labor required in caring for farm animals is comparatively small. 
On the whole, therefore, the live stock in this region appears at least 
to be paying its way, and the fact that it furnishes the farmer with 
a large amount of productive labor and at the same time pays a fair 
price for what feed is consumed fully justifies the types of farming 
which prevail. Without this live stock these farmers would have 
