22 



BULLETIN 560, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



RELATION OF TOTAL CROP ACRES PER FARM TO CROP ACRES PER 



HORSE. 



It has been shown that on an average the feed cost and total cost 

 per hour of horse labor on the farms studi ^d decreased as the number 

 of hours worked per horse increased. The amount of work required 

 per horse depends on the size of the business and the number of horses 

 on the farm. On most of the farms included in this study the size of 

 the business depended largely on the number of crop acres in the farm; 

 that is, acres under cultivation. It is true that a great deal of horse 

 labor other than crop labor was performed on these farms, but it is 

 safe to say that in every case the horses required to tend the crops 

 during the crop season could easily do all other necessary labor. 



The relation of crop acres per farm to crop acres per horse is shown 

 in Table 15, by States. 



Table 15. — Relatior 



of total crop acres per farm to crop acres per horse, by States {27 

 farms, 316 horses). 





Illinois (10 farms — 

 averagesize, 166 acres). 



Ohio ( , farms — 

 averagesize, 74acres). 



New York (10 farms — 

 average size, 94 acres ). 





Average 

 per &rm. 



Average 

 per horse. 



Average ' Average 

 per farm. ' per horse. 



Average 

 per farm. 



Average 



per horse. 



Farms above the averasre size 



Farms below the average size 



Acres. 

 230.2 

 111.2 



Acres. 

 22.2 

 16.8 



Acres. 1 Acres. 

 93.7 1 17.8 

 54. 7 14. 6 



Acres. 

 112. 74 

 70.07 



Acres. 



20 



17 





119.0 



5.4 



39.0 



3.2 



42. 07 3 









From these figures it appears that the large farms permit of a more 

 efficient use of horse labor than do the small farms. On the large 

 farms in Illinois there were 22.2 acres in crops per horse, while on 

 the small farms there were but 16.8 acres per horse. Similar results 

 were found on both the Ohio and the New York farms, though in these 

 States the difference between the two groups was not as great as in 

 Illinois. 



