The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1914-09-11

The farmer himself, in the last
analysis, determines the efficiency OF
every successful farming enterprise,
according to the governments farm
management Investigations These in
Yestigations were carried on to deter
mine just what were the main factors
making for success In agriculture
The farmer who comprehends and APP
plies the principles of good farm or
ganization, selection OF good seed, til
lage, and feed, who Is quick to under
stand the readiustment and improve
ment of existing systems in case of
need, is the farmer who gets the max
imum result with the minimum ex-
penditure of money and effort
Although the farmer may not under
stand the meaning OF applied econom-
les" he will many times, through ex-
perience and training, know how to
use the science much bet@r than one
yersed only in the general theories.
Such a farmer, when he hears of some
Improvement in methods or redistribu-
ton of activities, will apply the gen.
eralties to his own case as soon as
they are brought to his attention.
While he may well look with distaste
on the introduction of wholly new sys-
TENS, he will comprehend the posi-
bilities OF readiustment OF existing
systems
The United States department of ag-
riculture's investigator has listed other
factors of efficiency in farming as fol-
lows:
The magnitude OF the business.
whether measured by area of land
farmed, amount of working capital en-
ployed, or the number of days of pro-
ductive labor provided.
Organization, which determines the
degree of diversity Of enterprises on
the farm which may be made to pro-
vide full occupation to the available
labor and equipment while avoiding
the necessity of hiring large amounts
of extra labor
System of management: 1t IS shown
that neighboring farmers, with similar
types of farming, devote very different
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Of enterprises on their farms because
of the lack of standard systems of
management of these enterprises, and
1t is not always the man who devotes
the most time to an enterprise who
makes the largest profits from it.
Lack of system means lost motion and
useless work
Adaptability OF enterprises: In or
der that the farm may be profitable
the crops and live stock maintained
upon it must be adapted not only to
local condition of soil and climate but
also to existing economic conditions.
Quality of the business: The income
per animal unit is a very important
factor in profit Yield per acre is also
important, but less so than the in
come per animal unit. Moderate
yields may be more profitable than
very high yields.
On farm which combines large
number Of these factors Of efficiency,
profits are greater than on those
which are efficient in fewer things.
Many other factors of efficiency
exist. but they are not here dealt with
for lack of sufficient data.
Adaptahiity of Enterprises.
One of the most important factors
in determining profit in farming is the
adaptability of enterprises to soil and
existing economic conditions. Adapta-
bility to soil and climatic conditions
is so obvious as to need only mention
here. but the facts regarding adapta,
bility to economic conditions are not
so well understood
The following table gives an esti
mate of the average labor income for
one of the leading dairy counties in
the state of Wisconsin and one of the
leading dairy counties in the state OF
Massachusetts. The calculations are
based on census figures in so far as
these are available.
The estimated cost of maintenance
Of buildings. implements and machin-
cry taxes, and miscellaneous expenses
are based on the results of farm-man-
agement surveys and other investiga'
tons conducted by the Office of farm
management Unfortunately, certain
items necessary to determine accurate
" the labor income are missing. In
this table the labor income represents
not the wages of the farmer but the
wages of the whole family. Further.
more. the labor income includes what
the farm furnishes toward the family
living. except the milk and cream con-
sumed on the farm where it is pro
duced. the last census having made no
estimate of the value of this item. In
addition. good many farm families,
especially in Massachusetts, earn con-
siderable amounts by outside employ
ment, and on many farms this is the
principal source of income. Unfor-
tunately. also, the census gives no in
formation as to the amount of money