FARM ORGANIZATION IN SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA 87 
THE WEAKNESSES OF THE PRESENT ORGANIZATION AND THE SUGGESTIONS FOR 
REORGANIZATION 
Although this organization is one of the better types found among 
the farms studied, certain weaknesses are apparent. A definite 
rotation of crops including legumes for hay and maintenance of soil 
fertility has not been developed. This seems desirable from the 
standpoint of long-time profits and of producing sufficient hay on the 
farm for the livestock being kept. The small grain acreage is out of 
proportion to the corn acreage from the standpoint of production 
of feed for livestock and balanced rotation of crops. 
The acreage of corn and tame hay can be increased without hiring 
any additional labor or increasing the number of work stock. The 
amount of pork produced was low in proportion to the amount of 
skim milk available for use. More pork could be produced without 
increasing the number of brood sows by raising fall litters as was done 
one year on this farm, but this would necessitate the production or 
purchase of more corn. 
In order to show how changes in the organization of this farm would 
affect the returns, changes in the cropping system are suggested in 
reorganization plan No. 1. 
REORGANIZATION PLAN NO. 1 
Effect of a change in the cropping plan upon the returns. — This 
reorganized cropping plan involves a reduction in oat production of 8 
acres and the elimination of the 12 acres of barley and 6 acres of rye. 
Seventeen additional acres of corn and 8 additional acres of clover 
and timothy are grown. This change provides more feed for live- 
stock. The net returns from salable crops are slightly reduced, but 
the reduction in extra material costs more than balances this decrease. 
The effect of these changes on the returns from the farm as compared 
with the present organization is outlined in Table 54. 
This plan of operating the farm requires 4,500 hours of regular 
crop and livestock chore labor. In addition to this, 900 hours of 
miscellaneous crop and livestock labor and maintenance labor are 
required. The distribution of that regular crop and livestock labor 
was estimated by using the data on requirements by operations in 
Tables 50 and 52 and the usual dates of performance given under 
"Unit requirements." The probable distribution of this regular 
labor on crops and livestock is shown in Figure 28. In actual 
practice it is of course very common for the program to be shifted 
forward or backward a short period, but the sequence of the work 
on the different crops usually remains in about the same relative 
position from year to year. Thus, as a late season delays the seeding 
of oats, it will also delay the corn work and most of the entire program 
will usually come later in the same relative position with respect to 
the other work. 
Figure 28 also shows the available supply of labor. Approximately 
1,600 hours of available time are well distributed throughout the 
year for the performance of the miscellaneous crop and livestock 
work incident to this organization. As already brought out, it is 
good management on the part of the farmer to fit in this type of work 
when the weather or other conditions are unfavorable lor the per- 
