This article was written at the invitation of the Editor of this journal. In earlier correspondence the point was made that the author had been "having second thoughts on the decline of some departments of agricultural economics which were of a more applied nature" and that "this year will mark...

Information on efficient regional patterns of agricultural production can be useful in devising policies for adjustments in farming that are consistent with modern conditions and concepts of economic development. Such knowledge can also indicate the amount and location of land to be withdrawn...

In many analyses of profit maximization, attention is directed to large herds and specialization in milk production. Why then do some farmers persist in keeping small dairy herds even when prices for Grade B milk become quite low? This article shows that even with relatively low prices for milk...