4 BULLETIN 410, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
The Maine areas in Androscoggin and Oxford Counties were dairy 
and fruit regions. Apples and dairy products were the important 
farm sales. Considerable sweet corn was also grown for canning 
purposes. In North Dakota, Cass County was visited. Grain grow- 
ing is the chief industry there. The farms are large and the distance | 
to market relatively great. Practically no fruit is raised, and the 
variety of vegetables grown for home use is small. The region 
studied in Santa Clara County, Cal., is an irrigated fruit area. The 
farms are small and most of the area is devoted to fruit. The most 
generally grown fruits are prunes, apricots, and peaches. On many 
of the small farms all the land is devoted to fruit trees, no land being 
set aside even for the family garden. A garden to be successful has 
to be irrigated at frequent intervals, which is not always convenient 
with their present equipment, since the orchards are generally irrigated 
only once or twice a year. 
THE FARMER’S INCOME. 
The income received by the average farmer is not great. Studies 
which have been carried on in different States would indicate that 
the average labor income! of farmers falls considerably below $600 
a year.2 It must be remembered, however, that the average Ameri- 
can farmer who is operating his own farm has nearly $5,000? of his 
own money invested in his farm business. In addition to his labor 
income he has the interest on this capital, while a large proportion 
of his needs are met directly by the farm. 
THE FARMER’S LIVING. 
In this discussion only those items of the farmer’s living expenses 
have been included which may be wholly or partly furnished by the 
farm. An attempt is here made to determine the income the average 
farmer derives from this source. Upon the size of this direct income 
depends, to a large extent, the amount of cash the farmer has for 
clothing, recreation, education, incidental expenses, and saving. 
The total average value of the three items of food, fuel, and use of 
house for the 950 farm families studied in this investigation (Table I) 
is $642, and 66 per cent, or $424, of this is furnished by the farm. 
The area in which the value of these items was the greatest was in 
Cass County, N. Dak., where the total was $948 per family, 61 per 
cent of which was furnished by the farm. The average family in 
1 Labor income: The amount that the farm operator has left for his labor after the farm expenses and 
5 per cent interest on the average capital invested are deducted from the farm receipts. It represents what 
he earned as a result of his year’s labor after the earnings of his capital have been deducted. It does not 
include the value of the use of the house or the fuel and food products furnished directly by the farm for 
family use. 
2U.8. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Plant Industry Circulars 75 and 132, Bulletins 41 and 117. 
N. Y. Cornell Bul. 295. Mo. Agri. Exp. Sta. Bul. 121, 
4U. 8. Census, 1910, Equity per farm. 
