White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-04-23
ECONOMIST GIVES FARM
TYPE FACTS


ing system adapted to every agri-
cultural section Of the state, says r.
M. Turner, extension economist,
Washington State College. I'm some
districts farmers have been striving
for years to find the nearest ideal
set-up for their own local conditions,
Many Of them have found that sys-
tenn, or one very I1ear to It, while
Others are shifting in and out Of vsri-
GUS commodities in hopes Of striking
more profitable alignment, No sys-
TEN Is likely to be successful every
year because farmers cannot control
the elements, A high percentage Of
all businesses fail even though more
OF the factors involved are under con.
troll. There are several common farm
set-ups which as rule have proven
quite successful
Poultry and berries are favored
combination in western Washington
as pointed out by the Washington Ex-
pertinent Station in 1923-24. Confirna-
ton of the desirability of this type of
farm has been borne out by four
year study of farm records in What
com county, according to Mr.. Turner.
A group of these farms growing ber-
ries and cannery crops, practically
without cows or hens, experienced
heavy loss in 1927. Each year since
thay have increased their poultry en-
terprise until in 1880 there was an
average of 552 hens per farm in addi-
ton to increased berry and truck crop
sales. This adjustment improved and
steadied the farm income, provided for
organic fertilizers, and gave steady en-
ploymen,.
The size of wheat farms has steadily
80 eased. In Adams county farms
averaged 865 acres in 1920 and by
1880 they had increased to 1850 acres.
During this ten year period the num-
Der of farms in the county decreased
Zoo and the total production increased
very little. In order to provide the
necessary volume of business and to
use improved machinery more effec-
lively, this larger type of wheat farm
IS necessary. In sections of the Pa
louise country where peas were fig
ured at 2 cents per pound, combine
ton of peas and winter wheat return
ed the best income at the different
price levels for wheat. Other good
set-ups included sweet clover, plowed
under, peas and winter wheat in the
rotation, on both 600 acre tractor
farmed places and 300 acre horse
tarmed ranches according to Bulletin
No. 244 by Severance, Hunter and
Exc. On many wheat farms a, desir-
able combination of cattle, hogs or
sheep has been established and some
few livestock men are marketing near
~ all OF their crops through their live
stock.
Many dairy farms in western Wash
ington, in the irrigated valleys, and
other dairy sections of eastern Wash
lngton, are built with herds of 18 or
more cows, on abundant supplies of
roughages and good pasture. Many of
these farms have sidelines of cash
crops such as cabbage or potatoes in
Spokane county; hay, potatoes tree
fruits, asparagus and other truck
crops in the Yakima valley; or, seed
grains, cannery crops and berries il
western Washington. In order to be
profitable, farms must produce large
amount of the roughages used or
they must have a better than the
1|eAoSS AadAkSC lot THEIR milk.
Apple orchards OF the Wenatchee
district and Yakima valley having
rom Is to 80 acres of bearing trees
are more profitable than those with
ess bearing acres of fruit, according
% Neil w. Johnson, in Bulletin No.
23e. 1t is possible to find happy
medium as far as numbers of varie-
ties are concerned. The apparent swing
to too few varieties might be as dis
advantageous as the older system of
having too many.
Some very successful set-ups of the
various farming types are to be found
N every locality. Such farms have
stability and their managers are usu-
ally following a definite well-thought-
out plan based on farm records.