The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1916-08-18


from thousands of farms covering
pretty well the whole United States go
to show that little farms do not often
make big profits and that as a rule the
profits from farming vary directly with
the size of the business.
In study Of the agriculture Of Ches-
ter county, Pa. lis farms Of the group
of sixty acres and under. averaging
forty acres. only 8 per cent made labor
incomes Of $1,000 or more, and the av-
erage for the group of this size was
$4O4. OF the group ranging in size from
ISL to 1903 acres, averaging 2O3 acres,
6S per cent made $1,000 or more, the
average for the whole group being
$1,575
In a similar study in the extensive
farm region of the upper Mississippi
valley states, the 16O acre farm groups
gave an income over five times that
Of the forty acre group. Results close
ly paralleling these are secured where
ever such studies are made of COM
parable types Of farming It is not
surprising that this is true when we
consider some of the handicaps under
which the small farm is operated. For
instance. in the group Of large gen.
eral farms in the Chester county area
the value of machinery equipment per
acre Of crops was only about one-half
that of the small farm group, and the
crop acres per horse was nearly double,
as was also the crop acres per man.
Furthermore, a small farm is rarely
adequately supplied with equipment to
enable the farmer to properly do his
work.
A recent study Of machinery equip
ment on over 100 farms in western
New York showed that when, for In
stance. a sulky plow was used to
cover fifteen acres annually the cost
per day of use for the machine alone
was So cents. When this same pillow
was used to cover fifty-five acres an
nually the cost was reduced to 81
cents per day. A grain drill when
used to cover twenty acres annually
cost per day used $2.97: when used to
cover 1T acres annually the cost per
day dropped to $1.O4. A grain binder.
when used to cover fifteen acres per
year, cost per day used the surprising
sum Of $S15; when used to cover
eighty-five acres per year the cost per
day used was $2.41.
Another striking disadvantage Of a
small farm is that the restricted acre
age does not permit Of a sufficient d.
versification in the farm enterprises to
furnish good, even, all the year round
employment of labor. All result the
labor employed by the year is often
idle for long periods. Whether this
labor be hired or is the service of the
farmer himself and his family, the re-
suits are the same. Rather than be
idle for long period this labor might
well be employed In some industry
which yields even but slight profit. In
the larger size farms this factor can
easily be provided for. The minimum
size Of farm for efficiency should be
such as will furnish opportunity for
adequate employment of labor, machin.
cry. equipment and work stock.
It is not always possible for a farmer
to enlarge his business by investing
more capital until it shall have reached
the optimum size. He can, however.
quite often rent additional land. In
many parts Of the United States the
figure paid for land rental. either in
cash or In part Of the crops, amounts to.
considerably less than a normal inter.
est charge. A study Of three groups Of
tenant farms located in Indiana. ILL.,
nois and Iowa showed that the ten
ants paid on the average a rental
equivalent 10 only 3.b per cent of the
value Of the farm. A farmer with re-
stricted means, therefore. under such
circumstances need not worry about
HIS inability to purchase when he can
rent more cheaply than ne can own.