6 BULLETIN 651, XT. B. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



relationship between the financial success of a farmer and his sales- 

 manship, or ability to find a market for his produce. 



The local conditions which make the marketing of poultry and other 

 by-products of the farm unprofitable can be overcome by merchants 

 on the one hand hi establishing connections with larger city markets, 

 and by farmers on the other hand by organization as is practiced in 

 many other sections of the country. The great need for increased 

 poultry production warrants a study of this problem and the ex- 

 perience and the information of the Department of Agricultutre are 

 available on request. 



LABOR. 



Labor is both white and colored and is comparatively abundant 

 and cheap. The monthly wage varies from $12 to $20 per month, 

 the average with house, garden, and wood furnished, approximating 

 $15 per month. Day labor is paid from 50 to 90 cents per day, 70 

 cents being a fair average. Cropper labor, an arrangement in which 



ENTERPRISES 



AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT 

 ♦ fcOOO 4000 6000 



TOTAL INVESTMENT 



LAND & BUILDINGS 



LIVESTOCK 



FEED &SUPPLIES 



IMPLEMENTS 



WORKING FUND 



8940 

 7 74 8 



596 



256 



736 



>1 I 



Fig. 2— Investment per farm. 



the laborer receives a part of the crop in lieu of wages, is used quite 

 extensively, especially on the larger farms. The average value of the 

 operator's services on 112 farms, aside from perquisites, was esti- 

 mated at $221 per year. 



Women and children do a large part of the work in growing and har- 

 vesting crops. Of the total labor costs chargeable to actual crop pro- 

 duction, one-third was for labor performed by women and children. 

 This labor is used principally in hoeing and picking cotton. Fami- 

 lies are usually large among both the whites and the negroes. 

 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FARMS SURVEYED. 



The largest farm in the area surveyed contained 1,400 acres, of 

 which 895 was in cultivation ; the smallest had 15 acres, with 12.5 in 

 cultivation. The average size of the 112 farms was 135.8 acres, 

 with an average of 71.7 acres in cultivation. Exclusive of land 

 rented out, the average size was 119.7 acres, with 63.2 acres, or 52.8 

 per cent, in cultivation. The total average investment per farm (see 

 fig. 2) was $8,940, distributed as follows: Land and buildings, 



