64 BULLETIN 1388, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Carrying the costs a step further to include charges for the use of 
land, family labor, and depreciation and interest on machinery, it is 
found that in order to pay for all of these costs, including extra 
labor and materials, it will be necessary to receive a price of $13.33 
per ton for potatoes grown under standard conditions and $18.72 
per ton for potatoes grown under conditions on Farm No. 7. In a 
similar way it is possible to compare with the standard the produc- 
tion advantages for other crops grown on an individual farm. 
The soil, labor, and marketing conditions on this farm, together 
with the operator's interest in livestock production, suggest the fol- 
lowing distribution of the 74 acres of land available for crops and 
pasture : 
Acres 
Alfalfa 40 
Wheat 11 
Potatoes 7 
Corn 3 
Rutabagas 4 
Sweet-clover pasture 4 
Permanent pasture 5 
Total 74 
Under this distribution of crop area, ono-fourth of the land in 
alfalfa would be turned under each year. This would be put into 
potatoes and corn. If the land is uniform and productive and the 
outlook for potatoes seems good, the entire 10 acres could be planted 
to potatoes and rutabagas could be left out of the organization for 
this year. Land which has been in potatoes one year could be dis- 
tributed to com, rutabagas, squash, or sweet clover pasture. The 
particular crops to grow, and the acreage of each, would depend 
upon the soil, market outlook, needs of livestock, the available labor 
supply, and extra cost involved. Four of the 9 acres of poor land 
now used for pasture would be seeded to sweet clover and 5 acres 
left for permanent pasture. As the poorer land is reclaimed by ma- 
nure and sweet clover, less pasture area will be needed. From 10 to 
15 acres would be seeded to wheat and alfalfa each year. 
The aim of this farmer should be to increase the fertility of his soil 
and at the same time obtain the highest possible average income. 
Alfalfa, sweet clover, and livestock provide the best opportunity for 
increasing the soil fertility. A more careful selection of the potato 
land and a reduction in acreage should considerably increase the 
yield. Good yields of rutabagas and a fair price would make ruta- 
bagas a desirable cash crop. 
No one crop or livestock organization can be devised that will best 
suit the production and marketing conditions on all farms in an area. 
Each operator must choose his own combinations of enterprises in 
the light of his own farm experience and existing conditions on his 
farm. Slight shifts in the organization may be necessary or desirable 
each year, because of changes in marketing conditions and in the 
availability of farm resources necessary to the economical production 
of crop and livestock enterprises. 
ADDITIONAL COPIES 
OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE PROCURED FROM 
THE SUPERINTENDENT OF DOCUMENTS 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 
WASHINGTON, D. C. 
AT 
15 CENTS PER COPY 
V 
