METHODS OF STUDYING AGRICULTURAL QUESTIONS 417 



Summary of Crops on Tarpleywick Farm 



The comparison of the relative profitableness of corn and 

 tobacco is not so simple. The tobacco showed a larger profit 

 per acre but a smaller return per unit of expenditure than corn. 

 The operating expense (aside from rent) being greater, one can- 

 not operate so many acres of tobacco, — probably not over 

 one third as many acres. For this reason profit per dollar of 

 expenditure for labor and equipment seems to be a more practical 

 basis for deciding which of two crops to grow than profits per 

 acre, although profits per acre multiplied by the number of 

 acres one can operate of each crop may in some cases be prefera- 

 ble to profit per unit of labor. 



The fact that oats are less profitable than corn should not 

 deter the farmer from growing oats if they are more profitable 

 than any other crop which requires the farmer's energy at the 

 same time of year. Even if oats are less profitable than corn, 

 the corn profits plus the oats profits look much better to the 

 farmer than the corn profit alone. 



In order to arrive at all the facts essential to comparing profits 

 the cost accountant keeps a record of the hours of human labor, 

 horse labor, machine use, seed, fertilizer, twine, etc., put upon 

 each acre of land in each crop. In case of doubt as to the relative 

 profitableness of two competing crops, grow some of each until 

 the figures show clearly which pays the better. There are 

 various systems of keeping cost records, any one of which is 

 good. The cost system should be confined to a few comparisons 

 at a time, otherwise it becomes too much involved. If the com- 



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