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PLANNING THE FARM IN RELATION TO THE 

 FARMSTEAD 



BY J. B. DAVIDSON, 

 Department of Agricultural Engineering. 



An investigation of the loss of time and energy upon Iowa 

 farms on account of an inconvenient arrangement of the fields, 

 roads and buildings indicates that farm planning should be given 

 much greater consideration than it now receives. An inconvenient 

 placing of the feed room, for example, in reference to the barns 

 and house may mean only a few hundred extra feet of travel or 

 a few extra minutes every day in caring for the live stock of the 

 farm, but the accumulated loss for a year or number of years be- 

 comes enormous. For instance, the walking of three hundred 

 feet twice a day amounts to over forty miles a year and in like 

 manner fifteen extra minutes twice a day amounts to over eigh- 

 teen days, of ten hours each, per year. 



A good way to plan the arrangement of the farm, including 

 the location of the various farm buildings, roads to the field, etc., 

 is to prepare a sketch or map upon which the routes may be 

 traced which must be followed in doing the day 's work, including 

 the morning and evening chores and a trip to town or other places 

 of traffic. The accompanying sketch shows such routes and atten- 

 tion is called to the convenience secured. It is true that upon 

 most farms the fields and buildings are already located, yet ad- 

 justments are made from time to time and these should be made 

 according to well-thought-out plans in order that the general 

 arrangement may improve rather than grow less convenient. To 

 assist in laying out the farm and planning the farmstead, the 

 following general considerations are suggested. Perhaps it will 

 not be possible to incorporate all of these principles in any one 

 plan, yet they represent advantages which should be secured if 

 possible, though it is realized that each farm is a problem in itself. 



1. Have the fields as nearly the same size as possible 



in order to facilitate crop rotation. 



2. Have as many fields as possible in direct connec- 



tion with the barn lot. 



3. Size of fields should be in proportion to size of 



entire farm. 



4. Land of the same quality should be in the same 



inclosure. 



