Selection of Farm Crops 295 



men. There are many operations that can be more 

 profitably performed by two or more persons than by one. 

 The actual area of the farm will depend very much upon 

 the requirements of the crops produced. For the com- 

 mon field crops, one man may care for from 40 to 125 

 acres, with only a moderate amount of extra labor at 

 certain seasons. In vegetables or fruits a few acres may 

 afford employment for a number of men. 



419. Intensive and Extensive Farming. By intensive 

 farming we mean that extra efforts and outlay are made 

 to increase the acre yields. Special efforts are made to 

 have the environment correspond closely to the require- 

 ments of the plants. Special preparation of the soil, 

 irrigation, liberal use of fertilizers, frequent cultivation 

 and specializing in just a few kinds of crops of high market 

 values, are features of intensive farming. Examples 

 are, onions, celery, and greenhouse plants. Crops where 

 quality more than quantity determine the acre- values are 

 usually more profitable when grown on an intensive basis. 

 Bulky field crops of comparatively low value, while giving 

 increased yields, do not usually make correspondingly 

 profitable returns when grown on an intensive basis. 



The pastoral farming of the pioneers represented an 

 extreme type of extensive farming. The other extreme 

 is found in the market gardens, greenhouses, and orchards 

 of the present day where a single acre may be made to 

 produce several hundred, or even several thousand dollars' 

 worth of products. 



