Third is the very general question of the optimum use of productive 

 resources. This objective was to determine whether the Soil Bank Program 

 has encouraged a more efficient use of farm resources. That is, whether 

 agricultural production has moved to the "best" land closest to assembly 

 points, keeping the "best" buildings and the "best" machinery and cows. 

 Improved resource efficiency is important, it is only with this optimum 

 pattern that desired production can be obtained with the least human 

 effort. 



SOURCE AND NATURE OF DATA AND 

 METHOD OF ANALYSIS 



A complete enumeration of Coos County farms done in 1940 provided 

 the benchmark for this study. ^ This enumeration identified each farmer 

 in the County, location of operation and size of unit in terms of cow 

 numbers, poultry numbers or acres of potatoes, other crops or enterprises. 

 Using the 1940 study as a base comparison, local Community Committee- 

 men of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service were asked 

 to identify the agricultural units as shown in 1940 and to determine whether 

 the unit in 1959 was still operated as an independent unit. If the unit was 

 still operating independently in 1959, the owner, size of operation in terms 

 of livestock, and acres of cropland were reported. However, if the unit 

 was not operated as an independent unit in 1959, the Community Com- 

 mitteemen identified the last farm operator, the year in which operation 

 ceased, the present cropland use, and the ownership arrangement. 



Data on Soil Bank Cooperators were obtained from the Coos County 

 Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Office, and the local Communi- 

 ty Committeemen. These data indicated the extent of cooperation and 

 described the farm in terms of land productivity, planned land use, his- 

 torical land use, the quality and quantity of nonland resources, and planned 

 employment of these resources. 



Resources, as well as number of productive units of livestock or crops 

 on participating and nonenrolled units, are added. From the summation, 

 the amount of resources enrolled and the effects of the disposal of the 

 nonland resources released on the local fann economy is appraised by the 

 type of resource. Trend and budget analysis is employed to approximate 

 the changes resulting from participation in the Soil Bank Program. 



THE SOIL BANK PROGRAM 



The Soil Bank Program was initiated late in 1956 to reduce production 

 of surplus farm commodities throughout the nation and to promote con- 

 servation of the nation's land resources. The Program as established is 

 in two parts: The Acreage Reserve Program and the Conservation Re- 

 serve Program. 



The Acreage Reserve Program was designed to reduce production of 

 the allotment crops. These crops are wheat, cotton, corn, rice, and most 

 types of tobacco. This part of the Program was not applicable to Coos 

 County. 



- Woodworth, H. C. and Holmes, J. C, unpublished material, Dept. of Agr. Econ., 

 Univ. of New Hampshire, 1941. 



