The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-01-26
THE SMALL DAIRY FARM.
Has It's Disadvantages, But Profits Are
Possible.

The average labor income is practically
the same on farms varying in size from
90 to 1870 acres. writes w. j. Frazer in
Hoard's Dairyman> Generally speaking,
there is a slight increase in the labor in
come as the farms increase in size, but
this increase is not as great as the extra
skill and business ability required to
manage the larger business should earn.
Since the average labor income on the
small farms is about equal to that OF
the larger ones, it is evident that factors
other than size affect the profits derived
from the dairy farm. These factors are
| intensive methods and closer attention
to the details, and they tend to counter
act the various losses that may come
| from working a unit too small for great
est economy in farm operations. Thus,
in so far as making profit is concerned,
the chances on the small dairy farm are
nearly as good as on larger units.
The dairy farmer has the opportunity
to make his total profits include the re-
turns from good crops, well harvested
good cows, well fed and cared for, and
good milk, properly handled. The dairy
man with but 40 to so acres may take
hdNdHldGt vi All lDtet tunud litfuldlH Vi
rightly conducted dairying with greater
ease than the dairyman with larger
farm. He is, however, at the dsadvan-
tage of farming an uneconomical unit
from the standpoint OF capitalization and
the use of labor, because the proportion
ate investment in buildings, implements |
and machinery. and often horses, is
greater than on the large farm, and in |
many cases advantage cannot be taken |
of the efficiency of large and modern I
farm machinery. The operator OF a /
small dairy farm does not have the diff
fculty in securing sufficient first .cias,
help that the man operating large dairy
farm has, a trouble which almost in
yariably results in the loss of money
on large dairy farms.
The above mentioned disadvantages of
small and large dairy farms are, how
ever, true OF all classes OF farms. Dairy
ing on small unit basis is more profit h
able than general farming, for less land
is required in a dairy farm, and If the
iarm is property locaetd il win produce
MORE value per acre than the same place
operated as a grain or general farm, be-
'ause more work can be done on the
same area, and greater returns result
.herefrom. The labor on a dairy farm
$ also more uniformly end economically
occupied the year round, which is an inn
,ortant step toward the efficient en-
'loyment OF labor and making OF prof,s.
The smallest unit that is practical 10
'perate as a dairy farm is one on which !
t least all Of the roughage may be- q
'rown. Corn silage and alfalfa hay
hould in most cases compose the basis !
f the dairy ration, and the farm. to be 7
perated most efficiently, should be OF a :
efficient size 10 grow these crops in the >
lOst economical manner These feeds q
hould be supplemented with eoncen- :
rates which, in some cases OF intensive
airy farming may be purchased more
than they can be- raisea.
As before stated, the profits OF the
arm are, 10 a large extent. dependent
pom the intensity of the methods EN-
loved This in turn is largely governed
y the business or managerial ability of :,
he operator; thus the most profitable =
re Of dairy farms will also depend upon Y
be- operators capacity for business. :,
ome men devoting their energy 20 in =
'nsiye methods have succeeded on small =,
aces. Yet a farm can easily be too -
nall unit to be- operated most eco i.
omically as dairy farm. Dairymen in ~
,otland say that the sire Of a dairy
nm that j. the most profitable IL one
hich can BE- worked and the herd MIXED &C
] the dairyman and his family, because
red help i uncertain and frequently in
hcient. This also applies 70 a large ex-
NJ 70 this country. The average size b.
farms IN Denmark, the most success- IS
] dairy country Ia the world i 40 at
res. Land j. high-prioed but labor ia
sts relatively less and intensive cult. Is
tion i the most profitable under their Va
ndftions In
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