16 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 

 FARM EXPENSES 



Off. Doc. 



The following table shows the number of farms reporting expendi- 

 tures for labor, feed and fertilizer by the census of 1910, as well as 

 the sums expended in 1909 and 1899, with the amount and per cent, 

 of increase: 



Labor, .. 

 Feed, ... 

 Fertilizer, 



$25,611,838 



19,203,160 



6,801,605 



$16,947,730 



(1) 



4,685,920 



(Note— (1) Not reported at census of 1900.) 



Nearly two-thirds of the farmers of the State hire labor, the average 

 amount expended in this way being |1S4. During the decade the 

 total expenditure for labor increased |S,9G4,000, or 53.8 per cent., 

 which is one of the greatest relative increases in Pennsylvania agri- 

 culture during the period. About one-fourth of the amount reported 

 as expended for labor is In the form of house rent and board. Former 

 censuses made no tabulation of the number of farmers reporting 

 expenditures for labor. 



Over six farmers out of every ten report some expenditures for 

 feed, and about six out of every ten purchase fertilizer. The total 

 amount reported as paid for fertilizer has increased |2,116,000, or 

 45.1 per cent, during the decade, the average per farm reporting being 

 152.41. 



ANNUAL AND CENSUS AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 



It is to be regretted that the annual agricultural statistics and 

 the census statistics do not harmonize more closely, but it is to be 

 supposed that they are sufficiently accurate to permit some conclu- 

 sions. Farm land has increased in value from $575,392,940 to |G30,- 

 430,010 between 1900 and 1910, while the number of farms have de- 

 creased from 224,248 in 1900 to 219,295 in 1910, a decrease of 4,953 

 farms, or 4 per cent. This decrease is equal to the number of farms 

 in any of the best farming counties of the State, and if the census 

 statistics are correct, is not the kind of showing this State should 

 make. It is reasonable to suppose, however, that the decrease is in 

 some degree owing to the extension of the limits of growing cities 

 and boroughs. 



The value of farm buildings increased from |322,879,810 in 1900 

 to $410,638,745 in 1910. This would be very much more desirable 

 if the number of faim buildings had increased sufficiently to make 



