BUREAU OP STATISTICS. 791 



space has been obtained for the storage of 400,000 official envelopes, 

 for emergency use, in the department warehouse at Alexandria, Va. ; 

 this, however, is not convenient for the storage of other supplies, 

 which are needed daily. 



Various improvements have been made during the year to increase 

 office space. Alterations were made in the Division oi Domestic Crop 

 Reports, affording additional space for new equipment. The supply 

 cases in the stock room were rearranged and a few new ones added, 

 giving more capacity and additional room for the handling of oflice 

 supplies. Additional metal book staclis, computing machines, desks, 

 and filing cabinets have been installed. Several modern filing cabi- 

 nets and typewrite)*s were furnished agents in the field. 



THE PURCHASING POWER OF FARM PRODUCTS. 



In 1910 an investigation was made in the Bureau of Statistics, 

 which showed that the money value of 1 acre of the farmer's crops 

 in 1909 was 72.7 per cent more than the money value of 1 acre of 

 his crops in 1899; that the average mone}' value of the articles 

 which a farmer buys was about 12.1 per cent higher in 1909 than 

 in 1899; and, consequently, as a result of the greater increase in 

 price of what a farmer sells than in price of what he buys, the net 

 increase in the purchasing power of the produce of 1 acre was 54 

 per cent. That is, the product of 1 acre in 1909 would exchange for 

 54 per cent larger quantity of the things farmers buy than the 

 product of 1 acre in 1899. So much public interest has been evinced 

 in this line of inquiry, bearing so closely upon the subject of the 

 " cost of living," that it has been continued during the past two 

 years. 



Although the aggregate production of crops in 1911 was about 

 6.3 per cent smaller than in 1910 and 0.5 per cent smaller than in 

 1909, the total money value of crop production in 1911, by reason 

 of enhancement in prices, was about 2.1 per cent greater than in 

 1910 and 3 per cent greater than in 1909. According to a report of 

 the Bureau of the Census, the value of all crops in the United States 

 in 1909 was about $5,487,000,000; on this basis it is estimated that 

 the money value of all crops in 1910 was about $5,537,000,000, and of 

 crops in 1911, $5,054,000,000. 



The money value of 1 acre of produce in 1911 averaged about 

 $15.48, as compared with $15.50 in 1910, $15.99 in 1909, and $9.48 in 

 1899. The larger aggregate value of crops in 1911 than in 1910 and 

 1909 was due to increased acreage in conjunction with enhancement 

 of prices. 



The estimates here given are based upon data received for crops 

 covering about 90 per cent of the area of all field crops and ma}' be 

 assumed to be representative of all crops. 



An investigation of prices of about 85 articles generally purchased 

 by farmers indicates that such articles averaged in price in 1911 

 about 1.1 per cent higher than in 1910. 2.6 per cent higher than in 

 1909. and about 15.3 ]^ov cent liigher than in 1S99. 



Taking into consideration the variation in the price of things 

 which farmers buy and in the things which farmers sell, it appears 

 that the purchasing power of 1 acre of crops in 1911 was 1.2 per cent 



