464 ANNUAL KEPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 

 COST OF PRODUCTION. 



Eight hundred and sixty-five cotton-enterprise records, together 

 with the necessary farm organization data, were obtained from cot- 

 ton growers in four of the southern States during the months of May 

 and June, 1919. These records were distributed as follows: 162 

 representing two districts in Texas; 269 from three areas in Ala- 

 bama ; 254 from three sections in Georgia ; and 180 from two areas 

 in South Carolina. This material embraces staple factors of cot- 

 ton and will allow the estimations of cost by using current prices. 



Cooperative costs of production studies of the tobacco crop were in- 

 stituted in May with the Kentucky Experiment Station. This en- 

 terprise study entails the cooperation with 160 representative to- 

 bacco growers in which the tobacco enterprise is studied in detail 

 and in relation to the entire farm business. 



Arrangements are being made with a number of the States look- 

 ing toward cost accounting investigations to begin with the new 

 farm year of 1920. A cost of tractor operation and farm organi- 

 zation study was arranged with the Ohio Experiment Station, the 

 work in the field to begin July 10. 



Tentative plans have been laid for making studies in the cost of 

 producing wheat and sugar beets, and for special investigations in 

 live-stock economic problems. 



FARM BUSINESS ANALYSIS STUDIES. 



Studies of the business side of farming and oi factors affecting 

 the profitable organization of farms have made substantial progress 

 during the year. An additional year's work on continuing surveys of 

 farms has been inaugurated in the following areas: 



Seventh year of the study of farms in a representative area of the hill land 

 drained by the Ohio River (Washington County, Ohio). 



Sixth year of the study of farms in a representative area of general farming 

 in the Corn Belt (Clinton County, Ind.). 



Third year of the study of farms in a representative area of fruit and gen- 

 eral farming in the Shenandoah Valley (Frederick County, Va.). 



Second year of the study of farms in a representative area of truck farming 

 in Florida. 



Second year of the study of farms in a representative area of the citrus 

 fruit industry in Florida. 



Second year of the study of small farms in the vicinity of Columbus and 

 Cleveland, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Ind. 



In cooperation with the Wisconsin College of Agriculture, the sixth year of 

 the study of farms in Dane County, Wis. 



These studies show in more or less concrete fashion the profits in 

 farming over a period of years in a given area or for a certain type 

 of farming. They give light on the effect, not only of those factors 

 over which the farmer exerts more or less control, but also something 

 regarding the effect of many factors over which he has little or no 

 control. 



In connection with these studies the results of the five-year study 

 in the hill-land section of the Ohio Kiver have been published as De- 

 partment Bulletin 716, ''A Five- Year Farm Management Survey in 

 Palmer Township, WaRhington County, Ohio, 1912-1916." Depart- 

 ment Bulletia 694, ''A Study of Farm Management Problems in 



