UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 482 
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY 
Contribution from the Office of Farm Management 
W. J. Spillman, Chief 
Washington, D.C. | Vv February 19, 1917 
FARMING IN THE BLUEGRASS REGION. 
A Study of the Organization and Management of 178 Farms in Central Kentucky. 
By J. H. ARNOLD, Agriculturist, and FRANK MontcomEry, Scientific Assistant. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
HnNGroduchion 2s 2 kon se Se 1 PAROS cote sho oe ee eee 18 
MeLhodmoL Studya = a | a Se 2 | Relation of type of farm to efii- 
General description of region______ 3 GIT Cay te hl ae 19 
History of bluegrass farm  enter- Relation of type of farm to utiliza- . 
DEUS CS cine Bi) a IMIR aE PE 5 LOnsOLepastuTre==—— se = ees 20 
FOtALLON TOL CROP Sas cane te 7 | Relation of type of farm to crop 
PSOE Pe ee eo Dieser SSO ae ean SR 7 N/A. 0 a a ee eS 21 
Ghimai ese Rea ein) Sa 8 Relation of diversity to profitable 
Seasonal distribution of operations_ 9 Pepa ene a as Sins Ta ee 24 
Labor and power units required___ 105), Cost 108 production] =>==— "220. e=. 25 
Crope yields ton.tOls. 2 eee ae 12 | The prime factors in profitable farm- 
Land tenure and cropper labor____ 14 ings oS oe ee Fee Oe 27 
Importance of size of farm________ 15 
INTRODUCTION. 
The purpose of this bulletin is to present a general description of 
the farm-management practices followed on farms in the bluegrass 
region of Kentucky and to determine from analyses of the operations 
on about two hundred such farms the relative efficiency of the dif- 
ferent types of farming in vogue and the factors which seem to have 
the greatest influence on farm profits in that locality. 
It was found that specialized farms, those of the tobacco, stock, or 
dairy type, moderately diversified, are the most efficient in this region 
and that the general mixed farms, more highly diversified, are the 
least efficient. Thus, while diversity has « vital_relation to profits 
here as elsewhere, it would appear that in the bluegrass region these 
speialized farms have found in moderate diversity the right degree 
for maximum profit. 
Of the factors which determine profit, size of business was found 
to have the greatest weight, with utilization of pasture and yield of 
64453°—Bull. 482171 
