CLEARING FARM LAND 31 



Improvement of abandoned farm land has been possible in recent years as a 

 result of higher prices for farm products and availability of heavy machinery. 

 Higher profits and technological advances in agriculture have increased the 

 interest of farmers in land improvement and soil conservation. Removal of 

 physical obstacles to the use of modern farm machinery is a primary requirement 

 for desirable land use adjustments. The trend towards larger and more efficient 

 farms will continue with the clearing and improvement of land in farms. Land 

 improvement will be of greatest value on the commercial type of farm. 



The decision to improve land should be made only after careful study of the 

 economic and physical factors involved, including probable costs, expected re- 

 turns, total benefits to the farm, type of soil, topography and location of land, 

 type of cover to be removed, possible changes in the farm plan, and alternative 

 uses for the money to be paid for improvements. If the work is undertaken, 

 methods of land improvement should be fitted to requirements of the individual 

 case. Costs may be amortized over a period of years and should be met by addi- 

 tional yields of crops or grazing over yields required to meet annual production 

 costs. 



The following conclusions are based on analysis of records on land improve- 

 ment work, on case studies of individual clearing projects, and on appraisal of 

 other information on the subject. 



L Type of soil and typography of land to be cleared should be adapted to 

 agricultural use. High-producing crop land cannot be made on steep slopes or 

 stony, gravelly soil. 



2. Size and type of machinery should be adapted to the conditions for each 

 job. Small bulldozers at low cost per hour may be more expensive than larger 

 machines for heavy work. Combinations of machinery are often used for stump 

 and stone-wall ren;oval. 



3. High costs per acre may be justified if the returns are also high. Low 

 costs may prove more expensive if returns are low. 



4. Profitability of land improvement work should be calculated on additional 

 yields, prices, and values expected over a period of years. 



5. Land improvement, particularly stone-wall, boulder, and stump removal, 

 provides for increased mechanization of farm operations, more efficient use of 

 labor, and less breakage of machinery. 



6. Wet land was reclaimed at low cost per acre by blasting ditches. Tech- 

 nical assistance from the Soil Conservation Districts and cooperation of neigh- 

 bors in obtaining outlets for ditches were important factors in this method of 

 land reclamation. 



7. Costs of land improvement work were usually paid from farm earnings. 



8. New types of heavy equipment such as grubber blades for bulldozers, 

 power rotary tillers, and steel stoneboats may result in lower clearing costs and 

 more efficient work. 



9. Land improvement may be of greatest economic importance on commer- 

 cial farms. 



10. Development of new farms by land clearing will be justified only in un- 

 usual cases for production of specialized crops with a high acre value. 



