INPUT AS RELATED TO OUTPUT 3 
organization. To the extent that this is true, studies of the indi- 
vidual enterprises may yield valuable information as to profitable 
readjustments in the handling of specific enterprises. The method 
presented in this bulletin is believed to be particularly promising for 
studies within this range. 
Beyond a certain point, readjustment of an individual enterprise 
necessitates readjustment in the whole farm organization. Thus, 
although it is possible to make material changes in the feeding prac- 
tices for dairy cattle without affecting the balance of the farm enter- 
prises, it is not logical to consider changing the size of the herd 
without taking into account the effect of the change upon the other 
farm enterprises. In this bulletin, the discussion of combination of 
enterp?*ises points out the difficulties in the way of thus determining 
the best organization, without attempting to solve the problem com- 
pletely. Until this phase of the analysis is developed further, any 
conclusions reached by studies of the greatest-profit combination of 
inputs for given enterprises must be limited to such changes from 
existing combinations as will not materially affect the balance of the 
farm enterprises. 
The method of study outlined is accompanied by data to illustrate 
the method and demonstrate the type of statistical analysis required. 
Since data have never been secured for the purpose of making just 
the kind of study described, it was necessary to use those collected for 
other purposes. For this reason many of the statistical examples do 
not go so far as the theoretical analysis would require. In such cases 
the line of further attack has been suggested; working out the full 
analysis with data collected for study by this particular method will 
show just what modifications in the suggested technique are neces- 
sary. 
ANALYSES 
INPUT VARIATIONS 
Farm organization bulletins of the last few years have usually 
published data as to the physical amounts of the various cost elements 
" required" in the production of various products. These data are 
valuable in many ways, but without further analysis they fall short 
of their highest usefulness. It is believed that the method of analyz- 
ing input variations presented here will make them more useful. As 
will appear later, this analysis is impossible with a small sample or 
without reasonably accurate data. 
The most apparent limitation of "input requirements" as ordi- 
uarily presented is that they do not fit all the various conditions un- 
der which crops or livestock are produced on different farms. In 
the same area some farmers are using tractor power for much of 
their work, and others are relying entirely on horses ; some are using 
2-row cultivators, and others 1-row cultivators; some are plowing 
with 4 or 6 horse teams and gang plows, and others are using single 
walking plows. Likewise, size and shape of fields, kind of soil, to- 
pography, and kind of laborer, whether man or boy, affect input. 
The harvest work varies with the size of the crop. It is impossible, 
of course, to determine the force of all the variables affecting input, 
but adjustments should certainly be provided for all the major vari- 
ables. 
