4 BULLETIN 920, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF Sone vee 
are located in Verona and ad) oining townships, “Dane County—a typi- 
cal area of the dairying region of southern Wisconsin.! 
In each area, for the period of the investigation, figures are shown 
covering the fallen points: 
Distribution of farm area. 
Crop yields. 
Amount of work stock and of other live stock. 
Amount of labor used. 
Amount and distribution of farm capital. 
Amount and distribution of farm receipts and farm expenses. 
Value of the family living direct from the farm. 
Amount of the more important products sold and prices received 
for them. : 
Farm earnings have been computed as follows: 
1. Farm income.—The combined earnings for the farm capital and 
for the farmer’s own labor and management, found by deducting the 
farm expenses from the farm receipts. 
2. Labor ancome.—The earnings for the farmer’s own labor and 
management after charging 5 per cent interest for the use of the 
farm capital. (This is in addition to supplies furnished by the farm 
toward the family living.) The labor income is found by deducting 
from the farm income a fair rate of interest on the farm capital. 
Per cent return on capitai—The earnings for the farm capital 
after allowing for the farmer’s own labor and management. This 
is found by deducting from the farm income a conservative charge 
for the farmer’s own labor and management. 
4. Family income.—The combined income of the farmer and of his 
family. This is found by deducting the total expenses (excluding 
1 The authors are greatly indebted to those who cooperated in the study, as the success of conducting 
these investigations over this period of time is primarily dependent upon the diligent and painstaking efforts 
of the men performing the field work and the cooperating farmers. The farmers showed increased interest 
in these studies from_year to year. Some began keeping accounts, others kept accounts in more detail 
than formerly that the data might be more complete. Acknowledgment is hereby tendered to the fol- 
lowing named persons for their cooperation in obtaining these data, which should be an aid to farmers 
in general as well as to others, in a better understanding of the economics of the farm business: 
Ohio area.—The Ohiostudy was conducted each year by Mr. H. W. Hawthorne, assisted at various times 
by Messrs. E. D. Strait, C. E. Hope, R. D. Jennings, Bruce McKinley, Office of Farm Management; and 
Mr. S. C- Hartman, of the Ohio Experiment Station. The results of the first five years of this survey were 
published in U. S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 716, “A Five-Year Farm AREF Survey in 
Palmer Township, Washington County, Ohio, 1912-1916”? (Hawthorne). 
Indiana area.—The work in this area was started by Mr. E. H. Thomson for the year 1910, and in addition 
t6 the authors, the following investigational force assisted in one or more years of thisstudy: Messrs. H. F. 
Williams, O. S. Rayner, E. M. McGrew, E. L. Currier, C. Wentsel, W. C. Funk, E. D. Strait, F. H. Shel- 
ledy, C. C. Taylor, H. R. Smalley, H. N. Humphrey, J.C. Rundles, T. H. Summers, W. I. Myers, Chas. E. 
Miller, A. P. Brodell, R. D. Jennings, Office of Farm Management, and W. L. Elser, Lynn Robertson, and 
W. W. Sylvester, of the Indiana Experiment Station. The results of the first year of this study were 
published in U. S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin 41 (Thomson and Dixon). 
Wisconsin area.—This study was in cooperation with the Wisconsin Experiment Station and was con- 
ducted under the supervision of Dr. H. C. Taylor, assisted by Messrs. H. W. Hawtherne, 0. A. Juve, S. W. 
Mendum, C. L. Holmes, J. A. Becker, H. O. Watrud, G. W. Forster, W. I. Myers, and student assistants. 
The results of this study were published in Wisconsin Experiment Station Bulletin No. 300, ‘‘ War Prices 
and Farm Profits” (Taylor and Mendum). 
Acknowledgmentis also due Miss Mabel G. Darcey and staff of clerical assistants for compilation of 
these data. 
