TENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART X 633 



and March, and 12.7 cents for the "crop-season" months, April to Novem- 

 ber, inclusive. While wages are lower in the winter months, the number 

 of hours of labor is much less than in the summer, thus there is little 

 difference between summer and winter in the cost per hour for farm 

 labor. This cost is based upon the wages paid to men plus the cost for 

 board. 



The average number of hours worked per day by men (1902-1907) on 

 the farms at Northfield, southeastern Minnesota, was 8.94 hours, with 3.64 

 hours for Sunday work. At Marshall, in southwestern Minnesota, 8.66 

 hours for week days and 3.0.5 hours for Sundays, and at Halstad, in 

 northwestern Minnesota, 8.10 hours for week days and 2.76 hours for 

 Sundays. No estimate is given of the average length of the working day 

 of the women on these farms. 



The statistics summarized show that on an average the total value of 

 the farm produce used per family was $222.97; of groceries and fuel, 

 $170.89; of man and horse labor, $57.74; of women's labor, $216.66, and of 

 house furnishings, $32.46 per year, women's labor representing 30.91 

 per cent of the total cost, the largest single item, with the exception of 

 farm produce, which was 31.81 per cent of the total. 



In estimating the cost of board per man per month, record was kept of 

 the food, including groceries, meat, farm products, etc., fuel, garden 

 produce, including cash cost of seeds, labor, rent of land, etc., the labor 

 of men in the household and labor of women in the household. Record 

 was also kept of the number of persons who were boarded and the number 

 of days each was boarded. 



. Assistant Secretary Hays and E. C. Parker made the following state- 

 ments regarding this part of the work: 



"In determining the cost of board on farms per day and per month, it 

 is necessary to figure the total cost of the table board each year, and then 

 divide this sum by the total number of days' board in terms of one man. 

 It is impossible to figure this cost of board month by month during the 

 year, because the purchase of supplies may be great one month and very 

 small the next month. Inventoried supplies of flour, sugar, farm produce, 

 etc., are consumed during a number of months, and the exact amount 

 consumed each month cannot be determined. Cost of board per month 

 per man is, therefore, figured from a yearly average, and the data secured 

 * * * are used in determining the rate of wages per hour. * * * 



"Wages for household work are not actually paid on a majority of farms, 

 but a yearly cash value is placed upon the household work on each farm, 

 so that the cost of board may be reduced to cost per month per man 

 and be used in determining rates of wages for man labor. The amount of 

 wages * * * [assigned] in each case is determined by the standard 

 of living, the size of the family, and the prevailing wages for house- 

 keepers and hired women." 



The average cost of farm board per month of one laborer for the three 

 years 1905-1907 was, according to the figures summarized, $14.36 at North- 

 field, $12.73 at Marshall, $11.58 at Halstad, and $10.02 on the large grain 

 farm in northwestern Minnesota. "The average cost per day was 47.9 



