No. 4.] FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL FARMING. 



61 



Relation of Acres of Crops to Profits. — A still better 

 way of measuring size is to compare the area of crops 

 grown. This includes all harvested crops, but does not in- 

 clude pasture. Table 10 gives such a comparison. 



Table 10. — Relation of Acres of Crops to Labor Income. 



Most of the economies in production are dependent on 

 the area of crops grown. Five horses are enough to raise 

 100 to 150 acres of general farm crops when the crops con- 

 sist of a good combination of grain, hay and potatoes, apples 

 or cabbage. If the crops are of the above kinds there should 

 be at least 20 acres per horse, but if they are hay and grain 

 there should be at least 30 acres per horse. In the eastern 

 States the cost of horse labor per acre is more than the in- 

 terest on the value of the land. While five horses can raise 

 125 acres of crops it is difficult to raise 50 acres of crops with 

 two horses. Farm machinery is built on the two, three and 

 four-horse basis. Evidentlv if one has less than 80 acres of 

 crops he must either go without good machinery or must keep 

 too many horses. There is no other solution of the problem 

 for him. 



Machinery, horses and labor cannot be used efficiently with 

 less than 80 to 100 acres of crops ; and 200 acres is still bet- 

 ter. The various reasons for this have been published else- 

 where. For this discussion it is sufficient to see that size 

 of business is very important and that crop acres is one of 

 the best measures of size. 



