LIBRARY OF CONGRESS DDD277flDDD3 HoUinger Corp. pH8.5 S 561 .B8 KfCopy 1 BULLETIN OF THE ^ ^y Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief November 22, 1913. AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT LN SOUTHERN NEW YORK. H.v M. ('. r.i ijKirr, Ivx/.v/r//)/ AgricuUtirist, ami John II. liAUKON, Ai/cnl. Office of Fiinn MaiKigcinent. INTRODUCTION. Most fann problems present several aspects. There must be a proper adjustment of the crops to the soil and environment and the proper balance between farm animals, food supply, and phj^sical environment. The first two phases have received much well-merited , JjC. '^ f ••^•'■^ . :^ J^^\wf\/^ wJ^v f^'^rMfi^-fr ^ ,^ i'^^i^Sl^^v Qt^^^-v, 'H-'^oT \ "ijW'- m V "<^^ ^^[ ^■' '^K^^^ \ }W _^ ^ MRS^ .-Ji ^^^SJ rJ_^ """^^ ^^^%^v^ < jMjjjjLg^ 2s^ ^^^^^^^i^^^^^^^ M ^mmm HIBbiihWMI msSi ' ' 1 j^HJf fjm ^^^^1 ^^^^^^^^BUHIHII ■UIKSiK 23US Wf.mji -' -..^11- ^^^^^^1 ^^^1 K^^ *^^ iPPW'^. ^H ■ .^j H ^^^^^B^i^' ^-wnjgfjjoj XK^^ab^odB W^^m ^^^^^^^E^ y^^HJyjj hUhh m ^^^H^ >,£S8&2 ^Hl H| ■ii^B^''^.-^bAt()c-l< and other niitxahlc ei|ni|)nient at $4,000. The I'll! iiHT o\\ ner had heen in possession of the farm for GT years. It had liecn | >rolilal)le :')() or 40 years before and had been recognized as a farm ol" ronsiderabh' fertility. In the yeai.- immediately pre- <-ediiii;- it- pnnhase by Mr. English it had not paid expenses, to say notiiini:- of the interest on the investment, and the neighborhood sen- erally prophesied that the former owner would get the farm back on the mortgage in a few years. Tt was even said that there was a deliberate purpose in -elling to one who had so little farm experi- ence. The following- pages will show how far wrong the reckoning- was. The man and the progressive and businesslike spirit within him were not known to the community. INFLUENCE OF FARM EDUCATIONAL AGENCIES. As can readily be imagined. Mr. English found himself in a rather difficult position Avhen he took possession of the farm. He was prac- tically without farming experience and had verj^ little worldng capi- tal, lie had a rugired constitution, however, and had been brought up on hard woi k. -o iliat he was not afraid of it. To the college and the agricultural press, and especially to the personal help and in- terest of one college professor, he ascribes all the success he has ever made. These forces stirred him to study his business and to use in every way possible the agencies at hand which would help him and which would aid him in obtaining a better knowledge of the prin- ciples of farming. He had observed that rapid progress was being made in every line of industry but agriculture, and he took a new interest in everything pertaining to better farming. Yet he never made the mistake of taking advice wholesale. It was always weighed carefully and measured in the light of his own conditions. BUILDING UP THE VALLEY FARM. When Mr. English took stock of his resources he found that his income was pract it-ally confined to one source — dairying. Some cows were making a good profit; others were causing a daily loss. The fertility of the soil was maintained by the use of manure alone and this went to produce feed crops for the cattle. Very little hay was sold. There was no systematic plan of crop production or rotation or definite method of soil improvement. Such a system has several faults, the correction of which was early recognized as essential to success. Unprofitable cows were destroy- ing the profit from the better ones. The limitation of the income to 4 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. practically one source put upon that factor the entire burden of the farm expenses. Labor was poorly distributed and was of necessity frequently employed on unproductive enterprises in order to hold it for the dairy work, and this was unsatisfactory both to employer and men. No definite system of crop production was in use to pro- vide the right proportion of each crop with the proper distribution of labor. The maintenance of fertility was expensive. All these things it was determined to remedy. The first step to be taken was the improvement of the dairy. The performance of each cow was studied and the unprofitable ones dis- posed of. The next most important step was to increase the sources of income b}^ growing such other crops as the labor necessary for the dairy could handle without extra expense, or, in other words, to diversify the farming. The third, but by no means the least im- portant step, was to be the development of a rotation that would improve the soil, furnish the maximum feed for the stock, and pro- vide a cash crop. These were at once taken up and carried out as rapidly as possible. IMPROVING THE DAIRY. A herd of 50 fairly good cows was purchased with the farm, and at the start dairy products were about the only source of income. Gradually this has been changed, and at present, even though the dairy is an important part of the farm, attention is given to several lines. One of the chief purposes of this paper is to depict the meth- ods of change and to show that the readjustment and the substitu- tion of other lines in place of part of the dairy were justifiable. A pure-bred sire was included in the farm purchase. Several cows also were pure bred, but the certificates of registration were lost at the transfer of the property and the owner has never had them reentered. It has been the policy at all times to keep a pure-bred sire of good quality in the herd. The heifer calves from the best producing cows were grown and tested out for dairy production, the best being kept and the others discarded. In this way the quality and produc- ing poAver of the cows have been constantly increased. The herd to-day is uniform and able to produce results. Several cows have produced 60 pounds or more of milk a day and have main- tained this record for continuous periods of from four to six months. In addition to the cows Avhich are produced on the farm it is the practice of the owner to buy a few each year. Mr. English buys cows just fresh, or those which will become fresh soon, at a nominal figure. They are fed in his dairy for production during one year. By this time they