53 
ACRES OPEEATED 
Acres operated per farm are indicative of the ability of the farm 
family to provide when reflected as a measure of size of the farm 
business in the returns from farming. Further, acres operated by 
owners are suggestive to some degree of the total net worth of the 
farm family, which total net worth is often indicative of the total 
liquid assets available for family living purposes. The relation of 
acres operated per farm to the value of goods used by 1,767 families 
reporting the size of farm is shown in Table 18. 
The families for which information is available were classified on 
the basis of acres per farm into 10 groups starting with less than 25 
acres and continuing by 50-acre groups to the group of 275 to 324 
acres, and again by 100-acre groups to 525 acres and over. The 
average values of all goods and the percentage distribution of this 
value among the principal groups of goods were ascertained, by steps 
of increase in acres operated per farm, and the average number of 
persons per family on the farms of different sizes were determined. 
There is evidence of a somewhat higher standard of living among 
the families operating the larger farms. (Table 18.) The Value of 
all goods used per family increases somewhat irregularly from $1,347 
for families on farms of less than 25 acres to $3,086 for families on 
farms of 525 acres and over. 
The percentage distribution of the value of goods among the princi- 
pal groups show a marked irregular decrease in the proportion for 
food with increased size of farm operated. The percentages devoted 
to advancement and to all other purposes show fairly pronounced, 
somewhat irregular increases. The percentage for clothing shows a 
flight tendency to decrease, and the percentage for rent shows a very 
slight tendency to increase with increased size of farm. 
The larger farms apparently furnish more food, fuel, and house rent 
value somewhat in proportion to the increased acreage of these farms 
and to the increased value of goods provided by direct purchase per 
family. Thus, the percentages that purchased and furnished goods 
are of the value of all goods remain almost constant or vary without 
regard to the size of farm. 
The average size of family is of interest. The average number of 
persons per family remains almost constant as the average value of 
goods used rises with increased acreage per farm. From the stand- 
point of the individual this favors a still higher standard of living 
among families on the larger farms. 
Some allowance should be made for the irregularities in connection 
with the largest size of farm group. This group includes several 
farms of more than 1,000 acres each, all of which may represent large 
amounts of capital invested and correspondingly large liquid assets 
available for family living. 
