UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 341 , 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY a 
Contribution from Office of Farm Management 
W. J. Spillman, Chief 
Washington, D. C. PROFESSIONAL PAPER. January 17, 1916 
FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER 
COUNTY, PA. 
By W. J. Spittman, Chief, Office of Farm Management, H. M. Dixon, Assistant 
Agriculturist, and G. A. Bitiines, Agriculturist. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page 
WPiECHSOUSLUG Yee sae setae -eisis= cece ia iceeee i eMiaenitidelotibusinesss "sesso ns-ceeesseseee ee 53 
Application to Chester County agriculture. -- Sel) Menant farms. eae oc) sca nee cicisettaece soe 68 
MoerniGony SULVOYeCG:..52-\...02..225222e55--e- An RQ ualutysO tO USIMESSscre ae sere eee eee sees 73 
TIDES CHET gab ba ee eee es ee Sin | RAEN OnS ari 7/ ai OMe eae gala ee a eee 81 
CORDIDS SS cee yc aa a a iva |) Depreciation of dainycOwSs-ss55-o5- 22> ea 93 
NPI OISbO CK eeeenn ae oe eee r ee oA e 21 | Depreciation of work horses...........----.- 95 
SOURCES Os C OM Sse ee ise er yee eee nae ZAC ALC Ole aTVInC! sam aera ae eee eee 96 
Variations in crop area in relation to labor IDGYOIG> URE eA ONO Se Seino SERRE BORG aen ad THeceE i) 
MING OIMOW Seva elev Se ies ee ete ee DRIES hs oe 30 
OBJECTS OF STUDY. 
The objects of this study were: 
1. To work out a method of studying regional farm manage- 
ment problems. 
2. To discover fundamental principles of farm management. 
3. To work out the application of these fundamental principles 
to the agriculture of a definite agricultural region. 
It is believed the system of tabulating and interpreting farm- 
management survey data worked out in the study of the survey 
made in Chester County and presented in this bulletin offers a means 
of interpreting such data that will render such a farm-management 
survey of great value in determining the best agricultural practice 
in any distinct agricultural region. 
1 Acknowledgment is due Messrs. J. I. Falconer, D. L. Cottrill, H. B. Munger, L. G. Con- 
nor, Jos. H. Hamilton, E. L. Moffitt, and H. M. Doyle, who assisted in collecting the data 
presented in this bulletin. Prof. F. D. Gardner, of the Pennsylvania State Agricultural 
College, gave valuable assistance in selecting the area studied and suggestions concerning 
the conduct of the work. Thanks are extended to the many farmers in this region 
through whose courtesy this work was made possible. 
Notr.—This study is based on the operations of 643 farms in an old and prosperous 
agricultural section. It is designed to develop fundamental and broadly applicable 
principles of good farm management. 
14138°-—Bull, 341—16-_—1 
