No. 4.] FACTORS IN SUCCESSFUL FARMING. 67 



labor income would be $1,500, but as it is he did not even 

 make interest on his capital. He paid for the privilege of 

 working. 



Farm 6. 



Crop acres, 259; excellent. 



Crop index, 134; excellent. 



Receipts per cow (33 cows), $74; good. 



Per cent of receipts from crops, 53; excellent. 



Labor income, $3,270. 



This is the highest labor income made by any farmer who 

 sold milk at wholesale. With his unusually large area of 

 good crops he could easily raise his labor income to $4,000 

 by keeping better cows. 



After one has studied large numbers of records it becomes 

 possible to tell whether the labor income is poor, good, fair 

 or excellent by knowing these few figures. This is the final 

 proof that these are the most important factors of profits ; 

 and it applies to other types of farming equally well. In 

 about 5 cases out of 100 some other factor affects the re- 

 sults so decidedly as to make the guess wrong. But on most 

 farms a good-sized area of crops and good yields have so 

 strong an influence as to overshadow other factors, and al- 

 most insure good returns if the crops are sold or are fed to 

 animals that bring good returns. 



There are some city men in the audience. I may say that 

 all this discussion is from results by practical farmers. City 

 men are most likely to fail from putting too much money in 

 buildings and keeping too many men, and from doing too 

 many fanev thines that are called scientific farming, but 

 that are really " folly farming." Experienced farmers do 

 not often make serious mistakes in these things. 



A Farmer's CATECHis:Nr. 



Each farmer will do well to compare his farm with suc- 

 cessful farms, to see where it is weak and whether it can be 

 improved, by asking himself these questions : — 



Have I 80 to 200 acres of crops ? If not, can I buy or 

 rent more land ? 



