FAKM MANAGEMENT IN THE OZAEKS. 13 



his year's work, called the farmer's labor income. In addition to the 

 labor income the farmer has the use of a house, and the food and fuel 

 furnished the family by the farm. The farmer's labor income, to a 

 certain degree, measures the relative efficiency with which the farm 

 is managed. 



The family income represents the amount that is left from the 

 total farm receipts for the use of the family after deducting the year's 

 farm expenses excluding value of family labor, and including interest 

 paid on indebtedness. The family income on the rolling and hilly 

 larms averages $759, and on the valley and level-upland farms $1,331. 

 This represents the amount available to these families, on the average, 

 for living expenses and savings. 



The labor income as reported does not include the value of farm 

 products used for home consumption. While the values of farm- 

 furnished supplies toward the family living were not ascertained upon 

 these farms, it was evident that these represented a considerable 

 item. Wheat and corn raised on the farm furnished practically all 

 of the bread and cereals. Hogs butchered for home consumption 

 furnished a large portion of the meat consumed. A large amount of 

 poultry and eggs and dairy products was likewise used, and practi- 

 cally every farm provided potatoes, garden vegetables, and some 

 fruit and sirup for the home. 



A study of 950 farms in 14 areas for the years 1913 and 1914, 1 

 showed an average value of food, fuel, and house rent furnished the 

 farm family by the farm of $423 per farm, or $90 per person. Of 

 this amount, $260, or $55 per person, was for food, $31, or $7 per 

 person, was for fuel, and $132, or $28 per person, was for house rent. 

 Thus a farmer with a relatively small labor income can maintain a 

 plane of living comparable with that of the city man who earns a 

 considerably larger salary. 



The average labor income and farm income for valley farms are 

 considerably higher than for the hill farms, as might be expected. 

 For the small-farm group of the hilly farms shown in Table I the 

 average farm income was found to be $357, and for the larger-farm 

 group $819, with an average for all of $580 ; the average labor income 

 was $165, $462, and $309, respectively. Similarly, for the valley 

 farms shown in this table, the average farm income was $436, $1,038, 

 and $1,707 for the three size-groups, and the average labor income 

 $204, $591, and $1,077, respectively. Every condition for the year 

 which the records cover was favorable to a good labor income for the 

 operators. The seasons had been good, with good crops and pasture 

 and a good acorn and mast crop. The price of every article sold 

 from the farm was higher than in previous years. Farm expenses 



i U. S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 410, "Value to Farm Families of Food, Fuel, and Use of 

 House." 



