ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF CITRUS-FRUIT GROWING IN FLORIDA 33 
zroup. In the case of the small groves, the owner group shows 
higher acre costs than the caretaker group largely because of the 
greater overhead. 
The average cost per box varied from year to year largely because . 
of variations in the prices of cost items and yields of fruit. The 
six-year average costs on the 100 groves including interest, were: 
Oranges, $1.89 per box, and grapefruit, $1.58 per box; without 
interest, oranges, $1.05, and grapefruit, $0.88 per box. Since the 
last year of this study (1922) production costs have changed some- 
what. These changes are indicated in figure 8. 
en ee ee 
INCOMES FROM CITRUS-FRUIT FARMS 
The six-year average (1917-1922) income from the 100 grove farms 
studied indicates, at least for the period studied, that citrus-fruit 
erowing was a profitable industry. The average operator, besides 
wages for his labor, received 11.8 per cent on a capitalization of 
$31,542 (Table 27). If interest on the average capitalization at the 
going rate, that is 8 per cent, is deducted from the farm income, 
then the average grower over the six-year period received $1,668 for | 
his own labor. In addition, several of the growers received a part 
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of their living from the farm in the form of food, fuel, and house rent. 
On the average, the value of these items amounted to $390 per farm 
in 1919 (Table 28). These figures are averages for only those owners 
who lived on their farms. 
From 1917 to 1922 was a period of relatively high prices, partic- 
ularly during four years of this study. The prices received for 
oranges and grapefruit were high as were the items entering into 
operating expenses (fig. 8). The net results, however, for the period 
of the study were good profits in citrus-fruit growing. 
sh re tem iat Ti dll 
TABLE 27.—Summary of the farm business, Polk County, Fla., average 1917-1922 
Average per farm: (100 farms) 
Item 6-year 
1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 | aver- 
age 
Acres | Acres | Acres | Acres | Acres | Acres | Acres 
(IVA gadaiin:t soe = ee Se ee ee ee 40. 5 41.2 41.6 41.1 40.9 40.6 41.0 
CTO PALA eo ee 24.2 25.5 26. 4 26. 2 26. 7 26.9 26. 0 
iIBearint iit: 5-2 ee ee eS 14.4 15.9 18.2 19.6 20. 6 21.0 18.4 
Dollars | Dollars | Dollars| Dollars | Dollars | Dollars | Dollars 
‘Lotalcapitalization:= == - == 20, 656 | 21,702 | 28,698 | 35,906 | 40,512 | 41,776 | 31,542 
ARODANT ECE HBS =a528- ae Be at ae 2,700 | 6,011 8, 512 | 10,301 5,530 | 9,044 7, 016 
JROLAISEXPCNSES 2628 eS ER 1,487 | 2,082 2, 823 3, 621 3, 507 3, 428 2, 824 
Bab CO 6 ete ee 8 Eg 1,213 | 3,929 5,689] 6,680 | 2,023 | 5,616 4,192 
Interest on capital at 8 per cent______________- 1,652 | 1,736 | 2,296 | 2,872 | 3,241 | 3,342 2, 523 
ab OR INCOM C1 Nr es —439 | 2,193 | 3,393 | 3,808 |—1,218 | 2,274 1, 668 
OperatonsSwapoks 2-2 = a ee ee 364 380 529 558 531 509 479 
Unpard- family labors=. -_-_ 2.42.5 2 7 9 20 5 16 18 12 
eet ysta CO Ma Osan ee a ee Pe ere 1,220 | 3,938 | 5,709 | 6,685 | 2,039 | 5,634 4, 204 
: ; Per cent| Per cent| Per cent| Per cent Per cent| Per cent| Per cent 
Retumuon Capital: = S22 se ee 4.1 16. 4 18.0 ole 3.7 12.2 11.8 
1 A minus (—) indicates the amount the farm income lacked of covering both the operator’s labor and 8 
per cent interest on the capitalization. 
