58 BULLETIN 1421, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
LABOR AND MATERIALS USED PER ACRE 
The labor used in the production of each crop consisted of three 
items: (1) The man labor performed by the farmers, by other mem- 
bers of the farm family, and by hired men; (2) the labor performed 
by the horse kept on the farm; and (8) the labor (both man and horse) 
done under contract or by the job. Contract labor is expressed in 
dollars per acre, since reliable estimates of the hours of labor for this 
item were not obtained. 
The water used is also expressed in dollars per acre. The cost of 
water per acre was determined by dividing the cost of water per 
farm by the acres irrigated. Since the total cost of water is the same 
for all farms of the same size irrespective of the acreage irrigated, 
the cost of water per acre varied considerably from farm to farm. 
TaBLE 44.—Labor and materials expended per acre in the production of designated . 
crops 
| | | Red | Alsike 
Item Year | Wheat | Alfalfa Sugar | Pota- | peans | clover | clover 
hay beets toes Seed ceed 
Labor per acre: aman | i9i9 | 22] 382/41] e048] 256|  Ie0 
Bente 1920 26221) 423048 60.9 | 68.6 50.7| 25.7; 25.8 
PaaS Se 2SS SSE STS SSSaaaes {| 1921 74.6) 28.5! 528] 61.41- 467]- 233 91.4 
PiRNAN THRO (AES Gnee Gem 1919 42.2 32. 6 93. 9 82.3 50. 0 23. 8 11.5 
1920 | 43.7| 323] 1228] B17] 504] 214| 160 
Rona Che Sea es cae oe i921 | 463] 310] 1060] 854] 61.3) 225] 177 
Dollars | Dollars| Dollars| Dollars|Dollars | Dollars; Dollars 
f 19193 Sse ks eee 30. 11 11.19 
Contract and job labor____._____- 1920 a6 i)s| (eee as 37.62 | 23.64 0:09: |S2252 we Bie 
| 1921 MS So eee Se 26. 50 T6519" |S a eee 
Materials per acre: Pounds) Pounds| Pounds| Pounds| Pounds| Pounds| Pounds 
1919 98 10.4 15.0 987 62 8.3 6.5 
Scedic. Weee a a eee 1920 100 10. 2 1525 950 70 8.1 6.6 
1921 104 10.5 17.0| 1,012 65 9. 4 6.3 
Number| Number| Number| Number| Number| Number| Number 
1919S 2p bo Se a ee ee | eee 124 all 2.0 2.4 
SACKSSh eo Toto a oe eee eee 1920 148 ee | Cee ee 160 5e2 22 3.4 
1921 1 Lee: i (NSPE aS es eee ge 138 1.4 EW! 2.9 
Loads | Loads | Loads | Loads | Loads | Loads | Loads 
1919 fay pets wee 3.4 4 {6 Jz. 22S 
VETTE =o toe ee 1920 As Serene 5.8 ~5 ds 4s A ee 
1921 dt Oa fe eager 5.4 1.0 Pa Peete eg ee 
Short | Short | Short | Short | Short | Short | Short 
tons tons tons tons tons tons tons 
1919 Be) eee Le) Mle ese | | Jeeee eens - 05 . 07 . 05 
SO (2) |e eee eed Se Ae AeA: 1920 By U9) eee = Se Ie el ete - 05 . 07 . 06 
1921 0432 Seh: BOs ee . 06 - 06 -11 
Dollars | Dollars; Dollars | Dollars | Dollars | Dollars | Dollars 
1919 3. 33 3. 28 4. 06 3. 22 3. 32 3. 28 3. 13 
Trrigation water 
1921 2. 14 2. 14 2. 27 2. 12 2. 17 2. 14 2. 13 
The approximate average cost per acre and per unit of product for 
the seven principal crops, with and without interest included as an 
a! 
1920 3.37-|--3.96 » 3.30'|) 32221) 35354 Sar 3.31 a 
item of cost, is shown in Table 45. In this table the cost figures are — 
assembled under two headings: ‘‘Operating costs per acre,” and 
‘Total net cost per acre and per unit of product.” 
OPERATING COSTS PER ACRE 
Operating costs are divided into three groups: Labor, materials, 
and other operating costs. 