are in good condition for beef and are sold to a butcher for at least as much as their purchase price and in the AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 5 niajoi'ity of cjisos at a coii^idi'iahle increase. Thu^. llicre are two prolil-. ilif profit s(>ciii-c(| in mill.; jji-odnction ami the |)r()lit accruing: iVdln the w i-c liii\ iiii;- ami -cHiiii;' of llu- stocic. ( ii'adiial ly ilic lici'il lia> Ix'cii rliaiiii'c(l into one for winter milk protliit'lion. ScNfial faiior> -ecnuMl to make this advisafile: (f) It securetl a more cxcn and a lu'iter dist rihulion of labor: ( li ) in tliis way till' laiiit-i (|iiantiiy of milk is produced at the season of the year when ii i> worth I lie most motley, and (3) better production can be secured in the winter than at other times of the year. The hill pastures are very poor for summer milk production. They are dis- tant from the stable and at the top of a very steep hill. In the words of the owner, the cows consimie about all the energj'^ they get from the fitdd in goino; to and from it. In the winter the cows can be kejit (|uiel. antl detailed attention can he given to their needs. RKSULTS FKO.M TliK DAIRY. To demonstrate that the methods followed have given good results. Table I -hows the qiuintity of milk produced by the herd of 27 cows and sold at the creamery from September 1. 1910, to August 'M. I'.U 1. During thi< year hut 17 of the coavs became fresh, the rest l)eiiig carried o\oi' from a prexi* us freshening period. 'I\\ni.i: L — I'li/iliictimi of milk from d herd of 21 coici^ on the EiifjJifiJi farm for ihr year ended August 31, 1911. Period. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. Mar. .\pr. Itolo.. 16 to 30 1 fo l.i 16to:n 1 to 1.5 . 16 to 30 1 to l.i. 16 to 31 1 to 1.".. 1610 31 1 to 1.5 . 16 to 2.S 1 to 1.5. 16 10 31 1 to 1.5 . 16 to 30. Quarts of Cents per Re- millc. quart. ceipts. 2,253 3i S78.85 2.3.54 3J 82.35 2,67.5 107.00 3.0:J2 121. 28 2,607 104.28 3,376 1.35. 04 4,6.56 186. 24 5. ,S.54 2.34. 16 6. 1.54 246. 16 6. S.54 274.16 6. 322 252. SS 5, .536 221.44 6,232 249. 28 6.235 249. 40 5,687 3i 199.04 5. .538 3i 193.83 Period. May 1 to 15 16 to 31 June 1 to 15 16 to 30 July 1 to 15 16 to 31 Aug. 1 to 15 16 to 31 Sold to two families for year Total Quarts of Cents per] milk. quart. 4.893 3 4,449 3 3.498 3 2,755 3 2.142 2i 2.060 2i 2,153 3 2.127 3 1.460 4 100,902 Re- ceipts. 146. 79 133. 47 104. 94 82.65 53.55 51.50 64.59 63.81 The average production per cow per year was 3,737 quarts, or 8,034 pounds of milk, which was sold for $136.85. In addition to the milk which has already been mentioned, the dairy supplied the home of the owner and the families of two hired men. This prob- ably amounted to (S quarts or more daily, hut as it is impossible to be accurate the figures are not included. The following comparison of this milk production with average conditions empha.sizes its develo]iment : 6 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT 01'' AGEICULTURE. According to the Twelfth Census, Broome County, N. Y., con- tained 31,898 dairy cows 2 jea.rs old or over and the census states that 15,868,547 gallons of milk were produced in one year. It is then evident that the average production per cow in Broome County was 497.47 gallons or 1,989 quarts annually. This number (1,989) is to be compared with 3,737, the average production of the herd of Mr. English for the year, in quarts. This latter number is obtained by dividing 100,902, the product sold from the dairy, by 27, the num- ber of cows in the herd. This difference in production is very striking. The average annual production per cow in the English herd is 87.9 per cent g'reater than the average production of the cows in Broome County. Stated another way, 7 cows of Mr. English are better than 13 cows found on the average farm in the locality. At 4 cents a quart the average gross income per cow in Broome County is $79.52. At the same price the average gross income per cow in the English herd was $149.48. The weekly grain ration on this farm during this period (Septem- ber 1, 1910, to August 31, 1911) was made up as follows: 200 pounds of gluten at $25 per ton .$2. .50 200 pounds of corn meal at $20.25 per ton 2. 02 200 pounds of bran at $23 per ton 2. 30 100 pounds of ground barley at .$25 per ton 1.25 50 bushels of wet brewers' grains at 10 cents per bushel 5.00 2 sacks of malt sprouts at $1 per sack 2.00 Total cost 115.07 From December 1 until April 1, a like quantity of other grains was fed each week to the 27 coavs. The quantity of brewers' grain and sprouts varied somewhat from time to time. When sufficient brewers' grains could be secured, no malt sprouts were used. Mr. English considers malt sprouts very effective when used with the wet grains. He mixes the two ma- terials thoroughly to make sure that the malt sprouts are well soft- ened, thus overcoming a danger which is present when malt sprouts are fed without a previous thorough soaking. The prices in 1910 and 1911 were much lower than in 1912, and at present prices this ration could not be made up so cheaply. In November and April and the first half of May about one-half as much grain is consumed as is used during the winter. At these times it is not necessary to buy any sprouts, as enough wet grains can be secured. From May 15 to September 1 wet grains alone are used. From September 1 to November 1 about one-fourth of the winter dry-grain ration is fed in connection with the wet brewers' ffrain. AX EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 7 As oxplaiiR'd later iu lliis bulk-lin this iaiiii prueluces iiuicli excel- lent silage and vei\y large quantities of clover hay, which are fed in the dairy. Better cows are bred and ke])t than formerly. They recei\e good care, and a large production of milk is the result. In these \vay< the dairy problem was solved. A LESSON IN DIVERSIFICATION. ^^'lu■ll tlir ])re.