FACTORS AFFECTING RETURNS FROM POTATOES 



76 



The nativity of the farmer is an important factor affecting the amount of 

 hand labor used in the Seekonk area. Many small farms are operated by 

 men of foreign descent who either lack the capital to purchase machinery or 

 else have enough family labor to grow potatoes without machinery. 



Providence is the chief market for the potatoes and other cash crops grown 

 in Seekonk. The larger growers have their own trucks and the smaller farm- 

 ers often hire their produce trucked to market. Since so many of the potatoes 

 are Cobblers, most of the harvesting is finished early. The prices secured in 

 1926 were lower than in other areas because the early market was low. Be- 

 cause of southern competition the grower in southwestern Bristol County 

 has an entirely different market situation to meet in making his plans for each 

 year's crops than the grower in other parts of Massachusetts. 



rigure 3. The Maximum and Minimum Hours of 



Man Labor Used per Acre of Potatoes 



in Different Areas. All Operations. 



Hours 



200 



The total labor on all farms studied in each area was rather uniformly distributed 

 throughout the range from the minimum to the maximum. 



Amounts of Labor and Materials Used per Acre for Potatoes 

 in Massachusetts 



In any careful study of farm production it is essential to have a knowledge 

 of the amounts of labor and materials used per acre. The seasonal distribu- 

 tion of labor on a particular crop and the probable days available for each 

 of the crop operations is also important. With such data for his farm, a 

 grower can forecast in advance the probable effect upon the farm resources 

 and the net returns to his business of any proposed change in his cropping 

 system. And by comparing the data from his farm with similar data from 

 other farms in the neighborhood or in other regions, the farmer can see wheth- 

 er his production is made with a higher or lower input of the various items of 

 labor and materials. 



