1338 RURAL ECONOMICS 



The work of demonstration was carried out in 105 different zones lying 

 in the 21 States in question in the territory of which the Bureau has up 

 to now been instituted, and comprises the economic study of 8 032 farms. 

 For 5 cog of them the compilation of anahi;ic data serving to bring out 

 clearly in the form of " Farm Analysis Records " the organisation and eco- 

 nomic results of the farm has been completed ; i 952 of these records were 

 returned to the farmers concerned, after careful critical study on the part 

 of the officials who had prepared them (farm compilators) . The discussion 

 which took place in this connection concerning the organisation of the farm 

 and desirability of its modification resulted in 542 farmers approving and be- 

 ginning to carry out certain proposed changes, and I 439 farmers adopting a 

 system of accounts which will in the future enable them to supply more 

 accurate particulars for the analj^sis record. Other farmers, to the number 

 of 876, applied for farm demonstrators to make a second visit to their farms 

 in order to obtain advice in connection with reorganisation. 



The considerable work accomphshed since the outset /. e. during the 

 period of organisation, is largely due to the co-operation of the Farm Bu- 

 reaus and County Agents in the different counties and the Superior Schools 

 of Agriculture. The chief object of the federal farm economics improve- 

 ment demonstration Bureau is to guide the county agents in this examina- 

 tion of the organisation of farms in their region, in order to come directly to 

 the aid of the farmer who may have adopted an organisation which cannot 

 yield him the normal reward far his labour, and who nevertheless maintains 

 this system. The}^ will point out to him the difference between the results 

 of the organisation adopted by him and those normally obtained in the belt 

 where he operates, and between such results and those secured by more skil- 

 ful and smart farmers who manage to get the largest possible reward for 

 their labour. 



This Farm Economics Improvement Demonstration Bureau has been 

 successfully established in 21 ,States, and has above all rendered evident 

 the fact that in each region the economic results of the farms varies within 

 wide limits. From the figures relating to 4 400 farms hitherto compiled 

 it is ascertained that the general average of the reward of labour of the 

 farmer was about % 400. If progressively organised farms are divided into 

 5 groups of 880 farms each, the ist group, which represents the highest 

 reward for the farmer's labour, has an average of about % i 500; the 2nd group, 

 about $ 700 ; the 3rd about § 350 ; the 4th about $ 100 and for the 5th the 

 loss is about % 600. 



Thus, 1/5 of the farms not only yield no reward for the manual labour or 

 management of the farmer, but in addition leave a deficit of $ 600 each 

 on an average on the return on the capital reckoned at 5 % and the reward 

 for the labour carried out by the members of the farmer's family. 



The Farm Economics Improvement Demonstration Bureau is intended 

 chiefly to come to the assistance of this last class of farmers, by pointing 

 out to them the standard organisations in the zone where they operate, as 

 well as those of farmers securing the best reward for labour. 



The appended Table shows by way of example the method of com- 



