358 FARM ACCOUNTING 



the farm operator to study it carefully. As previously 

 suggested, such study is more likely to give good results 

 if it is made in a comparative way. 



In making the comparative study of the figures for the 

 years ended Feb. 28, 1917, and Feb. 28, 1918, it should be 

 stated first that the same fields were not used for corn 

 in each of the two years. In the first year the corn acre- 

 age was 50, while in the second year under consideration 

 it was 57. The number of bushels harvested in the year 

 ended Feb. 28, 1917, was 2510, as compared with 2625y 2 

 in the year following. 



As the Comparative Analysis is prepared in Illustration 

 64, it is possible to bring out two main points between the 

 years under consideration: 1. The results of management. 

 2. The result of market conditions 



In this connection, item (9), "The total Cost of year's 

 crop of corn, 1 ' is the one which indicates whether the men, 

 horses and equipment have been handled economically or 

 not. Results (2), (5) and (7), Cost per Acre, should be 

 quite uniform one year with another, depending only 

 slightly upon weather conditions, and somewhat upon the 

 sizes of the fields used. The per bushel cost as calculated 

 in results (3), (6) and (8) is very likely to fluctuate con- 

 siderably. It is low under favorable weather conditions 

 and high under unfavorable conditions. 



However, good farm management can have considerable 

 effect on the per bushel cost. Proper rotation, fertiliza- 

 tion, selection of seed and similar elements can increase 

 the yield without a corresponding increase in total cost. 

 Such conditions would decrease the cost per bushel. Ex- 

 ve applications of fertilizer, however, would not re- 

 sult in a corresponding decrease in the production cost 

 per bushel. 



Good management may be reflected in items (10) and 

 (12), inventories. The ability to analyze economic condi 





