136 INTENSIVE FARMING 



land,* pays the landlord a higher rate of income 

 than that shown by this average farm. It must 

 be remembered also that in order that there 

 may be an average farm there are those which 

 return more and still others that return a net 

 of even less than 4.5 per cent. 



In agriculture as in all other lines of en- 

 deavor the personal equation of the operator 

 plays a most important part. The influence of 

 this personal factor is manifest more clearly in 

 agriculture than in any other calling, for the 

 reason that the skill and judgment of the far- 

 mer appear in his crops, in the environment of 

 his home, and in his live stock. Most other 

 industries and trades are less exposed and are 

 more restricted. The farmer, on the other 

 hand, manifests his abilities in much the same 

 manner as an artist, but his canvas is his farm 

 and his materials are his crops. The picture is 

 always on exhibition. It sometimes happens 

 that what makes up a pleasing and apparently 

 well conceived study may not prove a satisfac- 

 tory one financially. Sometimes the farmer who 

 is apparently the best and most prosperous 

 farmer of a community is not making money 

 and he is not able to determine the cause of his 

 failure. Such is a case for careful investiga- 



* Farmers' Bulletin No. 437, U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture. 



