Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1907-01-03


ton. Three young. men, students Of
the Minnesota College Of Agriculture
were employed as route statisticians,
and three statistical routes were
established: one in southwes stern
Minnesota, in Rice County, near
Northtield; another in southwestern
Minnesota, in Lyon County, near
Marshall; and another in north
western Minnesota, in Norman
County, near Halstad. Fifteen
farmers on each route, chosen as
farm-statistics co-operators, agreed
to be interviewed daily throughout
the entire year by the route statis-
ticians, giving a record Of each hour
of labor performed by each man and
how the labor was used. A map.
based upon accurate measurements
of each field, was made Of each farm,
that the data might be so collected
and classified as to show the cost per
acre for each crop, on farm, also the
average for each route and for the
State.
At the beginning and close Of each
year complete inventories were taken
of all live stock, machinery, feed,
ETC., and during the year all cash
items we're secured which had to do
with the receipts and expenditures
on field crops, machinery, horses,
and labor. During the years 1902
and 1908 very few data were secured
except those which related to crop
production, after which the data were
extended to live stock and other
affairs of the farm and farm home.
The first two years work was in a
way EXPERIMENTAL. Methods for
collecting and recording the statis-
tics had to be devised, and many
difficult problems, like finding the
exact rate of wages per hour for men
and horses, were not worked out by
the most exact methods until tho
second year.
In 1904 some departure was made
from the plan first inaugurated. The
numper Of farms on each route was
reduced from fifteen to eight. The
scope of the Investigations was ex-
tended along many lines, as with
live stock and household affairs. The
route statisticians no longer board
with one family as they did the first
two years, but live at each of the
eight farms three days each month,
maintaining an office room at one of
the farms. All the farms on the
route are visited each day, however,
to obtain the labor record for the
previous day. The route statisticians
assist in doing the chores, and,
with a simple equipment, record for
these three days -thirty-six days
at each farm during the year-the
amount of feed stuffs used by each
group of animals, and the yield of
milk and the per cent of butter fat
from each COW in the herd. Practi-
cally no changes were made durln !
these three years in the methods Of
farm management previously in
vogue.
The feeding records and yields of
products thus obtained are reduced
to a daily average and multiplied
into the number of days in the
month, thus giving the approximate
record for the entire month. Dates
are recorded when changes of rations
are made or when COWS are freshened
or dried up, and corrections are made
at the close of the month. The
route statisticians also secure an &C
curate record Of the time required
to feed and care for each class of
live stock. A printed card is left
in every house each month on which
the women Of the family record the
number of eggs laid by the poultry,
the number of eggs consumed by the
family, and the pounds of milk,
butter, poultry, and other kinds Of
farm produce consumed.
OBJECTS SOUGHT
l. TO aid in making a STUDY of
the business of the farm that it may
be Systematically conducted under
the best possible plans.
2. To supply many averages which
the farmer rarely secures from his
own business, as cost per acre of va
rious labor operations, and cost of
producing field crop products and
live stock products.
3. 10 determine the cost per hour
of man labor and horse labor on
farms.
4. To determine the yearly values
consumed in farm machinery, and
the values consumed per acre for the
1,orio11c form crrnS