SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR CITY PERSONS 131 



farm. In addition they had the use of a house and some farm 

 products. The houses are nearly all heated by stoves, with wood 

 that comes from the farm. Usually not more than one stove is 

 kept burning besides the one in the kitchen. Probably less than 

 one in a hundred of the farmhouses has a bathroom. The 

 majority of the houses are such as would rent for $10 to $20 a 

 month in a village. In this county the farms usually furnish 

 potatoes and milk and some vegetables, eggs, and meat for family 

 use. The $1155 represents the amount that the average family 

 had for living, aside from what the farm furnished, and for saving. 

 This should not be compared with city wages because the farmer 

 has capital invested. At 5 per cent the use of the capital is worth 

 $450, and unpaid farm work done by members of the family was 

 valued at $96, so that the pay for the farmer's work, or his labor 

 income, was $609, besides the use of a house and some farm 

 products. This is considerably above the average for the state, 

 but is exceeded in some townships in the state. In 16 townships 

 in three counties of 1988 farmers 63 made labor incomes of over 

 $2000 ; that is, made 5 per cent interest on the capital and had 

 over $2000 besides the use of a house and some farm products 

 as pay for the year's labor. Farming does not often give what in 

 the city are considered large profits, nor is there so great danger 

 of large losses. Bulletins 295 and 349 of this station give some 

 of the variations in profits made by different farmers. 



A common wage in New York for experienced hired men is 

 $30 a month, with house, land for a garden, firewood, and a 

 quart or two of milk a day. In some of the more prosperous parts 

 of the state, $35 is often paid. Very rarely does a hired man get 

 more than $40 by the year. Unmarried men are paid about $$ a 

 month less than married men, but are given their board. Inex- 

 perienced men are, of course, worth much less. The above figures 

 may give some idea of the profits in farming. 



The glowing stories about farming that are told in many 

 publications have led to very wrong conclusions as to the profits 

 to be expected. A recent article that is typical stated that the 

 farmer made $2400 a year from one enterprise and that he made 

 1 20 per cent on the capital. But no allowance was made for labor 



