What Is Farm Management?

Excerpts from p. 292 of Vol. XXVIII, 1913, of the Experiment Station Record: This bulletin presents in part 1 an outline of the science of farm management, and in part 2 an outline of the work of the Office of Farm Management, together with a discussion of the principal problems under investigation and the investigational methods in use. The following is a summary of questions discussed in part 1: Farming as an occupation; selection of the farm; organization and equipment of the farm; selection of enterprises, or choosing the type of farming; technological processes on the farm; labor requirements of enterprises; seasonal distribution of labor; cropping systems; the area one man can farm; relation of magnitude of business to profit; the normal size of farms; reducing the cost of production; farm geography; farm equipment; factors of production in agriculture; cost of the farm dwelling; systems of operation; tenant farming; hired labor; the work schedule; care and upkeep of equipment; farm bookkeeping; purchasing supplies; marketing products; storage and care of farm products and supplies; crop and soil management; livestock management; study of successful farms; and managerial efficiency. Among the subjects discussed in part 2 the following may be noted: Farm economics; special farm management studies; farm management field studies and demonstrations; and utilization of cacti and dry land plants.