1 514 RURAL ECONOMICS 



On small farms the expense of operation is much greater per unit of 

 product than on large farms of similar type. 



Diversity of the farm business is, a a rule, an important factor of suc- 

 cess in farming. A medium degree of diversity, sufficient to give food, 

 seasonal distribution of labor, complete utilization of land, and a consider- 

 able variety of sale products, is better than either extreme diversity or a 

 low degree of diversity. 



These general principles, applj'ing to a wide region in the Middle At- 

 lantic States, have led to important conclusions bearing on possible improve- 

 ments in Chester County farming. The more important appUcations 

 of the above principles to the agriculture of the district studied are given 

 below. 



The standard rotation of the section, viz. ist 5^ear : corn — 2nd year : 

 corn, potatoes and oats— 3rd year : wheat— 4th and 5th years : timothy 

 «.nd clover— should be changed to the following : ist and 2nd years : 

 corn — 3rd year : annual hay crop and potatoes — 4th year: wheat— 5th 

 and 6th years : timothy and clover. Oats are unprofitable in this district. 

 The Chester Countj^ farmer should grow a little more corn than he 

 needs for home use. The total hay area (including annual hay crop) should 

 occupy between 40 and 50 per cent of the land under crops. It does not 

 pay to buy hay in this districts, unless the cows are of the highest dairy 

 type. Dairying should normally be the leading enterprise with about one 

 cow to each 4 or 5 acres of cultivated land. The average return per cow 

 for dairy produce is §80 and where the receipts per cow are less than S50 

 per annum, the larger the herd, the smaller the labour income. More 

 heifer calves should be raised to replace old cows. Bullock fattening is 

 not worth while, as a main line of business, except on large farms where 

 labour is scarce. A few hogs should be fed for market but the district 

 is unsuitable for sheep farming. As regards poultry', 100 to 150 hens are 

 more profitable than larger or smaller flocks. Fruit and garden produce 

 should be grown chiefly for home use. Potatoes probably occupy about 

 their proper place in Chester County farming. 



Yields per acre can profitably be increased up to about 40 per cent 

 above the average : be^'ond this the labour income falls off. The latter in- 

 creases with the size of the farm, but with small farms of under 40 acres, the 

 income is too low to maintain a good standard of living. 



Farms where " diversity " is about the average for the section are 

 usually more profitable than those where farming is either more or less di- 

 verse than the average. 



The following brief description will ^erve to show the methods used to 

 collect and classify the data forming the basis of the present study. Chester' 

 County was chosen for these reasons : The soils of the area are extremely 

 uniform in character, thus giving uniformity to the farm practice of the dis- 

 trict and permitting comparison to be made \\dthout the disturbing element 

 of variations in type of soil ; the district has long since passed the stage of 

 pioneer farming, so that the forces which control the type of farming have 

 had sufficient time to assert themselves and produce a highly stable agri- 



