374 FARM MANAGEMENT 



rods. These distances are reasonable. The fields are then 

 as near the barn as with one-fourth the area laid out like 

 Figure 78. 



233. Locating the farmstead off the highway. We 

 have seen that the ideal place for the buildings is in the 

 center of the farm with a public road going by the buildings. 



If the land all lies on one side of the road, the best place 

 for the farmstead is in the center of the side of the farm 

 on the road. The many objections to locating away from 

 the public road more than offset the advantages of being 

 near the fields. With rural mail delivery, one must go to 

 the highway every day for mail. As the parcels post is 

 developed, it will become increasingly important to live 

 on the highway. If there is anything to sail to neighbors, 

 it is much more likely to be sold if one lives on the highway. 

 Many times one can send to town by neighbors who are 

 passing the house. If the farm is not located on the high- 

 way, the strip of private road must be kept up. Every 

 trip to town is a longer trip. Farms with buildings off the 

 highway do not sell as well. When all these things are 

 considered, it will be seen that the farmstead should be on 

 the public road. Wholly aside from all the above con- 

 siderations, it is desirable to live where people can be seen 

 occasionally. Farm life is isolated enough at best. Some- 

 times the buildings may be located in the center of the 

 farm, and a new public road opened that will pass them. 

 One can well afford to give the right of way for such a 

 road in return for the advantages of locating in the center 

 of the farm. 



234. Present conditions on farms. In the country 

 that was covered with trees in the eastern part of the 

 United States, small, irregular fields were gradually 

 cleared by the early settlers. The fields were surrounded 



