95 
FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 
The remarkable difference in the rate of depreciation of dairy cows 
in Chester County, Pa., and in Lenawee County, Mich., is due mainly 
to the difference in the prices at which cows are bought and sold in 
the two localities. In the Michigan locality the average price paid 
for cows by dairy farmers was $48.48. The average price at which 
these same farmers sold their discarded cows was $42, a difference of 
only $6.48. In the Pennsylvania locality the average purchase price 
was $63.84, while the average sale price was $37.36, a difference of 
526.48. The Pennsylvania farmer thus loses $20 more per cow bought 
and sold than does the Michigan farmer. This accounts for the much 
Jarger annual charge for depreciation on the Pennsylvania farms. 
In the Chester County area the farmers on the average raise 37 per 
cent of their cows and buy the remainder. In the Michigan locality 
they raise 57 per cent. The proportion of the average herd discarded 
yearly is 23 per cent in Pennsylvania and 21.6 per cent in Michigan. 
The average length of time the average cow remains in these herds is 
therefore 4.34 years (=100/23) in the Pennsylvania area and 4.52 
| years in the Michigan area. The yearly percentage of deaths in the 
herds was 1.69 for Pennsylvania and 1.31 for Michigan. 
In the above calculations it 1s assumed that the few cows butchered 
|. were worth on the average as much per head as those sold. As very 
few were butchered, whatever error there may be in this assumption 
is of minor importance. 
DEPRECIATION OF FARM WORK HORSES. 
The rate of depreciation of farm work horses in these same locali- 
ties is shown by the calculations given in Tables LVII and LVITII. 
In both cases the annual rate is very close to 5 per cent. This does 
not represent the rate at which a horse depreciates after he has passed 
his prime, since, as in the case of dairy cows, this depreciation is 
partly offset by the increase in value of young horses. 
TABLE LVII.—Showing depreciation of horses on 378 farms operated by owners, 
Chester County. 
Value per Total 
Number. hea value. 
PenineraterstrnwieMmtony: is secs iS. So csaisec at eecscmyen ee denee te 1,369 | $135.98 | $186, 183. 00 
Beeeaierotuhorses purchased: =. 522-.¢- 5526 -20-0.--e-0222-eeencbe seen seb oee 103 157. 36 16, 208. 00 
SEN OOMMONSES TE AISCO see ees ar a ee ke ie a 8 157. 36 1, 259. 00 
OTA Se GAGE BO oS DOMES OO SEES BSB oes SSRs Ne RARE ee ye eR Ie aed Feet te) eee rere rs 203, 650. 00 
EM MCEAISCCOMMMMyCTLORY: seek case oe ck asia die Gae Sdes eee eth Sess E 1,367 138. 95 ~ 189, 947.00 
+E APHE: C THCOV SSS VOD YG VE Se ree eg De Pg 6 128. 02 8, 193. 00 
Teleco hae Bebe ae ote ane ce eee Ui Ae Fabs ehh aaa see Bees ee ee Se 198, 140. 00 
ree G ea eh Rae See ceo eee 5,510.00 
Bea orev MeNTICe CUTS SV eA Nee ma Shake 25 6/0 tec nee oe eoes eee s Qusee Selec ee aa 2.97 4,060. 00 
TU OHDI OSS oa Ne Se se ee ae eee ee ame $5 SFU epee AN ety Ese we een ae Sia ie ope ant 9, 570. 00 
- TRPD ES TOP HOMUTTTISEO RS Gee ee re eke SU NEO ele Fr eee (eae 188, 065. 00 
Ret TONE PreClatiON aos cen coos l oll. sae lS col cees ose ceciccs eriCentialeacne scot aa trys es 5.0 
