I40 



Bulletin 2'7i. 



Table IV. — Showing the Distribution of the Labor Expenses on 96 Farms 



IN 1907. 



* In each case where farmer's estimate of the value of his labor is given the 

 average is of a smaller number than that given at the head of the column. 



Dairy farms showed a low labor expense. Fruit farms showed the 

 largest labor expense. General farms are intermediate, On dairy farms, 

 a man is usually hired by the year and furnished a house in which 

 he boards himself, hence the item of board is low on this class of 

 farms. 



On both the other types of farms most of the work is done in eight 

 months. It is not so well distributed, particularly on fruit farms, and 

 large amounts of work must be done in a few days; hence, extra men 

 and extra board are required. On fruit farms, this extra labor forms 

 a very large part of the expense. The latter class of farms showed a 

 labor expense of $197 above the average; dairy farms, $102 below the 

 average of all 96 farms. General farms followed the average more 

 closely, which was $592 on all 96 farms. 



Unpaid labor constituted 15% and board of laborers 17% of the total 

 labor expense on all farms, so that the actual cash paid for labor which 

 we usually think of as the labor expense is really but 68% of it. 



DISTRIBUTION OF THE EXPENSES 



As has been previously indicated, a large gross income does not always 

 indicate large net profits. The total expense (Table V) averaged $1,291 

 for the 178 farms, which was 46% of the average gross income. Of the 

 total expense, labor formed by far the largest item, viz., $609, or 47%. 

 Seed and feed purchased was 24% of the total expense, or $310. The 

 expense of the purchase of live-stock or decrease in the inventory of 



