COSTS AXD FARM PRACTICES IX PRODUCING POTATOES. 
37 
TENURE. 
Of the 461 fanners visited, 345, or 75 per cent, owned all of the 
land they were operating; 63 rented some land in addition to the 
farms they owned; 45 rented the farms, including the potato land on 
shares; and 8 rented the farms for cash. 
In regions where the tenant and landlord owned the machinery 
and livestock jointly it was customary for the tenant to furnish 
the feed and labor and receive half the crop. Where the landlord 
furnished only the land and seed it was not uncommon for the tenant 
to receive two-thirds of the crop. The most common sharing of the 
potato crop was half to landlord and half to tenant. There was, 
however, a great variation in sharing of expenses, depending upon 
the arrangement with respect to the other crops grown, the acreage 
in potatoes, and the quality of the land. 
In studying the equitability of any share-rent arrangement in the 
growing of potatoes, Table 40 should be of assistance. It shows 
what proportion the cost of each important item is of the total cost. 
These proportions will vary somewhat from year to year, for indi- 
vidual items, because of variation in value. Adjustments, however, 
may be made when of sufficient importance to affect results. On 
individual farms the practices may be considerably different from 
that shown as an average for the region, With quantities and values 
given in other tables on which the data given in Table 40 are based, 
adjustments can be made readily For individual farmers, then, this 
table should serve as a guide and not as a definite standard for all 
conditions. 
Table 40. — Distribution of the important items of cost in potato production (461 farms), 
1919. 
Man labor 
Horse labor 
Manure 
Seed 
Fertilizer 
Spray material. . . 
Use of machinery. 
Land rent 2 
Overhead 
Bags and barrels. . 
Storage 
Other costs 
Total costs. 
iMinnesota. 
Wisconsin. 
Clay I Anoka ' Barron 
County. County. County. 
Per ct. 
16 
100 
Per ct. 
25 
19 
10 
13 
100 
Perct. 
30 
19 
13 
11 
(') 
3 
7 
12 
5 
C 1 ) 
0) 
0) 
100 
Wau- 
paca 
County 
Per ct. 
28 
17 
14 
14 
100 
Michigan. 
Mont- 
calm 
County. 
Perct. 
28 
20 
16 
Grand 
Trav- 
erse. 
County. 
Steuben 
County. 
C 1 ) 
f 1 ) 
Perct. 
31 
17 
13 
13 
100 
100 
New York. 
Perct. 
27 
25 
12 
12 
2 
1 
8 
a 
100 
Monroe 
Count v. 
Per 
100 
Maine. 
Aroos- 
took 
Count v. 
Per 
- 1 ) 
100 
1 Less than half of 1 per cent . 
2 Land rent includes 6 per cent interest on estimated real estate value of the potato land and the propor- 
tional share of the taxes and fire insurance. 
RELATIONS OF COSTS AND PRICES 1913-1921. 
The previous discussions have shown the marked variations from 
year to year in yields and prices received by farmers for potatoes. 
With the basic data of production requirements available ior 1919, 
