462 Effective Farming 



the choice of a region, the choice of the farm, decision on the 

 type of operation, the form of tenure (if the farm is rented), 

 the laying out of the fields, equipment, labor, cropping systems, 

 accounts, records, and the marketing of products. Obviously 

 not all of these subjects can be treated extensively in a one- 

 volume book on general agriculture and in the following pages 

 only brief statements of the various phases are given, but as 

 an aid to those who desire to study the subject more extensively 

 a full list of references is included. 



232. Farming as an occupation. There are many advan- 

 tages as well as disadvantages in farming as an occupation. 

 It is a stable business, not subject to serious disturbances of 

 the financial world, it is healthful, independent, and when 

 rightly conducted, fairly remunerative. On the other hand, 

 it is more dependent on climatic and weather conditions than 

 is any other occupation, and the average profits in farming 

 are not large as compared with those of most other businesses. 



233. Choice of a region for farming. A prospective pur- 

 chaser of a farm should consider carefully such factors as the 

 character of the soil, the transportation facilities, the health- 

 fulness of the region, the kind and quality of the farm labor 

 available, the social and educational conditions, the kind of 

 roads, the average value of farm lands, and the average crop 

 yields for the important crops grown during a period of years. 



234. Choice of the type of farming. In selecting the kind 

 of farming, one should be governed by the profitableness of the 

 different types best suited to the region. His personal prefer- 

 ence should be followed also, since one usually does well what 

 he enjoys doing. 



235. Choice of the farm. With the region and the type of 

 farming decided on, the next problem is the selection of the 

 individual farm. Chief questions here involved are, How 

 fertile is the soil? Is the topography of the farm desirable 

 for the type of farming selected? Are the improvements 

 satisfactory? Are the buildings located advantageously? 



