12 
BULLETIN" 117, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
It has been estimated from investigations in some of the large 
cities that the minimum amount necessary annually for a working- 
man's family of five persons is at least $800. If we allow these small 
sugar-beet growers their full farm income, which in the case of farm 
owners is $569, and the value of their family labor, which is $79, we 
have a total of $648. This, with a house to live in, garden, milk, 
and other products furnished by the farm, represents their total 
living. In view of these facts it is very doubtful whether farmers 
could pay $250 to $300 an acre, the price at which this sugar-beet 
land is valued, go in debt for the greater part of the purchase price, 
and be able to complete their payments for the property. Through 
hard work and very careful saving they might be able to succeed, 
particularly if one or more members of the family worked at other 
employment during part of the year. The trouble with a small 
farm of this nature is that there is not enough work to keep the 
members of the family busy, even if the crops grown do pay a high 
rate of income for the labor performed. Outside employment 
becomes almost a necessity when farms are reduced to such areas as 
those found in this region. 
THE FARMER'S AGE AND OTHER FACTORS. 
In connection with the bearing upon his success, the facts shown in 
Table VIII in regard to the farmer's age, the size of his family, and 
the amount of the mortgage on his farm are exceedingly interesting. 
Table VIII. — The age of the farmer , amount of mortgages, and size of family on farms 
operated by their owners and on farms whose owners rent additional land. 
On 69 farms operated by- 
On 23 farms whose owners 
their 
owners. 
rent additional land. 
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Small 
35 
30 
51.2 
49.4 
$57 
967 
4.6 
6 
10 
13 
45.7 
44.8 
$200 
179 
5.9 
General and fruit 
5.9 
4 
56 
2,000 
5 
69 
50.7 
565 
5.2 
23 
45.5 
188 
5.9 
This table gives the age of the operator, the amount of mortgage 
per farm, and the number in the family. The families are somewhat 
larger than is shown by similar data for other agricultural regions. 
The age of the farmer, particularly the farm owner, is 50.7 years, 
practically the same as found in every region studied thus far. In 
the case of those men who owned small areas and worked additional 
