330 



ELEMENTS OF FARM PRACTICE 



(4) Economize in fencing. 



(5) Make the best use of all parts of the farm. 

 Uniform Size. — Fields should be of uniform size to make 



the farming business systematic, so a like amount of various 

 crops may be grown each year. This method regulates the 

 amount of labor and machinery needed and of live stock that 

 may be kept, and makes possible a really systematic arrange- 

 ment of the farm business. 



Shape. — As a rule long fields are more desirable than 

 square ones, as machines can be used on such fields to better 

 advantage, but this suggestion must not be overdone, espe- 

 cially if the fields are to be fenced, for long fields require 

 more fencing per acre than shorter ones. 



Distance from Farmstead. — A great many trips must be 

 made each year to each field and a difference of several 

 rods in distance from the farm buildings makes a great 

 difference in a year or in a lifetime. Figure 144 illustrates 

 a 160-acre farm in Minnesota, (a) as the fields were arranged, 

 and (b) as they are planned for a systematic rotation. 

 This whole farm is tillable. A study of these two plans 

 shows that by the rearrangement of fields there will be a 

 saving of 252 rods of fencing, if all fields were to be fenced. 

 In the new plan, the fields are of excellent shape to work, 

 are all the same size, and the average distance of the fields 



/<^c roa^s 



/So ^c7s 



(A) 



W} 



Figure 144 

 ranged, 

 pure with (b) 



(a) Fields poorly arranged, (b) Fields well ar- 

 ranged. Note amount of fencing required to enclose all fields in (a) and com- 



A 160-acre farm. 



