806 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



where much hand labor is required. Women, children and other cheap 

 forms of labor may be utilized more economically in much of such work. 



In the production of livestock and livestock products, including 

 poultry, there is considerable work that may be performed by the women 

 and children on farms, such as the care of the milk, the making of butter, 

 the feeding, care and marketing of poultry and poultry products. This 

 all tends to reduce the cost of production. 



Utilization of Time and Products. — On all farms a flock of 50 to 100 

 chickens, a few pigs and a few larger animals may be kept on what would 

 otherwise be absolutely wasted. The time required in caring for these 

 will not necessarily interfere with other lines of production. Such items 

 when attended to on over 6,000,000 farms, become of much importance, 

 and materially reduces the cost of production of a vast amount of food 

 products. More than 90 per cent of the eggs are produced in this way on 

 general farms. Much of the dairy products come from small farms that keep 

 only a few cows. Those products are consequently produced with cheap feed 

 and low-priced labor. This necessarily makes the margin of profit for the 

 man who engages in either poultry or dairying as a specialty, very narrow. 



Amount of Waste. — Perhaps no business permits as large waste as 

 is incurred in farming. There is waste in labor of horses and men, waste 

 in products through delay in harvesting and marketing or through improper 

 storage. The farmer, as well as other classes, must live, and these losses 

 must be made up by a little better price on that which finally reaches 

 the market in good condition. Waste of whatever nature, therefore, 

 tends to increase the cost of production. 



Fertility of Land. — Since land values play a minor part in the cost 

 of production of most crops, fertile soil, even though the land may cost 

 more than where the soil is poor, generally makes for reduced cost of 

 production. Land that will produce one-fourth more than average land 

 should command a price that is much more than one-fourth above the 

 average price of land. The most successful farmers are usually on highly 

 productive land, regardless of its money value. 



Weather Conditions. — The cost of producing both crop and animal 

 products is affected by weather conditions. Long periods without rain 

 so reduce the yield that the cost per unit of product is necessarily greatly 

 increased. In the same way, periods of wet weather may prevent proper 

 tillage and reduce yields to such an extent that the cost is greatly increased. 

 Unusually long, severe, stormy winter periods increase the amount of 

 feed required for livestock, and thus increase the cost of their products. 

 In like manner, droughts which affect pastures necessitate supplementing 

 with feed at some increase in cost of production. Seasons are uncertain 

 and play an important part in both cost of production and the probable 

 price. Fortunately, reduced production and increased cost of production 

 are generally offset to considerable degree by increased price of products. 



Weeds, Insects and Diseases. — These all reduce the yields in pro- 



