12 



BULLETIN 117, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



It has been estimated from investigations in some of the large 

 cities that the minimum amount necessary annually for a working- 

 man's family of five persons is at least $800. If we allow these small 

 sugar-beet growers their full farm income, which in the case of farm 

 owners is $569, and the value of their family labor, which is $79, we 

 have a total of $648. This, with a house to live in, garden, milk, 

 and other products furnished by the farm, represents their total 

 living. In view of these facts it is very doubtful whether farmers 

 could pay $250 to $300 an acre, the price at which this sugar-beet 

 land is valued, go in debt for the greater part of the purchase price, 

 and be able to complete their payments for the property. Through 

 hard work and very careful saving they might be able to succeed, 

 particularly if one or more members of the family worked at other 

 employment during part of the year. The trouble with a small 

 farm of this nature is that there is not enough work to keep the 

 members of the family busy, even if the crops grown do pay a high 

 rate of income for the labor performed. Outside employment 

 becomes almost a necessity when farms are reduced to such areas as 

 those found in this region. 



THE FARMER'S AGE AND OTHER FACTORS. 



In connection with the bearing upon his success, the facts shown in 

 Table VIII in regard to the farmer's age, the size of his family, and 

 the amount of the mortgage on his farm are exceedingly interesting. 



Table VIII. — The age of the farmer , amount of mortgages, and size of family on farms 

 operated by their owners and on farms whose owners rent additional land. 



Farm groups. 



Small 



General and fruit 



Grain and live stock.. 



Total or average 



On 69 farms operated by 

 their owners. 



o £ 



03 



51.2 

 49.4 

 56 



967 



2,000 



4.6 



6 



5 



On 23 farms whose owners 

 rent additional land. 



23 



o >> 



45.7 

 44.8 



45.5 



This table gives the age of the operator, the amount of mortgage 

 per farm, and the number in the family. The families are somewhat 

 larger than is shown by similar data for other agricultural regions. 

 The age of the farmer, particularly the farm owner, is 50.7 years, 

 practically the same as found in every region studied thus far. In 

 the case of those men who owned small areas and worked additional 