-eut ow iiei- lir>t took the farm, clover and timothy were raised for hay and corn was put into the silo. Barlej'^ was grown and ground for the cattle and some oats were raised for the horses. A little hay was sold under this system. This method of ()j)eration is the coiiimoii and often the only method in the section, exeejit that some farmiTs attempt to make summer milk on the poor j^astures. Mr. English found that with this method the cows were the limit- ing factors in the ])rofit. Xo matter how large the crop or what it was worth in the market its value was measured entirely by what the cow could make out of it. If the price of the milk was low, so was the price of the crop. If the cow Avas a poor one, the price of t!ie crop was still lower. Moreover, there was much time on this farm wheu the labor was not fully and profitably employed. The distribution of labor was so poor that the men could not be given steady employment by the year, and some difficulty was experienced in getting satisfactory labor. So this farmer wanted to add to his income without cutting down the income from milk, and by this means to secure a better distribution of labor. Sugar beets were firet tried, as a factory was then in operation at Binghamton. It was fotmd that an average of from 15 to 20 tons of beets coidd he raised per acre, which brought $5 per ton. An average income of at least $75 an acre could thus be obtained, be- sides saving as many tops as there were beets sold. These were of considerable value as a succulent feed for the cows. It was also the custom to return IVmhi the sugar factory with as much beet pulp as the weight of the U'ets delivered. This material was an excellent supi)lement in feeding the dairy cows, and cost little to handle. The.se methods permitted the selling of more hay, so that the in- come, instead of being principally from milk with a little hay, was added to considerably by the sale of beets and more hay. Labor was more fidly employed and better' distributed throughoitt the season, and the additional expense was very slight in ]5roportion to the increase in the income. The sugar-beet factory was soon closed down, however, and in that same year a canning factory was established at Binghamton. so that the opportunity to grow sweet corn, beans, and peas for it was 8 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. at once taken. These brought in a good income and took the place of the beets in the system. This was especially true of the sweet corn, as the stalks make excellent silage. The canning factory lasted two years, after which sweet corn was shipped out of town for two years more. The next crop tried Avas potatoes, and it proved to be so good a money maker that it is now an annual crop. Irish Cobbler was the variety grown, and with good culture 300 to 350 bushels per acre were produced annually. As many as 5,000 bushels of potatoes are often grown on this farm in one season. The growing of these crops led to some direct sales in the city and until the last year or two a small but profitable direct market- garden business was carried on. Potatoes and apples are still sold direct in the city. For a number of years from one-half to 3 acres of onions have been grown, but onion thrips have now made this unprofitable. The large cash sales from these crops as compared with grain and hay early taught Mr. English the lesson which so many farmers are now learning to their advantage, namely, that it is cheaper to buy grain than to raise it when the land upon which grain is grown will yield much more^ — often double — ^the cash value of the grain in other crops. It is a simple economic proposition to decide which is cheapest — home-grown or purchased grains. Mr. English figured that he could raise enough sweet corn, potatoes, onions, or other similar crops to buy the grain which would have groAvn upon his land and still have a good margin left for profit. ROTATIONS. At first, when hay was being sold regularly, it was considered necessary to purchase large quantities of manure. This was obtained in the city at $1 for a 2-horse load. It was used principally on the com land, but Avas also put on the land used for other cultivated crops. About, the fourth year it happened that a good clover sod was plowed under for corn. The result astonished Mr. English. He had read much about rotations, but it was not until this striking example was thrust upon him that the real importance of a rotation Avith clover was fully realized. A short rotation Avith clover as the basis was at once adopted and has been continuously followed. AVith clover in the rotation every third or fourth year, the clover fed to stock, and the manure used on the farm, no anxiety is felt about soil fertility. No manure has been purchased since 1906. Mr. English is an ardent advocate of the use of clover, both as a forage plant and as a soil improver. It is the key to success in his system of farming. His average crop of clover is about 3 tons per acre and several times he has cut 5 tons per acre in two cuttings. AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 9 Not only (1ri\iia riled ;is c<|iially \aliiable as a feed for cattle. For such use he insists that the clover must be cut earlier than is the custom. Tie aims to cut it before much bloom appears. Despite the lower analysis of cldNiT in digestible protein, his practical ex- perience shows that it is as good a milk producer as alfalfa. In addition to the grain ration mentioned, the cows on the farm receive a good feed of silage and all the clover hay they can consume. A 1 IKll ritolUCINc; AND SOIL-lTBni.DIXC 1!