20 BULLETIN 633, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



occasional feed of bran or shorts. If good pastures are provided for 

 the summer season, the expense of keeping a mature herd of this kind 

 will be rather small. 



These studies indicate that a well- organized two-man farm in this 

 region might be based upon the following crops : Corn and cowpeas, 

 4.0 acres; wheat, 60 acres; miscellaneous forage crops, such as soy 

 beans, sorghum, oats, alfalfa, each in small acreages, say 2 to 4 

 acres ; half an acre of garden ; \\ acres of apple orchard, mainly for 

 home use. There might also be 3 acres of strawberries, 2 in bear- 

 ing. This would give 117 acres of crops. 



Two men, with four good horses, and with all the heavy work done 

 with four-horse implements, could tend all these crops easily and 

 do all the work, except at harvest time, without additional help; 

 and they would have time to spare. 



A good complement of live stock for such a farm would be two 

 mules and four high-grade brood mares, these four mares doing the 

 full work of two horses, and when bred to a sound pure-bred stallion 

 or the same type or breed should raise two colts each year. These 

 two colts, when sold at a year old, should bring at least $100. Since 

 the two mares not at work could be maintained rather cheaply and 

 could help to consume some of the wastage on the farm, it is believed 

 that this $100 income from colts would more than justify the keep- 

 ing of the two additional mares. 



Five cows, either of a dairy breed or of a beef breed, with five 

 young cattle constantly on hand, would, with the help of the horses, 

 consume the larger part of the waste of the farm, together with the 

 small areas of miscellaneous forage crops mentioned above. 



Two good brood sows, each raising two litters a year, amounting 

 to at least 20 pigs during the year, would be about the right com- 

 plement of swine, though if proper means were taken to guard 

 against cholera, and if the relative price of corn and hogs should jus- 

 tify it, the number of brood sows kept might be larger than this. As- 

 suming that five hogs will be needed for home use, this would permit 

 a sale of fifteen 200-pound hogs a year. 



Such a farm could maintain 150 hens easily, with very little 

 cost. These hens, if handled with a little intelligent care, should 

 easily bring in a dollar apiece annually, in addition to poultry prod- 

 ucts used on the farm. 



Such a complement of live stock as outlined would consume most 

 of the corn, all the corn and cowpea fodder, the miscellaneous forage 

 crops, and a portion of the straw. The remainder of the straw 

 should be used very liberally for bedding for the live stock. 



An organization such as this could be established on a farm of 

 160 acres, provided there is not over 10 acres of waste land, which, 

 in the nature of the case, must be devoted to the growing of timber. 

 This would permit, in addition to the 117 acres of crops, 26 acres 



