The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1924-06-06
Plan to Organize
Eighty-Acre Farm
High Standards and Man
agement Are Maintained
on Tracts of This Size.


prepared by the United States Department
of Agriculture.)'
Many farmers in central Indiana are
making good ON S0-acre farms, say rep
resentatives OF the United States De
partment of Agriculture who have re-
Gently completed a study of small
farms in that region. Farms larger
than SO acres offer greater opportuni-
ties for profit TO capable managers,
but the fact that S0-gcre farms are
numerous In central Indiana prompted
farm management experts in the de-
partment to inquire what conditions
are necessary to success on farms of
that sire.
Crop Rotation Systems.
They found that in general the more
successful S0-acre farmers have def
mite crop rotation systems of corn,
small grain, and clover and timothy.
They increase their corn acreage
whenever that is practicable. Over a
series of years, yields as high as 80
bushels of corn. 40 bushels of oats, 80
bushels of wheat, and 15 tons of hay
per acre have been obtained on the
more successful farms. Profitable so
acre farms are those on which COM
paratively high standards of organiza-
ton and management are maintained.
Usually these farms have from three
to five cows, with enough young cattle
to maintain the herds. In most cases
there are from 5 to brood sows,
raising from 80 to 20 pigs a year.
Commonly the farms have three work
animals and about 100 hens. Though
the farmers have enough machinery
to work their land efficiently, they do
not invest in more equipment than
can be put to economical use.
The labor requirements on these
sized farms are such that the farmers
themselves are able to do most of the
work, with help from their families in
doing chores. In rush periods the
help in field work, or help is
hired. Family labor or hired labor,
on the average, Is employed to the
equivalent of from two to four months
of man labor a year. Farmers operat-
Ing on these lines often have comfort
and are able to give their children
good educational opportunities
Some of thu neighbors of these sue
cessful farmers were not getting good |
returns from their land and la
Dor. High crop yields did not always |
insure success. While all the more
farms had crop yields above
h.
Yields above the average were unsuc-
,essful because the crops were not |
marketed. through live
stock.
Stock to Consume Crops.
The S0-acre farm in central Indiana
hat is profitable over a period of
ears usually has enough live stock to
consume all the corn grown on it, and
ONE purchased corn. Four successful
arms for which records were OBJ
aimed for eight years had "a per cent
nore live stock than the four least
uccessful farms. Differences in the
eturns from live stock accounted for
reater variations in the farm incomes
han any other items.
In Clinton county, for example, the
lost successful S0-acre farmers raised
n average of 9.3 pigs per sow each
ear, compared with six pigs per sow
or year by the least successful farm
rs. In both cases two filters a year
ere raised On the four most success
III farms in Clinton county, one calf
-as raised every u months for each
DIV, compared with one calf every 10 {
Ionths for each COW on the four least ,
lccessful farms. In proportion to the
lumber of hens kept, twice as many |
lickens were raised to sell or replace I
lie fiocks on the four most successful
rms.
The cows on the four most success
IL farms averaged 172 pounds of but
rfat per COW, which Is low for good !
liry cows, as compared with 90
FUNDS on the four least successful
rms. Egg production per hen on the
ost successful farms was SO per cent
CHER than on the least successful
rms.
1t was also found that the most sue
ssful S0-acre farmers pay great at
ntion to producing their own table
pplles. The value Of the products
rnished by the farm for family liv-
& was greaer than had been realized.
4 the four most successful farms in
inton county, for example. the farms
attributed the following supplies; :
,ur hogs for meat, so chickens, rs -"
zen eggs, dairy products to the
uivalent of 100 pounds of butterfat,
d the products of an acre of orchard .
d garden. -