Imperial Valley press., 1914-03-26
AGRICULTURAL DEPT. Z
INVESTIGATES RENTS


in the city and rents his farm is in
the class with predacious plutocrats
was given severe jolt in a bulle-
tin just issued by the department of
agriculture which shows that the
average return from rented farms
is but 31s per cent on the invest
ment. The size Of the farm seems to
have no effect on the percentage.
The bureau of farm management
which developed these facts studied
several hundred farms in Indiana,
Illinois and Iowa. States in the
corn belt were chosen because they
excel almost all other regions in
wealth of farm products. In this sec
ton modern machinery, with more
horses and fewer men, has made the
farm less than 100 acres an. "inef-
ficient unit" Further -readjustments
are constantly taking place tending
to lessen the number. Of persons. need
ed and to increase the net produc-
ton Of the farm. j
The average labor income of the
farm owners operating their own
farms was $4O8 for the year studied,
and 1910 for the tenants. These fig
ures are obtained by deducting 5 per
cent of the capital investment from
the net income. AS the tenant has
a smaller capital investment, his la
Dor income is proportionately larger.
Strangely enough, the farmers max
ing the lowest labor incomes are on
big farms, but they fail through in
efficient management. Poor crops,
low prices for products sold, poor
stock, failure to work, and unused
capital are given as the main causes
contributing to their failure. The in
come of the farmer who owns his
farm is in direct proportion to his
capital and the size of his farm. Men
owning small farms often materially
increase their incomes by renting ad
ditional land. The tenants income l.;
in direct proportion to the risk he
assumes. On the cash rent basis his
income is greater in good year
and less in poor year than when
he rents on the share basis. Ap-
proximately one-third of the total
farm expense is for labor, and for
this reason the "family size" farm is
the most desirable; that is, one which
provides just fair amount of work
for the farmer and his sons, and per-
mits the best use of men, horses and
machinery.
Of the "crop farm" were so per
cent or over of the total farm re-
ceipts are derived from the sale of
grain, and the live stock farm, where
the farmer feeds most of his crops,
the latter proved much better in
vestment, though the fact that they
were usually larger than the "crop
farm" contributed something to this
result. But the average labor in
come of the crop farmer who ownei j
his own farm was but $28 per farm,
whereas the average live stock farma
er under similar conditions had Ia
Dor income of $3.50.
"Pigs in clover" is more than n
figure of speech, says the bureau of
animal industry-it's good invest
ment, and the pig that shared red
and white blossoms with the humble
bee is going to put more gasoline III
the farmers runabout than less
favored rooter that never stuck its
snout outside of pen.
Too often the hog is considered a
scavenger and his ability to use waste
is regarded as his chief value. Ac
cording to the department of agri-
culture expeit ts, however well he de-
serves this purpose, it is pointed out
that it will pay to give him good
care, feed and housing. Forage crops
are especially beneficial to young
growing animals, though it is doubt
full if it ever pays to try to keep pigs
on forage crops alone. But the en-.
tire hog herd can be run on forage
crops and will profit by this method
of management.
The crops best adapted to grazing
with pigs are alfalfa, rape, clover,
blue grass, bermuda, rye, oats, soy
beans and COW peas. The selection
depends on the nature of the soil,
the climate and the rainfall. AL
falfa is the greatest forage crop on
soils suited to its growth. Rape and