STUDY OF SMALL FARMS NEAR WASHINGTON. 5 
Over 50 per cent of the crop area is devoted to vegetables and 
fruits (fig. 1). When the farms increase in area the proportion of 
land used for the general crops — corn, hay, and grain — increases, 
more of these crops being needed to feed the increased number of 
horses and other stock on the larger farms, and more land being 
available for this purpose. On many of the smaller farms no corn 
or grain is raised, necessitating the buying of feed. With a very 
limited amount of land available for crops, the farmer finds it more 
profitable to utilize the greater portion of it for raising crops of 
Fig. 2. — View of one of the small, highly intensified truck farms. 
high market value and such as will furnish profitable labor for one 
or more men through the season. (See fig. 2.) 
The live stock kept on these farms was practically limited to 
horses needed for farm work, and to cows, pigs, and chickens kept 
for the production of food for the family. The sales of live-stock 
products were negligible, with the exception of those of poultry 
products. The average flock for thes^ farms was 33 chickens. 
No greenhouses for raising vegetables for market were found 
in this area. 
