8 A STUDY OF FARM EQUIPMENT IN OHIO. 



or manager. Specially prepared forms were used in order to embody 

 full details. Previous surveys of the various farms by Mr, H. C. 

 George, of the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, gave accurate 

 data as to the size of each, the areas devoted to different purposes, 

 the length and character of fences, and certain other details. Meas- 

 urements and sketches were made of the buildings, and numerous 

 details as to their character and condition were noted. The extent, 

 character, and cost of water supply and drainage systems were studied. 

 The usual inventoiy of live stock, machinery, tools, and supplies was 

 made to include many details in addition to mere values. Messrs. 

 Abbott, Bugby, Elser, and Lloyd, of the staff of the Ohio Agricultural 

 Experiment Station, assisted at various times in the field work, and 

 Mr. C. A. Massaro, of the station staff, assisted in the compilation of 

 the data. 



Difficidty was encountered on every farm studied in obtaining all 

 the details desired. Especially was this true in the matter of cost of 

 permanent improvements, the installation of wliich usually ante- 

 dated the tenure of the incumbent proprietor. The determination 

 of the present value of real and personal property was also especially 

 difficult, as a imiform basis could not be maintained for the recon- 

 ciliation of exchange value with the value in use. 



Previous to the work just mentioned about 20 successful Ohio 

 farms were visited by Mr. H. C. Thompson, of the Office of Farm 

 Management, and less complete equipment studies made. Some data 

 from this source are included in this report. A third source of data 

 consists of circular letters dealing with corn and tillage machinery 

 which were sent out in 1908 to a selected list of Ohio farmers. Over 

 100 carefully prepared reports of this character have been drawn 

 upon for material. 



CHARACTER OF FARMS STUDIED. 



The farms from which data are embodied in this report are probably 

 above the average type in the character of the proprietors, methods 

 and equipment, yet they are not necessarily examples of exceptionally 

 successful management. They are well scattered over the State, as 

 shown in figure 1, Only those visited in 1909 were analyzed as to 

 the chief enterprises conducted. For convenience, these farms have 

 been numbered as in the various tables presented later. On 23 of 

 these farms it was found possible to make a complete distribution of 

 investment by enterprises, and this report has chiefly to deal with the 

 farms so distinguished, but data from two of them are excluded from 

 the averages here given because one was a small truck farm and the 

 other a general farm on which special conditions had operated to 



21? 