() lA TION. Dtiriiig the (lc\ clopiucnt of this rotation a delinite ideal was con- stantly kr\)\ in mind. jNIr. English has always carefully investi- gated any promising new crop or method, and if the experience of other.s anil a test of it in a small way warranted, he adopted it. The definite rotation finally chosen was clover for one or, possibly, two years, corn and potatoes following the clover, and then barley. This rotation was subject to such modifications as the situation demanded, such as repeating the corn or growing two crops of hay when the new seeding failed to catch. At first hay had been cut several years in succession from the same meadow. It was very difficult to get a good stand of clover in oats on the rich bottom land, as the oats would lodge and smother out the seeding. Because of this trouble another crop in which to seed down was sought, Tlay land was heavily manured and planted to corn, which was followed by beets, a heavy application of commercial fertilizer being made with these. Beets were sometimes followed again with com, but more often with oats. After it was found that a good stand of clover could not be obtained in oats this crop was cut gi'een for hay, the ground replowed or disked, as the case might be, and the clover sown alone late in August or early in September. By selling timothy hay more oats could be purchased than could be raised where the timothy grew and a margin Avas left for profit. After some trials Oderbnicker barley, a 6-rowed variety, was used to replace the oats, and this has been the regular grain in the rotation since 1007. Even this sometimes lodges and kills out the clover, as happened in 1910. To reduce the possibility of lodging to a mini- mum, the quantity of seed has been decreased from 1^- bushels to 3 pecks per acre. Timothy is not grown unless the exigencies of the season demand it. In 1912 one of the previous year's meadows was left down and some timothy hay grown for sale, because the clover seeding had to be turned under the prcAious year and the price of timothy hay was unusually high ($"25 a ton in 1912). 11192°— 13 2 10 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. This facility of adapting his farming to the conditions of the season and the markets is one of the things which malves the farming of Mr. English so noteworthy. In this rotation as now practiced commercial fertilizer is used on potatoes only. From 500 to 600 pounds of a fertilizer containing 4 i^er cent of nitrogen, 6 j^er cent of phosphoric acid, and 10 per cent of potash is almost always used, being applied with a potato planter. Tests have shown that fertilizers Avith corn were unprofi- table under the conditions of this farm, but that manure gave very satisfactory results. On all the land to be seeded to clover, from 400 to 600 pounds of hydrated lime (this form is used because it is easiest to apply, though its first cost is higher than other forms) is applied once in three years. In all these applications no fixed rule is invari- ably followed, but the needs of the crops and the season are always considered. A definite system followed as closely as good judgment will permit is the ver}^ best kind of farm management. SUMMARY OP THE RESULTS ON THE VALLEY FARM. The results of 15 years' work along these linevS has been the develop- ment of one of the most successful systems of farm management in the whole region. Every cow in the dairy is now a profitable one. All the " boarders " have been dropped. Without materially increasing the expenses of the farm, the income has been practically doubled by supplemented receijots from the dairy and by cash crops for the city markets, espe- cialh^ potatoes. While the income from the dairy has been increased, the expenses have been reduced by growing a larger part of the rations on the farm. Succulent feeds and feeds high in protein have made this possible, especially corn for silage and clover hay. A short rotation with clover and the judicious use of commercial fertilizer maintain the productiveness and the ph3^sical cx)ndition of the soil. MANAGEMENT OF THE HILL LAND. In addition to the land which is in the valley along the river and about the buildings, a i^art of the English farm lies about 400 feet above the main valley at an elevation of about 1,300 feet above sea level. A very steep hill separates this part of the farm from that which lies in the valley. This part of the farm is typical Volusia silt loam. It is this soil type which is most widely distributed in southern New York. It occupies the higher hills and is of such a character that poor farming methods very soon bring it to a depleted condi- tion. This soil is largely responsible for the ill fame which has come to New York State as a section of abandoned farms and poor agri- culture. AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUr. FAII.M :\1 AXAGEMENT. 11 CONDITIONS OF THK HILL LAND. 'I'Ih' liill |Hiiii()ii of ilii> t'iinii is pMi'ticiilarly ty])iciil in aibilit y iiiid i^ciKTal cdiiilii ion- of -oiHhcni New ^'()l•l<; and iiortlu'ni Peniisvl- \'aiiia. 'llie owner of a valley farm is iu a ])()siti()ii to handle contigu- ous hill lands in connection with his valley farm more profitably than any nnc cNc and llic experience of Mr. English demonstrates that this type of land can he made jM-oductive and profitaI)le. This general ty])e of soil needs lime, frequent and thorough culti- \a(ion. organic mallei-, and some plant food, largely phosphoric acid. In some casi's it needs drainage, and if such is the case it is useless to handle it Avithout drainage and expect the best results. Mr. Eng- lish realized tlii> and lias given attention only to the better drained portions of the land which he owns. However, he owns some land which is jM)orly di'ained. and he expects to begin reclaiming it by installing an arlilicial drainage system. IMPROVING THE FIRST FIELD. For some time after he purchased the farm Mr. English gave but little consideration to this hill land, using it for pasture and being satisfied with what little grew of its own accord. His first attempt toward improvement was with a 6-acre field which at that time was nothing but a poor pasture, in just about the same condition that a majority of the pastures in the section are to-day. He plowed it in the spring of 190G, picking olT the stones before and after plowing. During the summer the field lay fallow, but was cultivated at fre- quent intervals to get good tilth. In September the land was soAved to rye. A fairly good stand was secured the following spring, and it was allowed to grow until June 1, when it was plowed under. The field was left fallow but received cultivation until July 10, Avhen buckwheat was planted. Planting the buckwheat Avas intentionally late, so there Avould l)e no possibility of its getting ripe and thus affording a temptation to remove it from the land. As soon as the buckwheat Avas full groAvn the coavs Avere turned on it to feed and to tramp doAvn the groAvth. During the process of improvement Mr. English made it a point to ploAv a little deeper at each successive ploAving, until at length he Avas able to ploAv 8 to 10 inches deep. He Avas careful to pick off any large stones Avhich had been turned up, but at no time was the stone picking particularly arduous. Most of them Avere remoA-ed just before and after the first ploAving. After that it Avas necessary to remove only those Avhich the later ploA\ings had loosened. After the cattle had pastured off the buclvAA-heat someAvhat in the fall of 1007 and it was trampled down sufficient!