Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1910-02-04
IN
Cost Of Keeping the Farm.
(. Horss--A Matter g
.% = Interest

is of the greatest importance to the
farmer, since tha higher cost incurred
through overfeedlng materially affects
the cost of horse. labor and the farm
profits. The items which make up the
cost of maintaining the farm horse
are interest on the investment,
depreciation, harness depreciation.
shoeing. feed, labor. miscellaneous
expenses and the cost of shelter. The
cost of these items will vary on each
farm and under different conditions.
Through an Investigation on large
number of private farms extending
over a number of years. the average
cost of maintaining the farm work.
horse has been determined for the
various sections of the state. The
average annual cost of keep at North.
field, In the southern part OF the
state, for 1904. 1905, 1906 and 1907,
has been as follows:
Interest investment, IS. 81; deprecla-
ton, $3.50; harness depreciation,
81. 10; shoelng, $1.42; feed. $63. 40 !;
labor, $l1.8S; miscellaneous expenses,
$40; total of $40 40 annually. At
Marshall, in southwestern Minnesota.
during the same period, the annual
cost has been 100, and at Halstad
IN northwestern Minnesota, $75.07.
This cost does not include the cost Of
shelter which would vary from 81. so to
$500 or $500 annually, depending
upon the expensiveness of the barn.
The average cost per hour for horse
labor was 9.25 cents at Northheld,
So at Marshall, and 73 cents at
Halstad. Thus, If a team IS employed
nine hours the cost would be 81. 665. or
10 hours at 925 cents. The cost of
horse labor per hour can be reduced
only by decreasing the cost OF
maintenance, increasing the hours
labored in the year, or both. Each
farm horse, in order to be profitable,
should work not less than 1000 hours
per year. With correct methods of
farm management it Is easily possible
to obtain 1910 to 1900 hours labor from
each horse.
!, The cost of maintaining the horse
is largely for feed. Farm horses are
often overfed or are wastetully fed.
The average farm horse at Northfield
worked $50 hours per year. was fed
1886 pounds of grain and 1914 pounds
of rougage during April, May, June.
July, august, September, October and
November, a period OF IA days, or
Is 3 pounds of grain and 21.3 pounds
of roughage per day. During the
winter months. the IDLE season, 1477
pounds OF grain and 1924 pounds of
roughage were fed, or 1879 pounds of
grain and Is pounds of roughage daily.
As a general rule, the horse should be
supplied with trifle over pounds of
provender daily for each hundred
pounds of weight. About two-thlrds
Of this, the exact amount depending
on the labor. should be grain in some
form. It is very seldom that farm
labor IS severe enough to require more
than one-half of the total weight of
the ration fed to be grain AS work is
less severe in winter, horses not
working may be 1oughed through
largely on a ration of roughage. The
farm horse weighing 1900 to 1900
pounds, requires approximately IL
pounds of grain, such as oats or oats
and corn, and Is pounds of hay daily,
when at hard work. During the COM
partlvely inactive season a horse
should not receive to exceed pounds
of grain and 16 pounds of hay daily.
The adoption of rations for the
farm work horse as outlined previous
ly, will result IN q decided saving in
feed, In the case above, 1860 pounds
of grain and 1910 pounds of hay, and
the stock will be IN even better work.
ing condition than under former con.
ditions.
II. P. Cooper.