290 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



Turning to a critical analysis of these data, it is impossible to make 

 a general recommendation as to equipment, owing to the complex and 

 varying combinations of enterprises on different farms. The great 

 variations in the tastes and circumstances of farm-owners is largely 

 responsible for the variations in the cost of household buildings, and 

 it is almost impossible to arrive at a satisfactory basis for determining 

 the proper outlay in this respect. But it is possible to plan a prac- 

 ticable set of farm buildings which almost exactly fit the conditions 

 of the average farm under consideration (165 . 88 acres). A basement 

 barn 36 by 60 feet provides 2,160 square feet of floor space for the 

 housing of cattle, horses, and sheep, with space for storage of hay, 

 grain, and machinery above. Where a basement barn is not prac- 

 ticable a second building may be provided for the storage of hay and 

 the shelter of a part of the live stock. Besides the grain room in the 

 basement barn there is needed a double crib or combination of crib 

 and granary with a driveway between, which, when inclosed by doors 

 at either end, may be used as a convenient wagon or buggy shed. A 

 building 20 by 28 feet and 10 feet in height, with an 8-foot gable, is 

 suggested, and another building 22 by 30 feet and 12 feet to the eaves 

 will be called for as a machinery shed and workshop. Finally, there 

 may be separate hog house, poultry house, silo, potato cellar, -or other 

 miscellaneous buildings demanded by the special character of the 

 farm. 



The data indicate that 4 work horses, 2 head of young stock, 

 and either a driving horse or brood mare, which may occasionally 

 be worked, are about the average requirements as to horses. 

 Six farms on which dairying is the principal enterprise kept, alto- 

 gether, 95 milch cows, and on ten other farms there were 29 milch 

 cows. 



In making up a list of machinery for the average farm so many 

 factors enter into consideration that a generalization is of little value. 

 Of the 21 farms, all reported a walking plow, a spike-tooth harrow, 

 a farm wagon and box, and a mower; 19 had a sulky hay rake; iShad 

 hayrack, grain binder, and i-horse cultivator; 17 had 2- or 3-horse 

 cultivators. Outside of these nearly indispensable articles, every farm 

 had some items of equipment whose importance was due to the par- 

 ticular character of their crops 2 Babcock testers, 4 potato planters, 

 6 sap evaporators, etc. 



The general distribution of outlays among land, improvements, 

 and equipment may be summarized as follows: 