}^, the field was ploAved. In the spring the land Avas thoroughly prepared and planted to jjotatoes. An application of GOO pounds per acre of fer- 12 BULLETIN 82, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. tilizer containing 4^ per cent of nitrogen, 9 per cent of phosphoric ncid, and 10 per cent of potash was made. During the summer the potatoes received good cultivation and in the fall gave a yield of 800 bushels of merchantable potatoes from 6 acres. After potato digging, the land was fall-plowed and the next spring it was planted to barley. Previous to sowing the barley 7 tons of plaster lime were applied with a manure spreader to the 6 acres. The weather was very dry and the barley, a small-growing 2-rowed variety, did not grow very well. At the time of sowing the barley an application of grass seed, consisting of a mixture of 12 quarts of red clover and 4 quarts of timothy per acre, was made. The grass came up nicely and made a fine stand. On account of dry weather the clover did not seem to be doing very well, so Mr. English niowed the barley before it was ripe and secured two small loads of barley hay. In this way the stand of clover was saved and it grew luxuriantly during the summer and fall. The next spring the clover was allowed to grow until early in July, when the cattle were turned in to pasture it. The crop was especially good and Mr. English was severely criticized by his neighbors for his practice. That fall, 1909, the field was again plowed, the organic matter and the nitrogen of the clover thus being added to the soil, and potatoes were planted the next season. Good cultivation and good weather conditions were factors favoring a good yield. This time 200 bushels per acre of marketable potatoes were secured. About 600 pounds of the potato fertilizer mentioned were used on this crop. The cost and income of the second crop of potatoes were estimated by the owner and the writers to be as shown in Table 11. Table II. — Cost of and income from the second crop of potatoes on 6 acres of Jiill land of the English farm. Item. Cost. Average per acre. Income. per acre. Value of land after improvement,' 6 acres, $40 per acre, interest at 5 per cent Plowing Preparation (harrowing 4 times) Planting Seed, 10 bushels per acre, at 60 cents per bushel Fertilizer, 600 pounds per acre, 4^9-10 Cultivation, 5 times Spraying for bugs only Digging and picking up Marketing $12. 00 16.00 10.00 8.00 36.00 60.00 30.80 2.80 40.00 36.00 $2.00 2.67 1.66 1.34 6.00 10.00 5.13 .46 6.67 6.00 Total and average cost^ Receipts, 1,200 bushels of potatoes, at 60 cents per bushel. Income (taxes and use of machinery not included) 251.60 $720.00 468. 40 $120. 00 78.07 1 This land in its unimproved condition was valued at $20 per acre. Adding to this value the cost of im- provements we find its present value to be $40 per acre. 2 Dividing $251.60 (the total cost of production) by 1,200 (the number of bushels), the cost of production is found to be $0,209 per bushel. AX EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 13 In the Miiiiimii (if I'MO (lie .. Tlii- tinu' about 1,"200 pounds of acid phos- phate were applied to the G acres, a moderate a[)pliratiun of lime ltein<2: 'dso made. The oats yielded 55 bushels (o the acre. ]\[r. En<;:Iish did \\n[ treat his oat seed for smut. Tlie writers went throuj2:h the field a short time before the oats were ripe and foiuid that fi-oui I'H to oO ]n'r cent of the plants were smutted. Xo doubt had this not Ihtii the ca-i' the 3'ield would have been greatly in- creased. The Held had a line stand of clover later in the season. The cost of and income from this land for five 5^ears are shown in Table III, allowing 30 cents per bushel as the cost of growing the oats and estimating the cost of growing the first crop of potatoes to be the same as that of the second cro]). Tablk IIL — Cofit 'if mill iiicniiii- fiDDi 6 acres of hill hnni nn the Eiifilixh farm for five years. Crop. Potatoes (first crop) Potatoes (second crop). Oats Yield (bushels). 800 1,200 330 Total .Vverage per acre per year. Cost.' iS251.60 251. (iO 99.00 Income. Cents per bushel. Gross re- ceipts. 720 165 1,525 50.83 Net re- ceipts. S922. 80 30. 76 1 Details of the cost of the second crop of potatoes are shown in Table II. « Cost of the first crop of potatoes estimated to be the same as that of the second crop. An inroinc of $30.7() ])er acre per year for each of the five years is not a bad record for abandoned land. This certainly would jus- tifVa valuation on this hill land of not less than $100 per acre, which would much more than pay for the improvements made. The cost of growing and turning under the green crops, the picking up of the stones, and the use of the lime was about $:iO per acre. In the above figures tliis anioiint has bet'u added to the original land investment, and interest on it has been charged at 5 per cent. Another factor makes the profit from this improvement greater than the iigiires indicate. Xo additional cash expense was incurred for either man or horse labor, although this has been charged against the crops as cash. These improvements and the growing of the addi- tional crops were carried on with regular farm laljor, and this made a more eflicient distribution. It was necessary, however, to rearrange the rotation in the valley somewhat, growing more hay and a little less of the intensive crops, sudi as onions and potatoes, but owing to the high })rice of hay tliis did not cut down the income greatly. 