Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1911-12-05

One of the lines of work of the depart
ment of farm management Of the New
York State College of Agriculture Is the
agricultural survey. In this work the
capital, receipts and farm expenses are
obtained for year for all the farms OF
given section. From these data 1t Is pos
sible to calculate what the farmer has
made during the year. By subtracting
what his capital would have made IT
placed at interest, We are able 10 lind
what wages the farmer received for his
years work, or what his labor income
was.
The survey work has been in progress
for five years. The department of farm
management has secured records for 9S5
farms in Tompkins County, 671 in Liv-
ingston County, aud during the last sum-
mer has secured records for 755 farms In
Jefferson County. The chief purpose OF
this work is to learn why some farms
pay better than others. BY comparing
large mum bers of farms, certain systems
of farming stand out as being more
profitable than other systems.
One of the points that stand out clear
ly is the importance of diversified farm
ing. The farmers who depend largely
on apples, potatoes or any other single
crop are not doing SO we'll as those who
keep animals also. Dairymen that sell
nothing but Wholesale milk or butter
find it particularly difficult to make good
wages. In Tompkins County, the dairy
farmers who derive less than one-sixth
OF their receipts from crops made wages
labor iucomes) of S3SS year, or 81 "a q
day (313 days a year,. Those who de-
rived over one-sixth of their receipts
from crops made wages of $749 a year,
or 81. 80 a day. Several OF the most sue
cessful farmers sell $1,000 to $4,000
worth OF crops and do the work with
only one more man and no more horses
than are required to do the milking and
dairy work. Bulletin 295 tells how they
do this. In communities in which no
other work than dairying Ia done. the
women usually help to milk, because 1t
does not pay to hire man unless there
is work for him all day.
In Livingston County the farmers who
derived less than one-fifth of their re-
ceipts from crops made wages (labor in
comes) of $597 year. Those who de-
rived one fifth to four-fifths of their re-
ceipts from crops made wages Of S710.
Those who derived over four .fifths from
crops averaged only S579. The COM
bination of cash crops with animal prod
ucts pays better than either one alone.
The figures for Jefferson County are
not yet tabulated, but 1t is evident that
the lack of diversity is one of the most
serious difficulties in this county.
In these days we hear much about
specialization, but farmers need several
specialties rather than one, and can we'll
combine many minor products with
these specialties. On each cf the most
successful farms there are two to four
leading products, and in most cases many
minor products also. Farms with three
leading products are doing better than
those with only two.
By combining two or more leading
products the receipts are greatly in
creased without much increase in ex-
penses. For example, milk, potatoes
and hay may be raised for sale with
little more labor than is required for
producing milk. The combination Of all
three requires little more equipment or
horses than is required for any one.
Other combinations are equally efficient.
The minor products, as eggs, colts, etc.,
also help.
It is only by combining several lead
ing products that farmer can keep most
profitably employed all the day and all
the year. If dsiryman retails his milk,
this furnishes occupation between milk
ings; but the most successful retail milk
farms that we have found have other
products also. One sold pure bred cat
tie, hay, eggs, colts and number OF
minor products. Another combined po-
tstoes with retail milk. Many of the
profitable farms selling wholesale milk
also sell hay, but those that have third
cash crop are doing better. Milk, pota-
toes and hay are a very good combina-
tion. Milk, apples and hay are equally
good. Csbbages are added to either OF
the above combinations with profit.
But we do not find large areas of both
apples and potatoes together, as they
are harvested at the same time. In Liv-
iugston County beans, potatoes, wheat
and milk are one of the best combina-
tions. Cabbsges are added by some
farmers. Apples replace the potatoes
on some farms. Sheep sometimes re-
place the cows.
One of the most profitable apple farms
in the state combines apples, cabbages,
beans and sheep, besides raising all the
hay, oats and corn used and selling some
hay, wheat, eggs, hogs, etc. One OF the
most profitable milk farmers, who raises
sixty five acres of spinach, lettuce and
celery, finds that with the same teams
and men be Is able to run another farm
of ninety acres, on which he raises al
falfa and oats to feed all the teams and
wheat to sell.
The best combination for any par
ticular farm depends on the region. The
essential point is that the farmer have
a combination that will furnish the most
profitable work throughout the day and
throughout the year. There Is no single
l.