A STUDY OF SHARE-RENTED DAIRY FARMS. 
11 
Illinois area only 4.5 per cent of the crop area, or 5.2 acres per farm, 
was in alfalfa. In 1912, as shown by 147 records taken in the Illinois 
area by the Illinois station, the average area of alfalfa per farm was 
only 1.5 acres. 
In general, the dairying practiced in the Illinois group is of a more 
intensive character than that practiced in the Wisconsin group, and 
much more feed and concentrates are purchased. The average feed 
bill on the Illinois farms was $656, or $11 per animal unit, 1 while that 
on the Wisconsin farms was only $182, or $3 per animal unit. 
INVESTMENT AND EARNINGS. 
Table VI. — Comparison of average investment, earnings, etc. 
Item. 
Average 
of 84 
Wisconsin 
farms. 
Average 
of 59 
Illinois 
farms. 
Item. 
Average 
of 84 
Wisconsin 
farms. 
Average 
of 59 
Elinois 
farms. 
Value of real estate per acre. . . 
Landlord's working capital . . . 
Landlord's total capital 
Per cent earned on landlord's 
investment 
812S 
82, 169 
$27, 852 
3.9 
S3, 184 
$730 
25 
$70 
12.5 
8173 
83,564 
$35, 477 
4.6 
$2,419 
$1,023 
43 
894 
15.4 
Monthly cost of man labor 
Months of man labor 
$39.06 
24 
o 
1.6 
34 
55 
8.5 
5.8 
3.7 
$36.06 
33 
Crop acres per animal unit 
Pasture acres per animal unit. 
Age of tenant 
1.9 
1 
41 
59 
Tenant's labor income • 
Cow's per farm 
Years farm has been rented. . . 
Years tenant has rented 
Years tenant has rented this 
farm 
16.8 
9.8 
Dairy products per cow 
5.7 
i In computing the labor incomes for this bulletin, interest at the rate of 5 per cent was allowed on the 
tenant's capital. 
From Table VI it is seen that the average investment of the land- 
lord per farm is greater in the Illinois group than in the Wisconsin 
group. The tenant's capital, however, is larger on the Wisconsin 
farms for the reason that in most cases he owns a half interest in 
the cows, whereas in Illinois he does not. In Wisconsin the land- 
lord makes 3.9 per cent on his investment, in Illinois 4.6 per cent. 
The labor income of the tenant was likewise larger in the latter 
State ($1,023 as against $730). This greater profit to both landlord 
and tenant on the Illinois farms may be accounted for in part by 
the fact that the farm enterprise, although covering a smaller acreage, 
was larger on the average in the Illinois group than in the Wisconsin 
group and that in Illinois the farmers were in a market -milk selling 
region. 
The reason the Illinois farmers have to buy more feed is seen in 
the fact of their having fewer crop acres and pasture acres per 
animal unit. 
1 An animal unit is a mature horse or cow or as many smaller animals as require the 
feed of a horse or cow, namely, 2 head of young cattle, 5 hogs, 7 sheep, or 100 hens. 
