Missouri Farm Facts. 443 



The average farmer has better and more teams, and is required 

 to use more machinery on account of the high priced farm labor, which is 

 very hard to get at that. — Linn county. 



Implements on the farm are better than they were ten years ago — 

 more efficient. AVhile the price is some higher, I would rather have 

 them than the ones of ten years ago. — Bates county. 



Some years ago the people of this section used the cheap grade of 

 machinery, harness, etc., which cost less than the better grade goods, such 

 as we are now using. — Christian county. 



Horses are nearly double what they were ten years ago. If any 

 difference in the cost of machinery it is cheaper, but there is more than 

 twice as much machinery used as compared with ten years ago. — Wright 

 county. 



Ten years ago many farmers still used the walking plow and the 

 pitch-fork. At the present day the farmer is "not in it" unless he has 

 modern machinery. — Cass county. 



The increase in the cost of equipment is due in part to increased cost 

 of teams and tools, and in part to the more extensive equipment now con- 

 sidered necessary. — Livingston county. 



Small farms do not seem to be as profitable as larger farms, 160 

 acres or more being better than 80 acres, because the more land the less 

 equipment in proportion. — Lafayette county. 



Unnecessary expenses. So many young farmers are going behind. 

 I am a young farmer myself, not yet 30 years of age, but I have noticed 

 that at least 25 per cent of the young farmers are going behind by 

 buying too many of the so-called up-to-date farm Implements, including 

 engines, automobiles, etc. — Putnam county. 



MISCELLANEOUS REPLIES. 



Most farmers have found that if they want a wilderness they have 

 only to rent their farm two years. — Iron county. 



I think it would be better if the farmers would go to raising bushels 

 of corn to the acre instead of trying to put out a large acreage. We had 

 better raise 1,000 bushels on 25 acres than to raise it on 40 acres. I think 

 this one of the greatest hindrances of people investing in Missouri land. — 

 Scotland county. 



I find among the farmers of this community a restlessness which will 

 tend, I am fearful, toward the disintegration of well organized neigh- 

 borhoods. Briefly emigration and immigration are changing our com- 



