40 BULLETIN 41, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Size of the farm business—No one expects a small grocery store 
which has only a few customers a day to be a great financial success. 
The total amount of business is insufficient to earn the operator a 
substantial income. Exactly the same is true with the small farm. 
The volume of business is limited by the area in crops and the 
capital invested. The small farm furnishes a home as well as much 
of the produce consumed by the family. If it were not for these 
factors the men on the small area would hardly be able to live. 
Wages are a reward for labor, and if a farm does not provide 
work the pay must be correspondingly small. The family-size farm. 
which in the corn belt should be above 100 acres, is unquestionably 
a more efficient unit than an area of 40 acres or less. Crops can be 
erown cheaper, labor will be better paid, and the farmer and his 
family will enjoy more of the benefits of modern civilization. 
Quality of the farm business —The farmer may have sufficient area 
and grow the right kind of crops, yet not be successful, owing to the 
poor quality of his entire business. Poor crops that do not pay the 
cost of production, and the feeding of these to unproductive live 
stock are common causes of failure. This characteristic of unsuc- 
cessful farming attracts much public attention. Such farms are un- 
profitable largely through ignorance or indifference on the part of the 
operator. Under good management they can generally be made suc- 
cessful. 
Diversity of the farm business —Improper organization of a large 
farm limits its possibilities, just as area limits the small farm. 
Single crops or single live-stock enterprises seldom utilize farm 
labor to its maximum. By having several crops there is not only 
better distribution of labor, but the chances of total loss from crop 
failures are lessened. Fortunately, corn, oats, and wheat utilize the 
farmer’s time pretty thoroughly through the growirg season. In 
some parts of this country certain crops that need labor only a part 
of the year may be so profitable that the farmer can afford to be idle 
the rest of the year. However, these are the exceptions. Most crops 
are not profitable enough to permit any such practice. Idle horses 
and machinery are nearly as expensive as idle men. (See fig. 10.) 
If the working equipment can all be kept busy on paying enterprises, 
success is almost assured. 
Adaptability of the type of farming—Equally important in the 
selection of enterprises to permit the maximum use of labor is the 
consideration of the profitableness of each. Dairy cows and cash 
crops may utilize all of the farmer’s time, but in certain regions, 
possibly, dairy cattle under the best management could hardly be 
made to pay a profit. Markets and other conditions have to be care- 
fully considered in choosing the enterprises which are to constitute 
the main sources of income. Fitting the right crop to the soil and 
