20 



of each group; or, second, we may arrange them in groups according 

 to ascending labor income and find the corresponding variations 

 in the average size of farm in each of the labor income groups. 

 It is highly important that a proper decision be made as to which 

 of these methods to use. In order to show the difference in the 

 results obtained by the two methods a number of farms are grouped 

 in Table II- A according to size of farm, while in Table II-B the 

 same farms are grouped according to labor income. 



TABLE II-A. Farms grouped by size, and the resulting average labor 

 incomes determined. 



TABLE II-B. The same farms grouped by labor income, and the 

 resulting average size of farm determined. 



Labor income groups. 



Table II-A shows a gradual and regular increase in labor income 

 as size of farm increases. Table II-B, indeed, shows some kind of 

 relation, but the results are plainly distorted by the effect of some 

 other factor or factors. Evidently the relation sought is more clearly 

 and simply portrayed in the first tabulation than in the second. 

 The cause of the difference in results in these two tabulations is at 

 the bottom of all sound reasoning about farm management, data. 

 Unless this cause is clearly apprehended serious errors are liable to 

 occur in interpreting such data. 



