138 Missouri Agricultural Report. 



Tliere is much discussion about farms being too large. Many 

 persons wlio are not engaged in farming and some farmers believe that 

 smaller farms would be better. All the figures that we have secured 

 from these two counties, as well as figures from 178 farms scattered about 

 the State, indicate that the larger farms are more efficient. 



The fundamental cause for this change is the change from hand 

 labor to the use of machinery. It seems, therefore, that larger farms 

 are likely to be a permanent necessity so long as the present types of 

 farming continue. Since more and more ' machinery is being used, it is 

 to be expected that farms will continue to increase in size for some time. 



This does not mean that large "bonanza" farms are to develop. We 

 have no figures for such farms, as none of them exist in these counties. 



The group of largest farms averages only 261 acres in Tompkins 

 county and 300 acres in Livingston county. All the farms are the 

 typical American "family-farm," on which the farmer and his family 

 do the major part of the farm work. Even on the farms containing over 

 200 acres, tlie family does half of the farm work. These figures may, 

 therefore, be taken as suggesting the most profitable size for a family 

 farm. The larger farms seern to be better than the smaller ones for this 

 purpose. 



These figures do not throw any light on the desirability of the very 

 large farm on which the farmer is so busy managing that he does not do 

 any manual labor. From observation, we are of the opinion that such 

 farms have many serious obstacles in their way. They are not likely 

 to be able to handle labor effectively. The farmer who works with his 

 men and directs them as he works, and who treats his hired men as 

 equals, has a great advantage. 



There can be no question but that the larger farms are paying 

 better. But some persons may say that the difference is due not to 

 the size of the farm, l)ut to the farmer, and that the better farmers live 

 on the larger farms. If small farms are the best size, it would seem as 

 if the more intelligent farmers would choose them. If the more intelli- 

 gent men all choose large farms there must be some reason for it. Cer- 

 tainly there must be some good farmers living on small farms. If the 

 small farm offers the best opportunities, these farmers should be doing 

 exceedingly well. 



