FACTORS OF SUCCESS IN FARMING 



59 



As in doing any kind of work, some persons do it in less 

 and some in more time. If much more time than this is spent, 

 the work is not efficiently done. This may be because the fields 

 are too small, because of poor machinery, because the land is un- 

 usually hard to work, or for other reasons. It matters not why 

 time is lost. If it is lost, the farm is not efficient. 



Similarly the average farmer spends about 1 50 hours of work 

 per year on a cow. If the barn or pasture is unhandy, or if he 

 has only a half-dozen cows, more time may be required. Some 

 farmers who get good returns spend less time. To care for a cow 

 for a year may be counted as about 1 5 days' work. 



In order to compare farms, all the productive enterprises are 

 similarly expressed in work units. The income of the farm is 

 dependent on the crops raised, the cows and other productive 

 animals kept, the outside work done for pay. Much other work 

 may be done, such as repairing machinery and buildings, taking 

 care of work horses, mowing the lawn, etc., but it is the produc- 

 tive work that limits the income. The units of productive work of 

 all kinds were calculated for each farm in Jefferson County. The 

 units used for the more common enterprises were as follows : 



Man Horse 



Work Units Work Units 



Timothy, alfalfa, clover, per acre per cutting 

 Oats, wheat, barley, rye, buckwheat, per acre 

 Corn, husked from shock, per acre .... 



Corn for silo, per acre 



Field beans, per acre 



Potatoes, per acre 



Cabbage, per acre 



Apples, per acre 



Dairy cow 



10 cattle or colts running loose 



10 brood sows, and raising pigs to weaning 



50 hogs, not brood sows 



100 ewes 



100 hens 



Raising 200 chickens 



'i 5 



