A STUDY OF SHARE-RENTED DAIRY FARMS. 



11 



Illinois area only 4.5 per cent of the crop area, or 5.2 acres per farm, 

 was in alfalfa. In 1912, as shown by 147 records taken in the Illinois 

 area by the Illinois station, the average area of alfalfa per farm was 

 only 1.5 acres. 



In general, the dairying practiced in the Illinois group is of a more 

 intensive character than that practiced in the Wisconsin group, and 

 much more feed and concentrates are purchased. The average feed 

 bill on the Illinois farms was $656, or $11 per animal unit, 1 while that 

 on the Wisconsin farms was only $182, or $3 per animal unit. 



INVESTMENT AND EARNINGS. 



Table VI. — Comparison of average investment, earnings, etc. 



Item. 



Average 



of 84 



Wisconsin 



farms. 



Average 



of 59 



Illinois 



farms. 



Item. 



Average 



of 84 



Wisconsin 



farms. 



Average 



of 59 

 Illinois 

 farms. 



Value of real estate per acre. . . 

 Landlord's working capital . . . 



Landlord's total capital 



Per cent earned on landlord's 



$125 

 $2, 169 



$27, 852 



3.9 

 $3,184 

 $730 

 25 

 $70 

 12.5 



$173 



$3,564 

 $35,477 



4.6 



$2,419 



$1,023 



43 



$94 



15.4 



Monthly cost of man labor 



Months of man labor 



Crop acres per animal unit 



Pasture acres per animal unit. 



$39. 06 



24 



o 



1.6 



34 



55 



8.5 



5.8 



3.7 



$36. 06 



33 



1.9 



1 



41 





Age of landlord 



59 



Tenant's labor income ' 



Years farm has been rented . . . 



Years tenant has rented 



Years tenant has rented this 

 farm 



16.8 

 9.8 



Dairy products per cow 



5.7 









1 In computing the labor incomes for this bulletin, interest at the rate of 5 per cent was allowed on the 

 tenant's capital. 



From Table VI it is seen that the average investment of the land- 

 lord per farm is greater in the Illinois group than in the Wisconsin 

 group. The tenant's capital, however, is larger on the Wisconsin 

 farms for the reason that in most cases he owns a half interest in 

 the cows, whereas in Illinois he does not. In Wisconsin the land- 

 lord makes 3.9 per cent on his investment, in Illinois 4.6 per cent. 

 The labor income of the tenant was likewise larger in the latter 

 State ($1,023 as against $730). This greater profit to both landlord 

 and tenant on the Illinois farms may be accounted for in part by 

 the fact that the farm enterprise, although covering a smaller acreage, 

 was larger on the average in the Illinois group than in the Wisconsin 

 group and that in Illinois the farmers were in a market-milk selling 

 region. 



The reason the Illinois farmers have to buy more feed is seen in 

 the fact of their having fewer crop acres and pasture acres per 

 animal unit. 



1 An animal unit is a mature horse or cow or as many smaller animals as require the 

 feed of a horse or cow, namely, 2 head of young cattle, 5 hogs, 7 sheep, or 100 hens. 



