28 
BULLETIN 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
senting size of farm (crop area) rises from left to right, there are 
three noticeable high points in the curve representing the per cent 
return on investment for the corresponding groups of farms as rep- 
resented by the size curve. These high points are caused primarily 
by the efficient use of teams. It is seen that the first high point of the 
curve representing per cent return on investment occurs for farms 
from 55 to 60 acres in extent ; the second high point occurs for farms 
of from 95 to 105 acres and the third high point occurs for farms from 
130 to 170 acres. 1 
Table XII. — Appropriate number of teams for fauns of different sizes. Ellis 
County, Tex. 
Crop 
Number Number 
of horses of 
perfarm. records. 
39 to 7.5 acres ■ < 
7.5 to 140 acres < 
140 acres and over I 
Average 
crop 
area. 
56 
61 
98 
no 
142 
1SS 
Horse 
Acres 
davs per 
per 
horse. 
horse. 
89 
29 
51 
16 
72 
24 
60 
18 
131 
36 
83 
23 
Per cent 
return 
on 
invest- 
ment. 
6.5 
4.9 
7.1 
5.1 
9.2 
5.9 
In Table XII is shown the appropriate number of teams for farms 
of different sizes as indicated by the curves of figure 11. The first 
two groups, consisting of 11 and 13 farms, respectively, are com- 
posed of the two-horse and four-horse farms from 39 to 75 acres in 
extent. It is seen that the two-horse farms make much better use of 
the work stock than do the four-horse farms; the two-horse farms 
average 56 acres, while the four-horse farms average only 61 acres. 
It is apparent therefore that farms of 61 acres are not large enough 
for efficient use of four animals, since on the two-horse farms the 
equivalent of 29 acres is covered by each animal. The returns of the 
two-horse farms are 6.5 per cent, while the income of the four-horse 
farms is only 4.9 per cent on the investment. 
The first high point of the curve (fig. 7) representing per cent 
return on investment is reached when the efficient size for two horses 
is reached. Beyond this point the farms are too large for efficient 
use of two horses and not large enough for four animals until farms 
of about 100 acres are approached. Farms of less than about 50 acres 
do not make efficient use of horse labor and consequently make low 
returns, as indicated by the curve. 
The same relationships are found between the four-horse and six- 
horse farms of from 75 to 140 acres in extent as were seen for two- 
1 The curves wore constructed by the use of the moving average. The farms were ar- 
ranged in the order of size from smallest to largest and each point of the curves represents 
the average of 11 farms. 5 farms on each side of the point being averaged with the farm 
of that size 
