SIZE OF FARMS 257 



On a small farm, the horses cannot be kept in constant 

 use, because there is not work enough. 



On a one-man farm, the horses are kept out of the fields 

 whenever the farmer does chores, hand work, or goes to 

 town. On a two-man farm, one man may be using all the 

 horses while the other man does other work. If there are 

 four or five horses on the place, the man who is working 

 the teams may be driving three or four horses. At the 

 same time, the other man may make a trip to town with 

 one horse. All the horses are then kept at work. A farm 

 with five horses has a great advantage in being able to ad- 

 just the size of team to machinery and work. It allows a 

 five-horse team, a four-horse team, or two two-horse 

 teams, with a single horse for other work, and allows a 

 three- and a two-horse team. By these means, the labor of 

 men and machinery is economized, and work can be more 

 promptly done. The chores are frequently done by the 

 man not working the team, again keeping the horses in 

 the field. It is almost impossible to keep the horses busy 

 on a one-man farm. 



If a farmer has only two horses, he cannot take advan- 

 tage of the great economy that comes from driving three- 

 and four-horse teams. Even if he could borrow the horses 

 and machinery, he could not use them to advantage in 

 his small fields. 



The Census figures for the United States point to the 

 same conclusion. 



164. Relation of size of farm to efficiency in the use 

 of machinery. Most of the common farm machinery 

 can be used to do the work on a 200- or 300-acre farm, as 

 well as on a small farm. If the small farm buys the ma- 

 chinery, it is at too great a cost per acre. If it goes without 

 macninery, the loss of time and yields is even more serious. 

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