FARM-MANAGEMENT SURVEY OF REPRESENTATIVE AREAS. 



29 



The results are the same for each district studied. The machinery 

 cost on the small farm of 40 acres or less is double that on those 

 over 200. As the area increases up to 100 acres there is a marked 

 decrease in the machinery cost, but above this area the gain in effi- 

 ciency is small or entirely lacking. 



RELATION OF THE SIZE OF THE FARM TO THE CROP YIELDS. 



Climatic conditions have such marked influence on crop yields that 

 records for one year are of little value as a measure of the yields 

 in a given region. However, such records do permit a comparison 

 of yields on farms of different sizes when conducted under the same 

 system of management. 



It is generally believed that the small farm is more efficient owing 

 to better crops. This appears to be a mistaken theory. The figures 

 given in Table XXII show the average yields of corn, oats, and 

 wheat on the large and small farms. 



Table XXII. — Relation of the size of tlie farm to the yield of various crops. 





Indiana. 



Illinois. 



Iowa. 1 



Size of farms. 



a 



u 



O 



(H 



a 



Yield per acre 

 (bushels). 



a 



O 



u 



a 



Yield per acre 

 (bushels). 



a 



o 

 (-< 



f 



Yield per acre 

 (bushels). 



• 



Q 



03 



o 





a 



o 

 O 



"o3 



O 



03 



J; 



a 

 o 

 o 



"o3 

 O 



& 

 £ 





92 

 75 

 39 



50.2 

 52.9 



52.8 



41.4 

 47.5 

 47.0 



19.0 

 19.2 



19.4 



12 

 42 

 70 

 20 



60.4 

 52.3 

 52.4 

 55. 6 



43.0 

 37.5 

 39.7 

 40.5 



16.0 

 15.2 

 15.8 

 17.8 



26 

 73 

 71 



33.2 

 36.3 

 37.9 



32.0 

 33.0 

 33.9 





81 to 160 acres 



161 to 320 acres 























Total or average 



206 



52.1 



46.6 



19.3 



144 



53.3 



39.3 



16.5 



170 



37.0 



33.5 





1 The yield of corn in Iowa in 1910 was much below normal, owing to drought in early summer. 



In Indiana higher yields of both corn and oats were obtained on 

 the larger farms. The difference is slight, yet 2.6 bushels of corn 

 is worth considering. 



In Illinois the highest yields of corn were secured on the smaller 

 farms. On the other hand, the yields on larger farms, those ex- 

 ceeding 320 acres in size, excelled both groups, ranging in size from 

 81 to 320 acres. There were only 12 farms under 80 acres, too few 

 from which to draw definite conclusions. 



In Iowa the larger farms consistently had the better yields. 



RELATION OF THE TYPE OF FARMING TO THE INCOME. 



All the farmers in the regions studied are following the same gen- 

 eral expansive system of agriculture, developed on the basis of 

 maximum product per man. Within this system two important 



