OFFICE OF FAEM MA^^AGEMENT. 467 



devoted to farm labor or some other related matters. On this ac- 

 count it was impossible to do much field work during the year. 

 Material on the subject of renting land devoted to sugar beets, on 

 stability of tenure of the farm operator, and on methods of renting 

 farms in the wheat belt of the Central West was worked up. Some 

 work was also done on data relating to the general subject of renting 

 farms, the renting of land devoted to small grains, the renting of 

 dairy farms, systems of renting by stock shares, and the rent rela- 

 tions existing between landlord and tenant on a New York farm. 

 Additions were made to the large collection of leases in possession 

 of the office, and the files of these were indexed to make them more 

 readily available. 



The farm-labor operations were conducted along the lines which 

 were pursued during the previous fiscal year. Farm-help specialists 

 were maintained in practically every State. These men worked in co- 

 operation with the extension divisions of the agricultural colleges, 

 particularly the county agents, and also with the State departments 

 of agriculture. State departments of labor, and other State organiza- 

 tions concerned with the labor problem, and finally with the United 

 States Employment Service and other employment offices. Tho 

 farm-help specialists took an active part in organizing local farm- 

 labor business. 



Attention was chiefly devoted to the problem of making labor 

 more efficient on the farms. This involved the encouragement of the 

 cooperative exchange of labor among farmers, the study of wages as 

 related to farm prices, the provision of better housing and living 

 conditions for laborers, the use of gasoline power, labor-saving de- 

 vices, and the development of a better spirit of cooperation between 

 the farmer and the city business man in solving the annual problem 

 of seasonal farm-labor requirements. 



Active cooperation was also maintained with the AVar Department, 

 particularly with the morale branch of the General Staff. In this 

 work the office maintained representatives at 11 demobilization camps 

 for the purpose of furnishnig information regarding agricultural 

 opportunities and particularly regarding openings for employment 

 on farms to all returning soldiers who were interested in agriculture. 



FARM EQUIPMENT. 



The work done during the year with reference to farm equipment 

 has been largely concerned with the use of power machinery and 

 with the relations between mechanical power and horse .power. 

 Three new studies were made : 



1. A study of the displacement of horses by tractors and the cost of operating 

 tractors on about 200 corn-belt farms was made during the summer of 1918. 



2. A preliminary economic study of the use of motor trucks on farms wcs 

 made in sections around Kansas City, Omaha, and Indianapolis, with the inten- 

 tion of obtaining, as soon as possible, detailed information on motor-truck 

 operations from a large number of farms in all parts of the country. 



3. A study of the duty of farm implements and crows and the costs of using 

 farm implements in central Illinois. 



The section cooperated actively with the Office of Farm Equip- 

 ment Control. 



The following publications on farm equipment were issued during 

 the year ; 



