16 BULLETIN f,",|. V. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In the Gila Valley, nearly all the farms between Fairview and the 

 ■San Simon wash were visited. These farms are in a narrow belt on 

 (he south side of the Gila River, which varies in width from 1 to 4 

 miles and extends up and down the river a distance of 20 miles. The 

 irrigated area in Gila Valley extends several miles farther, both up 

 and down the river, and there are farms on both sides of the river, but 

 it is believed that the belt in which these studies were made contains 

 farms representative of the whole district. The 105 records obtained 

 in this valley represent a total of 8,301 acres, constituting not far from 

 one-third of the total area under cultivation. 



The fanners responded heartily to the questions asked, and are to 

 be complimented upon the accuracy of the data furnished. Many of 

 them kept books, which were placed in the hands of the investigator, 

 and from which nearly every item in the record was obtained in exact 

 figures. To the question, "Do you keep farm accounts?" asked of 

 647 farmers, 179 answered "Yes," and 181 answered that they kept 

 a partial system of accounts. It thus appears that 55.6 per cent of 

 the farmers in the irrigated valleys of southern Arizona keep some 

 form of farm accounts. 



Supplementing the more complete systems of accounts, almost 

 every farmer interviewed had some form of pocket memoranda from 

 which he could give many of the items in exact figures. In this 

 manner, and from the sets of books examined, the following items of 

 the data herein presented were obtained in exact figures from prac- 

 tically every farmer interviewed: Keceipts from sales of hay, grain, 

 and cotton; thrashing, ginning, and baling charges; taxes, water 

 rent, sales and purchases of live stock, and the amount paid out for 

 steady labor and for cotton picking. 



Besides the items wholly or partially estimated, 28.3 per cent of all 

 sales of dairy products above $100 were reported in exact figures either 

 from books or creamery statements. Among those who estimated this 

 item 27 farmers were selected at random, and their estimates com- 

 pared with the exact figures on the books of the creameries patronized; 

 the average of their estimates was exact to within 1.3 per cent. The 

 increase in numbers of live stock was obtained in exact figures; but 

 the value of live stock gains was estimated. These estimates were 

 checked by comparison with prices obtained for similar live stock at 

 cash' sales,- and the prices were in very close accord with the estimates 

 given by the fanners. The estimated value placed upon farm ma- 

 chinery was checked by comparisons with prices at several retail 

 machinery stores. 



The conclusions that may be drawn from these investigations are 

 therefore based upon data by far the greater portion of which is 

 exact and in which, where estimates have been used, the element of 

 error in each case has been reduced to a minimum. 



