14 



BULLETIN 941, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



were higher also, but farmers expressed the feeling that increase in 

 income more than compensated for the increased expenses. Even 

 at this, however, the income of the majority of these farmers was 

 none too large to meet a satisfactory standard of living. 



The operation of. a general farm with much less than 40 acres of 

 land for crops is exceedingly unsatisfactory, regardless of the location 

 of the farm, whether among the valleys or among the hills. Size of 

 business is an important factor in farming throughout this area, but 

 it is also true that the limit to the number of acres of crops which 

 can be profitably included in one farm by the average operator is 

 reached more quickly with farms of rough and stony character than 

 in the case of farms with land more easily cultivated, and perhaps 

 this limit has been reached by some of the larger hill farms. 



The hand work involved in making a profit in farming on the poorer 

 of the lands in this region is not generally recognized. Much of the 

 land throughout the area changes hands often, and many of those 

 who purchase such farms, especially those who try to operate small 

 farms with limited capital, must face a most difficult economic 

 problem. 



Table I. — Summary of the j arm business on 31 rolling and hilly Jarms and 48 valley 

 and level-upland jarms, Ozark region, Missouri, 1917. 



Item. 



Rolling and hilly farms. 



Under 

 40 crop 

 acres (16 

 farms). 



40 crop 

 acres and 

 over (15 

 farms). 



All farms 

 (31). 



Valley and level-upland farms. 



Under 

 40 crop 

 acres (12 

 farms). 



40 to 70 



crop 

 acres (21 

 farms). 



70 crop 

 acres and 

 over (15 

 farms). 



All farms 



(48). 



Farm area 



Crop area 



Improved pasture area 



Woods fenced 



Waste and woodland area 



Rented out area 



Capital 



Receipts 



Expenses 



Farm income 



Interest on investment at 5 per 



cent 



Labor income 



Operator's labor 



Farm income 



Value of unpaid family labor.. 



Interest on indebtedness 



Family income 



Per cent return on capital 



Acres. 

 128.3 

 26.4 

 19.4 

 40.4 

 41.3 



$3,832 

 617 

 260 

 357 



192 

 165 

 358 



357 

 82 

 37 



402 



Acres. 

 239.7 

 71.8 

 33.9 

 68.7 

 64.4 

 .9 



£7,133 



1,618 



799 



819 



357 

 462 

 521 



819 



351 



29 



1,141 



Acres. 

 182.1 

 48.3 

 26.4 

 54.1 

 52.5 



$5,430 



1,101 



521 



580 



271 

 309 

 435 



212 

 33 

 759 



Acres. 

 113.8 

 29.1 

 23.6 

 23.7 

 33.2 

 4.2 



$4,631 

 850 

 414 

 436 



232 

 204 

 373 



436 

 205 

 27 

 614 



Acres. 

 206.0 

 52.4 

 48.6 

 24.1 

 76.7 

 4.2 



$8,937 



1,708 



670 



1,038 



447 

 591 

 455 



1,038 



248 



33 



1,253 



Acres. 

 329.8 

 105.2 

 76.6 

 97.9 

 46.9 

 3.2 



$12, 602 

 2,887 

 1,180 

 1,707 



630 



1,077 



483 



1,707 



377 



69 



2,015 



Acres. 

 221.7 

 63.1 

 51.1 



47.1 

 56.5 

 3.9 



$9,006 



1,861 



765 



1,096 



450 



646 

 444 



1,096 



278 



43 



1,331 



4.2 



2.7 



6 5 



1.7 



7.2 



The Ozarks offer certain limited opportunities of acquiring land 

 upon which profitable farming may be carried on. Conditions, how- 

 ever, are so varied, and, usually, so unlike those to which the average 

 newcomer to the Ozarks is accustomed, that no stranger should 

 attempt to buy a farm without first making a careful examination 