14 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. METHODS OF IMPROVEMENT USED ON THE SECOND FIELD. On account of his success in bringing up the first field Mr. English decided to try another field. This time he concluded not to wait to prepare the land before getting any crop, but to grow regular crops and accomplish the improvement at the same time. He depended on the many crops of golclenrod and other weeds which had grown up, died, and decayed on this land to supply the humus for at least one crop. In the fall of 1910, after picking up the stones, he plowed 11 acres of this old unproductive pasture. In the spring of 1911 all remain- ing stones were removed, thorough preparation given, and potatoes planted about June 20. At the time of planting 500 pounds of fer- tilizer per acre were used. The early part of the season was very dry, and growth was relatively slow. In August rains came, the potatoes Fig. 2. — The 11-aere field of potatoes on the hill 1'arm of M. J. English. Compare with figure 3. began to grow luxuriantly, and on September 14, the date of the first killing frost, they looked extremely well. (See fig. 2.) The late date of planting, the rather unfavorable weather in the early part of the growing season, and the early killing frost all combined to re- duce the yield, but in spite of the untoward conditions about 120 bushels of potatoes per acre were produced. These, selling at $1 per bushel, gave a profitable crop. The next season this land was limed, acid phosphate used, and oats sowed. A DEFINITE ROTATION FOR UPLANDS. Mr. English's plan of handling his upland is a 3-year rotation of potatoes, oats, and clover. Clover is used to furnish pasture, organic matter, and nitrogen. Lime is used with seeclings of oats to secure AN EXA.MIM.K OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 15 clovor stands. Tliis land is deficient in phosphoric acid, and an ap- plication of acid i)hosi)hatc with oats increases the yield of grain and iniproxcs the ciovcr. Potatoes are the money crop. The application of till' lime :i!hI fntili/ci- to the oats and the gi-OAA'ing of clover helps llic land for ilic jioiaim'-. The largest quantity of fertilizer is put directly on the potato crop, but even, here the application is not e.\cessi\e and the crops that are secured warrant the expenditure. It will be noted that nothing has been said about spraying the potatoes. They are not spraj'ed, because it is practically impossible to get the water necessary for spraying operations up to this land. The ]">otatoes arc ]-)lanted late and the bugs are poisoned. Blight is Fin. ?,. — A pamplc of tho liill l;ni'l of tli'' l^ou'lish farm where practically nothing but " poverty grass " and five-finger was growing when renovation was begun. The oats on Ihe left yielded ."." bushels per acre. Compari^ with figure -. not common in late ]:)lnntings on this high land and no attempt is made to combat it. The yields in this scheme of land improvement may not seem par- ticularly large. It must be borne in mind, however, that the system has been employed but a short time and also that the work is carried on on a type of soil which responds none too readily to treatment and which is generally quite badly depleted. Only by seeing the sur- rounding fields can one get an idea of the improvement. Generally the crops do not grow xevj well and clover is almost a complete failure. In many of the surrounding pasture fields the conditions are so poor that the daisies, paintbrush, five-finger, and goldenrod can scarcelv live, (^^ee fisf. 3.) 16 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. The accomplishments in this method of hmd improvement have been made with no stable manure in the scheme of operation. The improvement of land by the use of stable manure is comparatively easy, but there is not enough for all of the land. Mr. English has shown that stable manure is not absolutely essential for land im- provement in southern Xew York. Green-manure crops, cultivation, rotation, and the judicious use of fertilizers and lime will accomplish the object. Mr. English says that there are a few essentials for the improve- ment of hill land. First of all is drainage, natural or artificial. Short rotations are desirable because they permit frequent and thor- ough cultivation. Lime is essential to get clover. Clover is essential to soil improvement. These lands need organic matter, and no system of improvement will be a success which does not build up the organic content of the soil. Phosphoric acid is important. It in- creases the yield of all crops and aids materially in securing clover stands. Short rotations help to secure better production, more easily maintain fertility, and keep down weed pests. They furnish a means for practicing frequent and thorough tillage. MAKING A RUN-DOWN HILL FARM PROFITABLE. To a farmer with a good business instinct it was evident that the improvement of run-down hill land is very profitable. Much of the land in the neighborhood Avas available at a very low price, and, as Mr. English was already farming at a profit in the valley, he had the necessary money to invest. As he knew of no investment which, with the upward tendency in the values of eastern lands, would be safer than this or on which he could make a better rate of interest, he was not long in purchasing one of these " worn-out " hill farms. The farm selected consisted of 95 acres of gently rolling land situ- ated on the top of the second tier of hills above the main valley, at an elevation of 1,350 feet and about 5 miles from the home farm. There is nothing out of the ordinary about this farm ; it lies partly on either side of the crest of a ridge, with east and west slopes, about 6 miles from the city of Binghamton. The soil is the characteristic Volusia silt loam of the region and only fairly well drained. When put in proper condition it is an excellent potato soil. The land had been cropped with hay and buckwheat for years, with practically no humus or fertility supplied, and its physical condition was very poor. Mini- mum cultivation had been given, but there was an excellent frame house and a rather poor barn on the place. The purchase price Avas $1,550 cash, or $16.32 per acre, which is about the average price of similar land in the region. AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MAXAOEMENT. 