The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-02-09


formerly; the yield of farm crops has
been increased. Farmers everywhere
are more prosperous.
The New Agricultural Scientist.
But even these men sometimes
took laboratory view Of farming.
Their insight was into the principles
and methods used in some department
of agricultural production and tended
mainly to the production of larger
yield to the acre, more meat to the
pound of feed and better quality Of
product. ] would not in the least
minimize their work; it is fundamen-
tally important l wish only to call
attention to the fact that they also
look at the farm from the outside, and
then only at those aspects of it that
bear upon the particular science in
which their interest lies.
"In the last decade a third type
of agricultural scientist has arisen. He
developed naturally out of the second
type. AS students of agronomy, ami
NAL husbandry and dairyins got out
among the farmers they discovered
not only that on many farms import
ant problems have already been solv-
ed and await only Interpretation from
farm experience at the hands of train
ed men, but that the farmer is almost
daily confronted with the necessity OF
making decisions on questions that
the agricultural scientist had never
studied. For instance. he must decide
what farm dwelling should cost;
what farm buildings he needs, OF
what size they shall be, and what he
can afford to expend in their construc-
ton. Shall he grow timothy and clo-
yer for hay? If so, how many acres?
Shall he grow corn, wheat, oats, po-
tatoes, alfalfa? If so, what proper
ton of his farm shall he devote to
each? Shall he keep dairy cows, beef
cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry! 1t so,
to what extent? Shall he buy twine-
binder? If so, shall he buy two small
ones or one large one? What sizes
of plows, harrows and grain-drills
shall he provides What crops COM
pete with each other for labor at the
same time of year, and which crops
fit we'll together so that when one
requires labor the other does not?
What does each and every farm OPP
Grafton cost? And what profit may
fairly be expected, under local condi-
tons, from the various crops and
types of livestock? These are ques-
tons of management, and out OF them
the science of farm management is
rapidly developing.
This science presents four aspects:
First, we have the vast fund of in
formation to be derived by gathering
up and interpreting farm experience;
second, a study of the costs of farm
operations and the profits derived
therefrom, as we'll as study of the
whole question of farm records and
bookkeeping; third, the character and
cost of farm equipment, standards OF
farm labor and the distribution of
capital between TIE various phases of
equipment; fourth, and not least i'm
portant, the reorganization and redi-
rection of the farm in the light of
scientific discovery and of the prop
erly interpreted experience of other
farmers. This, in brief, is the farm
management idea as it has been de-
veloped in this department"
With a full understanding of each
of the four lines of work outlined
above by Mr.. Spillman, it will be seen
that the ultimate purposes of the Of
ice of farm management is the or
ganization or the redirection of agri-
culture along profitable, systematical,
and permanent lines. 1t will also be
.een that the results secured from
he first three phases of the work are
largely the means by which this is
accomplished.
Rar ming is very different from most
xAer lines of business in that it deals
nth such host of variable and fire.
~sently unknown factors. Among
'nsse we may mention the following:
Anstic conditions such as elevation,
~ drainage. and precipitation large
y determine what crops may be
wown successfully. Climatic condi-
Ioas also have a marked influence in
determining what types of livestock
cay he kept on the farm. There are
ocalities in the wheat belt of the
,alAnd Empire whose rainfall is en-
arely too scant to permit the grow
ug OF such cultivated crops as corn,
aotatoes, beans. peas. etc. instead OF
summerfallowing the land. There are
other localities where all of these