SIZE OF FARMS 241 



of farms of this kind. Most of the acts have indicated 

 that 160 acres was considered the most desirable size of 

 farm. The first Homestead Act in 1862 allowed soldiers 

 160 acres of land, and other persons 80 acres. This was 

 the first land act that limited the area to such small tracts. 

 At the time when this act was passed, 80 acres provided 

 as full a year's work for a family as three or four times this 

 area does now. The same policy put into effect to-day 

 would call for larger areas. 



Not only has the government policy favored family- 

 farms, but economic conditions cause our farms to change 

 to the size that is best for such a farm. The farms that 

 are too large are being divided, and those that are too 

 small are being combined. 



160. How large should a family-farm be? Most of 

 the discussion of size of farms is confused, because it deals 

 with extremes. Comparison is made of small family-farms 

 with large farms where the owner does no work. For this 

 reason, the usual discussions of the subject have little 

 bearing on the question of the best size of family-farm. 

 The great middle class is ignored. The farm that is large 

 enough to employ the owner and one or two sons or hired- 

 men has a great advantage over either the very large or 

 very small farm. There are comparatively few of the 

 large bonanza farms. 



If we omit the minor types of farming, such as truck 

 growing, floriculture, etc., we may say that farms in the 

 north half of the United States of less than 100 acres 

 are small, farms of 160 acres medium sized, and farms of 

 200 or 300 acres are large. Which of these is best? All 

 these are of the family-farm type. The operator works 

 with his sons or with his hired-men ; any discussion that 

 deals with bonanza farms has no bearing on the problem. 



