374 ELEMENTS OF AGRICULTURE 



machinery will not be used to good advantage. Idle ma- 

 chinery means lost money. A small farm also necessitates 

 too small fields, and these require much more time for 

 tilling and more fencing, for the area. The larger farm 

 gives a chance to make a profit from the labor of more 

 men, if their labor is well directed. 



These remarks do not apply when we are considering 

 the very large farm. In this case, there must be a manager 

 who does not do field work, and his salary must be paid. 

 With such establishments, the interest of the men is usu- 

 ally not kept up, and this alone is usually sufficient to 

 cause a loss. The most efficient and most profitable farm 

 is usually one where the owner works with the men, and 

 has as many men working as he is able to manage without 

 having to stop work himself. By, working with the men, 

 the amount accomplished is often doubled. 



318. Shape and Location of Fields. The shape of fields 

 has an important bearing on the time required to till them. 

 Odd-shaped fields are very undesirable. Narrow fields 

 or small fields require more labor and more fencing.. A 

 ten-acre field, 40 x 40 rods, requires 40 rods less fence than 

 a field that is 20 x 80 rods. If this fence is kept up per- 

 manently, it will probably cost at least five to ten cents per 

 rod per year for depreciation and repairs, depending on the 

 kind of fence; in addition there is interest on the extra 

 money invested. At five cents per rod, the difference would 

 be two dollars per year. But this is a fair rate of interest 

 (5 per cent) on $40. The square field is, therefore, worth 

 $40 more, or is worth $4 more per acre. 1 



value of a farm is determined by its earning power. It should 

 earn a reasonable rate of interest, here assumed to be 5 per cent on the 

 value. If a farm earns $2 more per year every year, or if a change in it 

 reduces expenses by $2 every year, the value of the land is $40 more. 



