46 BULLETIN 1421, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Average crop yields —The 40-acre farms obtained the highest 
yields off alfalfa hay, sugar beets, beans, and alsike clover; the 80-acre 
farms, on the other hand, obtained the highest average yields of 
wheat, potatoes, and red clover seed. Using the index of crop 
yields as the measuring stick (the comparative yield of all crops), 
the 40-acre farms ranked three points above the 80-acre farms. 
With respect to crop yields, then, the 40-acre farms had a slight 
advantage, which, however, is not sufficient to justify the theory 
so often advanced that much better yields and more satisfactory 
financial returns would be obtained by reducing the size of the farm,: 
the type of farming remaining the same. | 
Thus it is evident that the 80-acre farms were organized and 
operated more effectively than were the 40-acre farms. The 40-acre 
farms had, in round figures, 5 per cent more of the capftal tied up in 
buildings and equipment than had the 80-acre farms. A work horse 
handled one-half more crop acres on the 80-acre farms than on the 
40-acre farms. For each month of man labor used, 2.8 crop acres 
were taken care of on the 40-acre farms as compared with 4.2 acres 
on the 80-acre farms. The average net return to real estate for the 
four-year period was $6.50 per acre greater for the 80-acre farms than 
the 40-acre group. 
Other things being equal the acreage in each crop is twice as large 
on an 80-acre farm as on one of 40 acres. For this reason practically 
all field operations can be performed more economically on the former 
than on the latter. A few illustrations should suffice to make this 
clear. 
It requires about the same length of time to repair the hay-making 
equipment and get it into action and to assemble a hay-stacking clew 
for 10 acres of alfalfa hay as for 20 acres. In general, as much time 
is consumed in turning for the cultural operations on a 40-acre farm 
as on an 80-acre farm, the time per unit area varying with the size 
and shape of the fields, length of rows, etc. The head of water on a - 
40-acre farm is only half as large as on an 80-acre farm. Thisenables . 
the 80-acre farmer to irrigate about twice as many acres in a given 
time as can the 40-acre farmer. Thus the 80-acre farmer can use the 
various factors of production to much better advantage than can the 
40-acre farmer, the type of farming being the same in each case, 
DAIRY AND GENERAL CROP FARMS 
The farms classified as ‘‘ Dairy and general crop farms,” in most 
cases, produced the general field crops in addition to carrying on the 
dairy enterprise. Dairying was an important enterprise on each of 
these farms and in a few instances the dairy herd was practically the 
only source of income. There was a wide variation in the quality of 
the cows, the different herds ranging from grades of low-producing 
capacity to well-bred herds of high producers. 
The small number of dairy and crop farms found in the district 
made a detailed study of the dairy enterprise impracticable. The 
district is so well adapted to the production of dairy products and 
dairy cattle, however, that the results of the study of the few dairy 
farms found is presented to indicate, in a rough way, the possibilities 
of this industry in the district and to compare dairy farming with the 
two other types. In the discussion that follows this group is here 
referred to as ‘‘dairy farms,” 
