UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
ES In Cooperation with the 
Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station 
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1421 
Washington, D. C. Vv October, 1926 
AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF IRRIGATED FARMING IN TWIN FALLS COUNTY, 
IDAHO 
By Byron Hunter, Associate Agricultural Economist, Bureau of Agricultural 
Economics, and SAMUEL B. NucxKous, Associate Agronomist, Bureau of Plant 
Industry 
CONTENTS 
Page Page 
Introd chigneewe =. sae eee eee ee 1 Cost of producing seven crops, 1919-1921_____ 57 
Scope of the investigation_-__.-..------------ A Labor and materials used per acre_______ 58 
holdish ctssvudiedias== =e ys ee ae 4 Operating costs per acre_____-_______.___ 58 
Agricultural development and readjustment_ 7 ni beres (ih ar ges Bee e eee le Ue 61 
Increase in the sales value of real estate ___ 7 Total net cost per acre and per unit of 
Changes in Idaho crop prices, 1910-11 to EO CALC hee Ma see. See ee Se SO Bee 62 
ODS Aten ac aeemune Hidetne NSLS taba ee 8 WMariatlonsinycost: perm units. 1. e ne 62 
Changes in the use ofland, 1913-1924______ 10 Cost per unit on farms having different 
Changes in Idaho livestock, butter, and NENG IE oie, SS. oes age ees ne 64 
wool prices, 1910-1924. ___________._.-_- 18 @ostiof horse labors2.2a55 2030. ot 67 
Changes in production of livestock------ 20 Relation between the average hours of 
Summary of project development------- 22 labor performed annually per horse per 
Business analysis of the farms studied_______- 22 farm and the cost of direct horse labor 
Generalicropiarms s-2 =" ne see 24 OCIS 0 UTisepes Serer a ee Oe CO 68 
Dairy and general crop farms________---- 46 Variation in the cost of man labor per 
Orchard and general crop farms____-__--_- 49 OUTER ene = ees ae a Nery aE 68 
Relative returns from three types of Some other factors that affect costs______ 69 
LAVIN Paes on eee ee CS Si 52 Net returns per acre from seven crops_-_-__-_-_- 70 
Cultural practices and labor used per oper- A method of estimating costs_________-_______ 72 
ation in producing seven crops, 1921______- 53 Summanyzandsconclusions= =). 2222 seases 73 
INTRODUCTION 
Farmers of southern Idaho are constantly confronting the prob- 
lems of what and how much to produce, how to produce it and how 
to dispose of the products to advantage. These problems are 
especially perplexing in the irrigated districts, because of the wide 
range of crops and livestock enterprises from which the farmers 
must choose in the organization and management of their farms 
and because of the constant changing of the prices of farm products. 
The investigation reported in the following pages was undertaken to 
obtain data that would be helpful in making these decisions. 
The economic importance to Idaho of studies of this character is 
indicated by the rapid growth of irrigated farming within the State 
This investigation was conducted cooperatively by the Division of Farm Management of the Bureau 
of Agricultural Economics and the Office of Sugar Plants of the Bureau of Plant Industry, United States 
Department of Agriculture, and the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station. 
The authors wish to thank for their assistance in the collecting of the field data, L. C. Acher, N.S. Wight, 
C. C. Taylor, F. H. Shelledy, R. Bristol, R. R. Rowell, L. N. Wilson, W. E. Schmid, A. K. Larson, H. B. 
Pingrey, and V. Brothers. The thanks of the authors and the departments making this study are extended 
also to the farmers from whom records were obtained and to others who helped to make the study possible 
by their hearty cooperation. 
96514°—26——1 
