BULLETIN OF THE 



No. 41 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief. 

 January 14, 1914. 



A FARM-MANAGEMENT SURVEY OF THREE REP- 

 RESENTATIVE AREAS IN INDIANA, 

 ILLINOIS, AND IOWA. 1 



By E. H. Thomson, Agriculturist, and H. M. Dixon, Scientific Assistant, Office 



of Farm Management. 



INTRODUCTION. * 



Farm management treats of the business of farming. A farm- 

 management survey has for its purpose a study of the profits of the 

 individual farmer to determine the factors that control his income. 

 Agriculture to be progressive must be profitable. As farming is a 

 business involving both capital and labor, the farmer should receive 

 a fair income on his investment as well as wages for his labor. Many 

 farmers receive no wages for their wofk, due largely to poor farm 

 organization or from following types of agriculture unsuited to their 

 particular region. 



Successful farming is an individual, economic problem. The farm 

 is a combination of enterprises, and their individual organization will 

 determine in a large measure its profitableness. 



The corn-belt States excel almost all other regions in wealth of 

 farm products. On rich soil with ample rainfall a system of agri- 

 culture is found that is unequaled as an example of the expansive 

 type of farming. This type is developed on the basis of the farm 

 work horse as the means of motive power. To attain its highest 

 efficiency, this type calls for expansion in farming area. Such a type 

 is in direct contrast to the agriculture of the countries of southern 

 Europe or of Belgium, where man and not the horse furnishes the 

 labor. The American type is based on the product per man, the 

 European on the product per acre of land. 



In the summer of 1911 the Office of Farm Management of the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, 

 made a farm-management survey of certain districts in Indiana, Illi- 

 nois, and Iowa. The results of this survey, which are outlined in this 



Acknowledgment is due to Messrs. H. F. Williams, E. L. Currier, E. M. McGrew, 

 O. S. Rayner, and C. Wensel, who assisted in collecting the data presented in this bul- 

 letin. Thanks are also extended to the many farmers in the regions studied through 

 whose courtesy this work was made possible. 



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