18 BULLETIN 654, U. S. DEPAETMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



was obtained by asking each farmer to estimate the amount paid 

 out per month for materials contributing to the board of such labor 

 and omitting the materials contributed by the farm direct. The 

 estimates varied from 85 to 825 per month for each laborer, the 

 average being $14! This amounts to $168 per year. Studies show 

 thai the farm contributes to the family living about $88 per adult 

 unit per year in board and house rent, bringing the total value of 

 these items furnished to the farm laborer up to $256. At $35 per 

 month the money paid him would amount to $420, bringing the 

 total up to $676 per year, when money, board, and house rent are 

 all included. This may be .considered the minimum wage for farm 

 help. The maximum wage, excluding foremen, amounts to 81,156, 

 computed in the same manner. Since these studies were made wages 

 have advanced considerably, but there has been a corresponding 

 advance in prices of farm products. 



Opinions may vary as to what constitutes a comfortable living for 

 a farm family, and this subject can be discussed only in a general 

 way. Living requirements in southern Arizona are comparatively 

 high. By studies made on the 725 farms visited during this investi- 

 gation data, have been secured that may be considered reasonably 

 accurate on certain items of living requirements, and these data are 

 presented here. 



It has just been stated that data obtained upon the cost of boarding 

 hired labor showed an annual expenditure of $168 per adult unit 

 for food materials purchased. The average number of adult units 1 

 in the family on 476 farms of 80 acres or less upon which data were 

 taken for the purpose of computing living requirements was 3.5, 

 excluding hired help. At the rate of $168 per unit this would require 

 the expenditure of $588 annually per family for the purchase of 

 food materials. In addition to the purchased materials the family 

 would have the food materials contributed directly by the farm, 

 consisting of orchard and garden products, milk, butter, eggs, and 

 meat. All cereal foods are purchased, including flour. 



Computations based upon data secured on 476 farms gave an 

 average of $67 as the value of the milk and butter, $113 as the value 

 of the eggs, $48 for all meats, and $32 for all orchard and garden 

 products, making a total of $260 as the value of all food products 

 contributed to the family living and the board of hired labor by the 

 average irrigated farm of 80 acres or less in southern Arizona. There 

 were an average of 31 adult units in the family and \ an adult unit 

 of hired labor, making 1 adult units among whom this food was 

 divided. This is an average of $65 per adult unit and amounts to 

 an average of $228 per farm family, which, when added to the $588 

 in purchased food, brings the total food requirements up to $816. 



Ling :i : 1 ill equivalent of children the average of the equivalents in dietary requirements of 

 children under 16 years of age worked out by At water and published in Farmer's Bulletin 142, (p. 35) was 

 used. This average is 0.6 adult units per child. All children 16 years or older were counted as adults. 



