826 AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS 



directly by the farm and $37.77 purchased. The average value per 

 family was $595.08, of which $421.17 was furnished by the farm and 

 $173.91 purchased. 



The average cost of the food consumed per person was $89.23. 

 Of this food 63 per cent was furnished by the farm. 



The quantity of fruit and vegetables used is in direct proportion to 

 the quantity raised on the farm. It was also found that the grocery 

 bill was reduced where increased quantities of fruit and vegetables 

 were grown for home use. 



The average annual value of the use of the farmhouse was found to 

 be $125 per family. The value of the dwelling is generally considered 

 a part of the value of the farm and is thus furnished free for the use 

 of the farm family. The importance of this is fully appreciated by 

 the family in the town or city paying house rent. 



The average cost of board for each person, that is, the value of the 

 food and its preparation, was $10 a month. The cost of board and 

 lodging was $14.62. Of this sum, on the average only 22 per cent was 

 paid out in actual cash by the farmer. 



The result of these studies shows that the farmer's cost of living in 

 actual cash expenditures is very materially reduced by what the farm 

 furnishes in food products, fuel, and house rent; in fact, the income 

 from this source adds as much to the real wealth of many farmers as 

 does the net income from the sale of farm products. 



If it were not for those products contributed by the farm without 

 any actual cash expenditure, a great many farmers would not have 

 a comfortable living. Extensive investigations relative to the profits 

 in farming indicate that the average labor income of the farmer prob- 

 ably differs little from ordinary farm wages, but in addition to this, 

 he has the products contributed by the farm, as discussed in this 

 bulletin. 



265. THE FARMER'S PURCHASING POWER 1 

 BY VICTOR H. OLMSTED 



In my report of 1910 I showed that the value of i acre of the 

 farmer's crops in 1909 was 72.7 per cent more than in 1899; that the 

 cost of articles purchased by farmers had increased about 12.1 per 



1 Adapted from Report of the Chief of the Bureau of Statistics, United Stales 

 Department of Agriculture, 1911 and 1912, and the Agricultural Outlook, December, 

 1914 