17 MANAGEMENT THE FIRST YEAR. It Avas desired not to spend aiiv more luoney on the farm than was ahsohitely necessary and Id make the farm earn interest on the in- \'estment a> snon ;i> po-silde. This fact makes the exnnipU' ;dl the more piactical t'of the faiiiicr of ;i\era<>e means to foUow. A tenant was en^-aiicd lo li\c in ihc h<>ii>e and do the work on the phice under the i)\\iici-'~- dircciidii. \\r \\;is ^ixcn oiicdialf of the oats, buck- whcnl. ;ind pul.ildc-, miil \\;i- pcnniltcd to keei) four cows and to ha\(' the income fi'om them. pro\idc(| lie fed ;dl the hay and roughao-e and u>ed ;dl the -liMW on the fai'm. retuniinii' the manure, straAV, etc.. to the hind. I'he tenant was also to do all the improvement work- foi- the ow nei- wliieh he liad time to (h). such as picking- up stones and ciitiini;- hedgerows. A >mall apple orchard was re.served. The owner furnished all the lime and clover seed and onedialf of the other seeds and fertilizer. The tenant furnished his own teams, most of llie machinery, and all tlu' lahor. The ownei' furnished a [)otato |)lanter and a digger. Mr. English took actual possession of the farm on April 1, 1010. Owing to the timi' of starting it was impossible to carry out the defi- nite plans for improvement and only such crops as could be planted conveniently were used the first year. Consequently, the land was not as carefully prepared as it woidd otherwise have been. The ])otato seed available was \ery poor and only 400 pounds of connner- cial fertilize)- were used, thus nudving a Ioav yield, the -4 acres j^ro- ducing about 00 bushels per acre. About 5 acres of buckwdieat were sown, yielding 110 bushels. Lime and acid phosphate were applied to one 8-acre tract. On this tract 300 bushels of oats and an excellent stand of clover were obtained. Ten head of young cattle were pas- tured on the west slope, where the land was rough and not available for tillage. The old meadow was cut, yielding about 1 ton of poor hay per acre. Permanent repairs cost practically $400, During the sunniier the tenant cut the brush and young trees in the hedgerows on the farm and generally cleaned np about the place. The balance on the owiu'r's books showed that his account with the farm at the end of the lirst year, on April 1, 1911, stood as shown in Table IV. 18 BULLETIISr 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. Table IV. — Expenses of and income from the 95-acre hill farm of Mr. English, for the year ended March 31, 1911. Investment. Amount. 95 acres of land, at $16.32 per acre . Improvements $1,550 400 Total investment . 1,950 Expenses. Cost. Income. Gross receipts. Net receipts. Taxes $18.00 14.00 6.80 12.00 4.80 4.80 2.40 16.00 4.00 150 bushels of oats, at 45 cents 58 bushels of buckwheat, at 60 cents. 180 bushels of potatoes, at 60 cents. . . 10 head of young cattle pastured 6 months, at $3 $67. 50 34.80 108.00 30.00 400 pounds of fertilizer for potatoes . . 20 bushels of seed potatoes, at 60 800 pounds of acid phosphate for oats . 8 bushels of seed oats, at 60 cents 4 bushels of buckwheat, at 60 cents. . Total Total 82.80 240. 30 Owner's income (interest on investment is not deducted) $157. 50 The oAvner's income amounts to 8.08 per cent on the investment of $1,950. In this calculation no account is taken of the owner's supervision, as the exercise of it did not detract from that of the home farm. In addition, the farm was very materially improved by deeper plowing, better cultivation of the crops, and by cleaning up around the place. MANAGEMENT THE SECOND YEAR. The following year about 9 acres of sod land were plowed 7 or 8 inches deep and thoroughly prepared for potatoes. Unfortunately, the tenant left some of the cat seed potatoes exposed for several days without the owner's knowledge, and these made a very uneven stand when planted. Three plantings were made. The first from freshly cut seed gave a fine stand and yielded 150 bushels to the acre. The next was the largest and made a very poor stand, yielding only 50 bushels to the acre, while the last was good and yielded 150 bushels to the acre. From the whole field 816 bushels were dug, an average of about 90 bushels per acre, a very low yield. These were worth $1 a bushel at the farm, however, which in part made up for the low yield. In spite of a very dry season the clover sown the previous year came up very well. From a 2-acre plat over 4 tons of fine clover hay were cut, while the remainder of the new seeding cut about 1 ton of good hay per acre. Eight acres of oats in which the usual seeding of clover and timothy with lime and acid phosphate was made yielded AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 19 18() hiisliols of i>r:iin. Buckwheat yielded 1'20 bushels of grain ou 5-^- acres. On the rough pasture lo head of young stock were siunniered. RENOVATING THE OLD ORCHARD. ( )n ihis liii'iii ilu'ic ;ii'c about -J. acres of old apple orchard in which some 30 trees aiv still in fairly good condition (fig. 4). About one- third of these are of the Northern Spy variety, one-third Ehode Island Cireenings, some Ivussets, and the remainder summer and early Fig. 4. — Ono of tlie Nortlicrn Spy applo trees in the small orchard on the hill farm of M. .T. English. This orchard of 30 trees was renovated at a cost of .$00 and .Yielded a total income of .^riGO. The owner's net profit as a result of the first year's work was ^270. fall apples. Having become somewhat interested in apple growing and having seen the opportunity to develop a local market trade in this fruit, Mr. English decided that he would try to renovate this old orchard. The jM'evious year he had cut all the underbrush, berry bushes, etc., which had gro-wn up in the orchard. The tenant was paid for all work in the orchard, which was reserved by the owner. Avho thus had the entire income from it. Two sprayings were made, using a hand pump, the first just before the trees came into bloom and the second just after the blossoms had fallen. Table V shows the cost of renovation and tlie income derived from the orchard. 