14 BULLETIN 716^ U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The farm receipts for three years were within 6 per cent of the 

 five-year average receipts, for one year they were almost 15 per cent 

 below the average, and for the other year they were 20 per cent above 

 the average. 



The farm expenses increased each year except in 1913, when they 

 were lower than for any other year. The sales were also the lowest 

 in 1913. 



The farm profits, whether measured by the labor income or by the 

 per cent on the investment, were within 20 per cent of the five-year 

 average for three of the years, while in 1913 they were about 40 per 

 cent below the average, and TO per cent above in 1916. 



In 1912 one-third of the farmers were in debt, the indebtedness 

 varying in amount from $150 to $3,000; in 1916 only 1 in 6 was in 

 debt. During this period the mortgages on four farms were paid ofi 

 Avith money made from the farming, and on three others the mort- 

 gages were decreased, while the amount was increased on but one] 

 Indebtedness decreased more rapidly during the years showing 

 greater profits, while in 1913, the year returning least profits, there 

 was no decrease in the indebtedness. 



The yield per acre of crops, the receipts per animal unit from live 

 stock, the price received for products, and the amount of the products 

 available for sale are all important factors with considerable varia- 

 tions during the different j^ears. For comparison these are shown foi 

 each year in the summary table (Table I) as percentages of the five- 

 year average. 



The yield per acre of the more important crops for the differem 

 years varied from 89 per cent to 110 per cent of the five-year aver 

 age; the receipts per animal unit from 93 per cent to 113 per cent 

 the price received for farm products from 91 per cent to 112 pei 

 cent ; and the quantity of products sold from 81 per cent to 109 pei 

 cent. 



THE FARM AREA. 



The farm area for a farm includes the entire acreage operated ai 

 one farm. The land may be all owned by the operator, it may be al 

 rented, or it may be partly owned and partly rented. Of the farn 

 area included in this group of farms 90 per cent was owned by oper 

 ators, 8 per cent cash rented, and 2 per cent share rented. 



The slight variations in the farm area from year to year shown ii 

 Table I were due to variations in the acreage owned by four farm 

 ers — one selling part of his farm and three buying more land — and t< 

 yearly variations in the acreages share rented by a few farmers 

 The land share rented usually represented single fields and include( 

 fields in corn, wheat, oats, and hay. 



