18 BULLETIN 654, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
was obtained by asking each farmer to estimate the amount paid 
out per month for materials contributing to the board of such labor 
and omitting the materials contributed by the farm direct. The 
estimates varied from $5 to $25 per month for each laborer, the 
average being SI 4. This amounts to $168 per year. Studies show 
that the farm contributes to. the family living about $88 per adult 
unit per year in board and house rent, bringing the total value of 
these items furnished to the farm laborer up to $256. At $35 per 
month, the money paid him would amount to $420, bringing the 
total up to $676 per year, when money, board, and house rent are 
all included. This may be considered the minimum wage for farm 
help. The maximum wage, excluding foremen, amounts to $1,156, 
computed in the same manner. Since these studies were made wages 
have advanced considerably, but there has been a corresponding 
advance in prices of farm products. 
Opinions may vary as to what constitutes a comfortable living for 
a farm family, and this subject can be discussed only in a general 
way. Living requirements in southern Arizona are comparatively 
high. Bv studies made on the 725 farms visited during this investi- 
gation data have been secured that may be considered reasonably 
accurate on certain items of living requirements, and these data are ' 
presented here. 
It has just been stated that data obtained upon the cost of boarding 
hired labor showed an annual expenditure of $168 per adult unit 
for food materials purchased. The average number of adult units 1 
in the family on 476 farms of 80 acres or less upon which data were 
taken for the purpose of computing living requirements was 3.5, 
excluding hired help. At the rate of $168 per unit this would require 
the expenditure of $588 annually per family for the purchase of 
food materials. In addition to the purchased materials the family 
would have the food materials contributed directly by the farm, 
consisting of orchard and garden products, milk, butter, eggs, and 
meat. All cereal foods are purchased, including flour. 
Computations based upon data secured on 476 farms gave an 
average of $67 as the value of the milk and butter, $113 as the value 
of the eggs, $48 for all meats, and $32 for all orchard and garden 
products, making a total of $260 as the value of all food products 
contributed to the family living and the board of hired labor by the 
average irrigated farm of 80 acres or less in southern Arizona. There 
were an average of 3^ adult units in the family and \ an adult unit 
of hired labor, making 4 adult units among whom this food was 
divided. This is an average of $65 per adult unit and amounts to 
an average of $228 per farm family, which, when added to the $588 
in purchased food, brings the total food requirements up to $816. 
1 In fi n d in g i tie a lull equivalent of children the average of the equivalents in dietary requirements of 
children under L6 yrars of age worked out by Atwater and published in Farmer's Bulletin 142, (p. 35) was 
used. This average is 0.0 adult units per child. All children 10 years or old^r were counted as adults. 
