472 FARM MANAGEMENT 



- If an enterprise fails to pay, it does not mean that that 

 crop or animal should be dropped. A study of the account 

 may indicate how it may be made to pay. Sometimes 

 the trouble is that the area or number of animals is too 

 smalls Instead of dropping the enterprise, it may be that 

 it should be increased so as to reduce the cost of produc- 

 tion and make it pay. An enterprise that regularly shows 

 a loss may be continued if the loss is not too great and if 

 nothing better can be found to do. The enterprise may be 

 paying less than the labor cost, but if it pays other ex- 

 penses and something for man and horse labor, it is better 

 than doing nothing. However, it is not often that any 

 enterprise should be continued that does not pay wages. 

 In nearly all cases, it may be changed or something else 

 substituted that will pay. 



- In interpreting results, one must consider whether the 

 season and other conditions have been normal. - 



In short, cost accounts are used as a means of studying 

 one's business. The cost of production and the profit 

 or loss are only a small part of the results. 



277. Results on Crops. The table on the opposite 

 page shows some of the main facts about each crop in this 

 set of accounts. 



The alfalfa has been the most profitable crop on the 

 farm, both per acre and for the time spent on it. Alfalfa 

 paid all expenses and had left 90 cents for each hour spent 

 on it. Or since the value of labor has already been counted 

 out, we may say that it paid all expenses except labor and 

 had left $1.11 for each hour of labor. 



The cost of starting the crop after a summer fallow is very 

 high. The three acres in field B cost nearly $58 per acre for 

 manure, seed, labor, use of land, etc. When seeded in oats 

 in field C without manure, the cost was $5 per acre. This 



