5^8 



READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



often contribute to the income. Even if colts are raised, they 

 usually decrease the cost of horse labor rather than actually add to 

 the income. 



The acres of crops grown, the yields of these crops, the num- 

 ber of producing animals and the production of these animals are 

 a measure of the amount that is being accomplished on a farm. 

 The crop yields and the production of animals are no better on 

 the small farms than on the large farms, hence the acres of crops 

 and animals kept are a fairly accurate measure of the amount ac- 

 complished. The acres of crops raised per man varied from 1 3 

 on the small farms to 57 on the largest farms. The number of 

 animal units per man varied from 3 on the small farms to 15 on 

 the largest farms (Table 8). 



TABLE 8. RELATION OF SIZE OF FARM TO EFFICIENCY IN THE 

 USE OF LABOR. 670 FARMS, JEFFERSON COUNTY, NEW YORK 



Relation of size of farm to work done. From cost accounts 

 and other records, we know approximately how much time it takes 

 to do each kind of farm work under normal conditions. The 

 raising of an oat crop ordinarily takes 15 to 25 hours of man 

 labor and 20 to 40 hours of horse labor per acre. With anything 

 like efficient methods of work, 20 hours of man labor and 30 

 hours of horse labor per acre is sufficient. Many New York 

 farmers do better than this. We may therefore say that an oat 

 crop represents 2 days of man work and 3 days of horse work. 



