432 RVRAL EIWIIIGAN 



over divstrict of Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, 

 where the average investment for each farm was 

 $(j,85G, and the family income $559. In addition, 

 if free of deht, the family had what the farm could 

 furnish for its living. If income is small, so are ex- 

 penses among persons whose standard of living is 

 not so highly developed as among the old American 

 stock. Grouping the farms by size and family in- 

 come, the investigation brought out the fact that, 

 of the farms investigated, those having an area of 

 20 tillable acres or less, the family income was $213. 

 Farms of 20 to 40 acres gave a family income of 

 $339; of 40 to GO acres, $533; of 60 to 80 acres, 

 $G22 ; 80 to 100 acres, $939 ; 100 to 140 acres, $1,179 ; 

 over 140 acres, $1,586.^ This shows the steadily 

 increased income with the addition of tillable area. 

 The investigators observe that "the little farm well 

 tilled may succeed, and frequently does succeed in 

 this area, but the prospects are brighter for the 

 larger farm if that larger farm has sufficient area 

 under cultivation. Among the records there are 

 those of quite a number of farms, having satisfac- 

 tory labor incomes on less than forty acres of cleared 

 land, but these farms have rich soil, exceptionally 

 good livestock, and, as a rule, a considerable acreage 

 of woods pasture. A family engaged in general farm- 

 ing may make a fair living on a farm with forty 

 acres under cultivation and should be able to make 

 money with 80 to IGO acres under cultivation. The 



^ "Farming on the Cut-over Lands of Michigan," etc., 

 supra, 9, 10. 



