VALUE OF FOOD, FUEL, AND USE OF HOUSE. D 
this region was large, being 6.2 persons.!. In Gaston County, N. C., 
the total was only $504, 85 per cent of which was furnished by the 
farm. The average number of persons to a family here was only 4.5. 
Table I gives these values for all areas visited, with the number of 
families visited in each section and the average acreage of the farms 
operated by these families. 
TaBiE I.—Average annual value of food, fuel, and use of a dwelling for 950 farm families. 
Average per farm. 
Number | Persons Food, 
per fuel, and Roodand 
Location of regions in which study was of 
families. | family. shelter 
made (county and State). 
Acreage. Bs fuel Total. 
Se d bought. 
farm. 
OTOR GRIM C oe re nw Me SS yal. alas 148 4.5 112 $355 $244 $599 
TWavaaerll fo5 Wp Mace sehe element a 49 4.8 130 349 177 526 
Occ Owe a eed one es 55 4.0 118 431 210 641 
1 BITKGHEGT) 12) SEs 8 Svan Seti eens Be ang ane A 43 5.2 77 383 225 608 
GIO UCES Tera IN ae meet sponte a hes cia ae 126 4.7 69 445 345 790 
AGES TOTEM SUSU 2s Mase Oho eee tl 55 4.5 86 428 76 504 
DROOL OG C6 eye fa GEL I aces ee i 50 5.4 102 520 110 630 
IMicInenmamt i Mesxe's 3m yaar, Ser a ee 44 5.3 133 363 254 617 
Champaign OhiOe =. eee ene ee sees eel ot 44 4.1 175 451 156 607 
EMORSDIME SVS Sah es pe OE INE 46 4,2 86 375 173 548 
Montvomenywlowarcsscs eee bakes 51 4,4 161 485 183 668 
CCT OUR RKC aIS Bia es aml Ss ee Dee 46 4.5 152 426 178 604 
CaeSUN UE Dale an eu erie Men ATES 109 6.2 453 578 370 948 
RSFewaip eet O) Eig: VX OP) ae dee ae ee Cs a oe a ee 84 4.9 45 341 357 698 
SAM fammaliesys eee chee cee oy a i 950 4.8 136 424 218 642 
@ Fuel includes oil used for both cooking and lighting. 
Wherever the income upon which any family depends fails to 
maintain a fair standard of living, the elements of subsistence which 
are the last to be sacrificed are those which are most vital to health and 
happiness—food, fuel, and shelter. For the farm families visited the 
farm supplied nearly two-thirds of these items, and, if necessity 
demanded, the proportion could be made considerably greater. 
Table II shows the value of the food, fuel, and house rent furnished 
by the farm. ‘The average value of these items per family is $423.58, 
or $89.71 per person. Sixty-two per cent of this is food, 7 per cent 
fuel, and 31 per cent house rent. 
a In comparing the families on the different farms it will be found that they differ in number and age of 
persons. They must be reduced to a common basis to be comparable. Students of dietetics reduce all 
members of the family to the requirements of one adult man, assuming women and children of different 
ages to have certain definite relative capacity ofconsumption. Inthisstudy only two divisions were made— 
children of 12 years of age and under were counted as one-half an adult, and all persons over 12 years of age, 
asadults. Farm labor and domestic help when boarded were counted as members of the family. In the 
discussion throughout the whole bulletin, wherever reference is made to size of family, it is in terms of 
adult equivalent. 