20 BULLETIN 32, U. S. DEPAETMENT OP AGRICULTURE. Table V. — Cost of and income from renorating an old 30-trcc apple orchard on the English farm. Renovation. Cost. Income. Gross receipts. Net receipts. Pruning and thinning trees. . . . S5 6 6 8 2 3 10 50 400 bushels from 30 trees: 100 bushels of early fall apples, at 50 to 75 cents per Ijushel 280 Isushels of first-class winter apples, at %\ per bushel 20 bushels of seconds, at 50 cents per bushel $70 280 10 Plowing Harrowing (several times) Thomas slag for fertilizer (one-half ton) Spraying (twice): Total Picking, at 5 cents per bushel, and marketing, at5 cents per bushel, etc.i Total 90 360 90 Deduct cost of renovation Average gross income per tree $270 12 1 The total cost stated includes all Incidental expenses in connection with picking and marketing. Fig. 5. — View of the English farm, showing the general topography of the hill land in southern New York and the stony character of much of the Volusia soil. The field in the foreground is the one in which the young apple orchard was set. The result of one j^ear's work in this old orchard is at least ten times its iricome in former years. SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS ON THE HILL FARM. It was necessary to make a number of improvements on the hill farm in 1911. The barn was repaired at a cost of $100. Old fences were torn dow^n to make ready for new ones, and the fence posts and Avire purchased. Eighty apple trees were set in a 3-acre field adjoin- ing the old apple orchard at a cost of $35 (trees, $20; labor, etc., AN FA-.VMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL Y^^\^\ :\r,\ X.\( IKM ENT. 21 $15). The variotie.s set were Bakhviii, Northern Spy, Wagener, and Rhode Tslaiid (ireening, 20 trees of each. The type of soil on Avhich this oi'cliard wa.s set is shown in figure 5. Ten trees each of five varieties of i)each were also set, to liiid out what they would do on the soil at tliis ('le\a(ion. On April 1. I'.'li'. at the cud of the second year uudci' the now nianagcuifut. the o\\ ucr's accouut willi llii- I'arin was as shown in Tal.le VI. T.Mtl.i; \I. — Inn stun lit , i.riiciiscs. mid inciniic nn tlir !).',-(irrc JiiJI fiiriii iif _]fr. Enillisli for tlic licit r cinlcil Miinli .11. I'.H.i. Investment. Amount. 1910 investment Improvements on barn . Feni-i .?1,9.50 100 New apple orchard, t-are of trees and .setting. Total investment Expenses. Cost. Income. Gross receipts. Net receipts. Taxes SIS.OO 2,5.00 400 bushels of apples. . . . $360.00 55.80 43.20 408.00 39.00 60 bushels of seed potatoes, at 50 !« byshels of oats, at (50 cent's (lO l)iis:lipk nf Imi-L-whofit at SI r,ri Commoniiil fertilizer for potatoes fi bushels of seed oats, at tJO cents Orchard renovation 2(). 00 per Imndrcd weight ' 3.tiO ; 40S bushels of potaloes, at -SI 90.00 IX hpnil nf roiini'i.nttlA nnQfiiroH ot 2 tons of lime, at -So ix>r ton 10.00 IS. 00 4.00 15.40 2.40 S3 ; ' . Crass seed for 8 acres 900 |)ounds of acid phosphate for oats . 4 bushels of buckwheat seed, at 60 Total (not including household) 212. 40 Total Owner's income (mterest on investment not deducted).. 906. 00 S693. 60 Excludiuii- the owner's superintendence and the use of a few tools, this Sinn represents a return of 32.5 per cent on the investment at the end of the second year. Allowing the owner $500 for his superin- tendence and $20 for the use of the tools, the investment still yielded an income of per cent. L.\BOR PROBLEMS ON THE ENGLISH FARM. MAN LABOR. Since a better distrihution of labor has been effected, it has been and is now employed by the year. Two men ai-e kej^t on the 160-acre farm all tlic year ami -ouu' extra help is occasionally required. The owner, of course, works Avith the men when the duties of superin- tendence permit, and an 18-year-old son Avorks regularly. The men hired by the year are started at $30 per month, with a house, a garden jdat. and the milk nece.s.san- for their family u.se. If they 22 BULLETIISr 32, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. prove satisfactory and show a proper interest in the work, they receive an increase of $1 a month for each year they stay. In addi- tion to this, each man gets a vacation of from one to two weeks with pay, but this leave must, of course, be taken when work is not too pressing. Each workman gets his pay regularly at the end of the month and never between pay days, except in emergency cases. The men work from 12 to 12^ hours a clay. Promptness at both ends of the day are prerequisites, and the owner is insistent that all work, including the chores, shall be finished by 6 p. m. The dairy affords the principal work during the winter, and each man has certain cows to milk each clay. The morning hours are 4 o'clock in winter and 5 o'clock in summer, and the cows are milked at exactly 12-hour intervals. By these methods Mr. English has as nearly solved the farm-labor problem as any farmer we have known. He always emplo_ys high-class men rather than have men in his employ whose labor is not profitable. HORSE LABOR. The horse labor on this farm is done b}^ big draft horses. Mr. English belie.ves in high-class animals, just as he does in high-class men. If horses cost- more, he makes them earn more by keeping them well occupied on productive enterprises. The work is so arranged that the horses are idle only a small portion of the year in the winter. They are fed cheaply on oat hay or straw and with ground oats (at a usual cost of $23 a ton) or the mixture shown in Table VII (I'D 10 prices). Table VII. — Horse-feed constituents and cost of feeding on the English farm. Quantity and cost of feed constituents. Quantity fed and cost of feeding. Feed constituent. Pounds. Rate per ton. Cost. Season. Quantity per feed. Quantity fed per day. Cost per feed. Linseed meal Corn meal J 00 100 100 200 S35 20 23 25 $1.75 1.00 1.15 2.50 Winter Spring Summer 3 quarts, or 3 pounds. 4 quarts, or 4 pounds. 4 or 5 quarts, or 4 or 5 pounds. Quarts. 9 12 12-15 Cents. 11 15 Bran ... 15-19 Ground barley Total feed .... 500 16.40 1 About IJ cents per pound. No timothy and no clover hay have been feci to the horses on this farm for five years, it having been found that the animals do as well or better on oat hay or straw, which is a cheaper feed. AN EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL FARM MANAGEMENT. 23 MARKETING. A lara'o part of the success of Mr. Kn