692 EXPERIMENT STATION BECOED. [Vol.35 



on crops only to the point where yields give increased net returns. When this 

 point is reached, it is better management to apply this labor to additional acres, 

 and thus obtain a maximum return for the additional units applied, than to 

 apply additional labor to the crop on the same land and obtain merely equal 

 returns. In other words, if the returns for each unit of additional labor on a 

 given acreage do not show increase, the operation should become more ex- 

 tensive." 



Data as to the hours of labor required in marketing farm crops and a com- 

 parison of shock-threshing v. stack-threshing are also given. 



Waste land and wasted land on farms, J. S. Ball {U. S. Dept. Agr., 

 Farmers' Bui. H5 {1916), pp. 18, figs. 12). — The author has classified the non- 

 productive farm areas as follows : Land unnecessarily taken up by farm build- 

 ings and lots, unnecessary lanes and roads, fence rows, open ditches, headlands, 

 or turning spaces bordering fields and terraces ; the part of any public road in- 

 cluded in a farm area ; land rendered untillable by swamps, rocks, etc. ; wood- 

 land not yielding salable products ; and uneconomic pasture land. 



He discusses these various types in general and with special reference to in- 

 formation obtained in connection with farm management surveys on 1,703 

 farms, in nine States. Wide variations in the percentage of the total farm acre- 

 age occupied by nonproductive areas were found, both between different regions 

 and on individual farms in the same locality. 



Size of farm business, O. R. Johnson and W. E. Foard {Missouri Sta. Bui. 

 UO {1916), pp. 3-40, figs. 12).— This bulletin is the second based on data se- 

 cured in a survey of four townships in the western part of Johnson County (E. 

 S. R., 32, p. 791). Among the conclusions reached by the authors from this 

 study are the following: 



"There are several factors which play a part in determining the size and 

 profitableness of the farm business. First in importance in a diversified farm- 

 ing region is the number of acres operated. The larger farms have a more 

 favorable distribution of capital than the smaller farms. They have as large 

 a percentage of tillable ground and less waste land than the small farms. More 

 of the large farm is kept in grass. The large farm is more heavily stocked with 

 live stock other than work stock. One animal unit is kept for each 6.6 acres of 

 crops on the small farm while only 4.8 crop acres are grown for each animal unit 

 on the larger farm. 



"The operator of the larger farm is employing his men, horses, and equipment 

 more efficiently than is the man on the smaller farm. . . . The horse on the 

 large farm cares for 21.2 crop acres while on the small farm he has only 7.3 

 acres to care for. . . . 



"The receipts and expenses per acre are practically the same on large and 

 small farms. . . . The large farm seems to be able to get better results from the 

 feeding of cattle and the return from feeding hogs are at least as good. . . . 



"The labor income on a certain-sized farm is limited by the capital investment. 

 Some farms are too heavily capitalized and others do not have enough capital 

 invested. The most successful farms in each group have an investment of from 

 §70 to ?95 per acre. . . . 



"The man with a low capital investment per acre is giving so much attention 

 to grain farming that his system does not give him enough productive labor. 

 Where the capital is larger, the farmer is able to keep more live stock and thus 

 secure more regular employment. This influences his labor income to quite an 

 extent." 



The farmer's income, E. A, Goldenweiser {U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Bui. 

 746 {1916), pp. 7, fig. 1). — This study is based upon the data available regarding 

 farmers' incomes in the reports of the Census and the investigations of the Office 

 of Farm Management and the States Relations Service. 



