300 PRINCIPLES OF FARM PRACTICE 



carefully managed so as to carry out the system. The or- 

 ganization must take into consideration, first of all, the 

 conservation of soil fertility. For the soil represents capital 

 just as much as money invested in the business does, and the 

 same care should be taken to maintain it as is exercised in 

 maintaining the cash capital invested. Just how the fertility 

 of the soil may be kept up will depend upon the application 

 of the principles of soil management, already discussed, to 

 the type of farming employed. 



In crop farming, it will be by rotation of crops and by the 

 use of green manure and commercial fertilizers; in stock 

 farming, it will be done by making use of barnyard manure 

 and crop rotation; if it is special farming devoted to plant 

 production, it will be done by purchasing manure and com- 

 mercial fertilizers. The distribution of labor should be made 

 in the right proportion over the different crops. In stock 

 farming, the proper balance must be maintained between 

 crops for feed and animals to be fed. Attention should be 

 given to the quality as well as to the quantity of production. 

 This refers to the improvement of both plants and animals. 

 Good plants and good animals are always more profitable 

 than poor ones. The control of plant diseases, weeds and 

 insects should be included as part of the system where crops 

 are produced. 



The principles underlying the various factors involved in 

 farm planning and organization have been presented in the 

 preceding chapters. These principles must be kept in mind 

 in working out the details of any system. 



System of accounting. As a basis for successful organi- 

 zation and management some record of transactions involving 

 receipts and expenditures must be kept. Other kinds of 

 business much less complex than the business of farming 



