THE SIZE OF FARMS 



may be characterized by the opposite qualities. 

 This may happen as a result of variations in the 

 quantitative efficiency even where the farmers 

 perform most all of the work themselves ; but the 

 farmer who is qualitatively very efficient as a 

 manager of agricultural operations, can increase 

 his total net profits by operating a large farm by 

 means of hired laborers who may have little man- 

 aging ability themselves, but who have ordinary 

 capacity for the performance of farm labor when 

 directed by an efficient farmer. The kinds of 

 crops, the intensity of culture, the efficiency of 

 the capital-goods and of the farmer himself re- 

 maining the same, the greater the number of labor- 

 ers, of a given degree of efficiency, who are 

 employed by one farmer the larger the farm may 

 be to advantage. A question may arise as to how 

 far this increase in the number of laborers, and the 

 accompanying increase in the size of farms, 

 should be carried in order that the farmer shall 

 win the largest net return for his efforts, and 

 also as to the desirability of large farms socially 

 considered. 



If a farmer possesses superior managing 

 ability, so that it is profitable for him to devote 

 all of his time and energy to the management of 

 a farm, employing laborers to perform all of the 

 detailed operations, how large a farm should he 

 attempt to operate? The farmer should look, of 

 course, to the net profit which is left after the pay- 

 up 



