UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



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% BULLETIN No. 853 



Office of the Secretary 



Contribution from the Office of Farm Management 



H. C. TAYLOR, Chief 



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Washington, D. C. 



July 20, 1920 



THE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT OF FARMS 

 IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. 



AN ANALYSIS OF THE BUSINESS OF 422 FARMS IN THE 

 VICINITY OF GROVE CITY, PA. 



By Earl D. Strait, Scientific Assistant, and 

 H. M. Dixon, Assistant Agriculturist. 



CONTENTS. 



Object of study 1 



Summary of results 2 



Area studied 4 



Classification of farms 6 



Production per farm 10 



Distribution of farm area 12 



Distribution of capital 13 



Distribution of receipts 14 



Distribution of crop area 15 



Distribution of live stock 15 



Expenses 16 



Size of farm, organization, and profits 17 



Live stock , 22 



Crops 25 



Maintenance of soil fertility 28 



Income from sources outside the farm 30 



Tenure 31 



OBJECT OF STUDY. 



The object of this study was to obtain, through a detailed analysis 

 of 422 farms, information relative to farm organization, crop pro- 

 duction, and profits for an area which was representative of numerous 

 similar areas in western Pennsylvania, southwestern New York, 

 eastern Ohio, and parts of West Virginia. The study has a particular 

 significance in view of the changes which have been taking place in 

 the agriculture of this region during the past few years. Until 

 recently the farming practiced throughout this region was of the 

 general crop and live-stock type. Many of the farms are of such size 

 that their operators have found it more profitable to obtain some 

 outside employment during a part of the year than to operate them 

 continuously. 



In the spring of 1915 a creamery was organized at Grove City, 

 the market center for these farmers, and an interest in this industry 

 was immediately manifested by many of them. This resulted not 

 only in a general increase in the number of dairy cows in this section 



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