AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE PRODUCTION OF CANNING CROPS 23 



before harvest was done by the operator or some member of his family. 

 A Ikrger proportion of the harvesting labor was hired. A considerable 

 amount of the harvesting labor was done by sons under sixteen years of 

 age and by wives and daughters of the farmers. The nature of the pea 

 crop requires that it be harvested quickly. At such times extra labor 

 must be obtained, and if hired labor is not available the work must ordi- 

 narily be performed by members of the family. Labor was particularly 

 scarce and high during the season of 1920. This fact may have made it 

 necessary for a larger proportion of the labor than normal to be performed 

 by the operators' wives and children. 



Miscellaneous expenses 



Soil inoculation, with cultures prepared by the College of Agriculture, 

 was used on 12 farms. The purpose of this practice is to introduce into 

 the soil the bacteria which enable the pea plant to utilize nitrogen from 

 the air. In most of these cases it was being tested in cooperation with 

 either the canning factory or the farm bureau. 



When a grower belonged to a growers' association, dues and commissions 

 paid to the association were considered as costs. In the Genesee area 

 i per cent of the value of the peas, less the seed, was deducted by the can- 

 ning company from payments made to association members, and paid 

 to the association. In Steuben County 0.5 per cent of the value was 

 similarly deducted and paid to the association. 



Interest 



The interest item, as explained on page 7, was calculated to the date 

 when the peas were paid for. This varied with the different factories. 

 Dates were on which payments were to be made specified in the contract. 

 These dates were as follows: Orleans area, at the principal factory, 

 on the ist of the month for all peas hauled in before the i5th of the pre- 

 ceding month; Genesee area, one-half when the peas were drawn in, 

 balance on October i ; Steuben and Ontario areas, one-half on August 

 15, balance on November i. In all cases the amounts due the company 

 for seed, labor, or ensilage were deducted from the first payment. The 

 other companies paid at various dates. In some cases no payment was 

 made until December i. Interest was figured on the basis of the dates 

 specified in the contracts, because when the costs were calculated the exact 

 dates of payment, if different, were not known. 



At least one company in the State paid interest on the unpaid balance 

 from August 25 to the date of the final payment. Farmers can usually 

 obtain the money in advance of the contract date by discounting at 

 their bank a non-interest-bearing note which the company will give them. 

 This practice amounts to their paying interest on the money they receive 

 until the date the contract calls for payment. The longer the payment 

 is delayed, the larger the item of interest becomes and the less advantage 

 peas have as a crop on which the farmer can realize quick returns. 



Use of land 



The land values and the charges for the use of land on which peas were 

 grown in the different areas are given in table 16. The land value was 



