Middletown transcript., 1915-04-17
65 FARM SURVEYS
Gave Fine Address Before Peach
Blossom Grange
GOVERNMENT EXPERT PRESENT

Prof. E. A. Brown government farm
management demonstrator, with l.. ii.
Cooch, county farm agent, and Agents
Pence and Peyton of Kent and Sussex
counties, respectively, came to Middle
town Friday evening, and addressed an
open meeting of Peach Blossom Grange,
giving the result Of the survey OF 65
farms made from the government agri-
cultural bureau, in what is termed the
Mid letown area. The survey was
made for the purpose of figuring out
the condi ions of that section, from an
agricultural standpoint compared with
others, located similarly. A survey of
the land of 65 farms was made, and
careful record of the income and eX-
pense on all was computed, with the
object of informing the farmer if he is
farming his land to the best advantage.
Prof. Brown gave some very inter-
esting figures and comparisons.
sIxTY-FIvE AVERAGE FARMS SURVEYED
The 65 farms visited lay in a district
bounded by Mt. Pleasant, "cDonough,
Townsend, Odessa and Middletown.
Fifty of the r. are rented by tenants,
and on the average show good incomes;
only FIVE show a minus income, and four
of the five are farmed by owners,
showing, according to Prof. Brown,
that the tenant system of farming in
vogue in this section is a success. The
records figure out the net labor income
of the farmer, by taking account of
the amount received from all sources
and substracting from this the expense,
plus per cent for interest on invest
ment; IS farms, averaging 217 acres
each, gave an average income of l,4l2.
The average capital of tenants $4,269;
average capital of owner, $2O,848 av-
verage acres per farm, 217; average
crop acres, 146; average horses, 10;
average cattle, II; average poultry, 100;
average farm hands, SO; average wheat
acreage, 63; average bushels per acre,
28; average price per bushel, 81 cents;
average corn acreage per farm, 30;
average yield per acre, So; average
price per bushel, 70 cents.
LARGER FARMS MORE PRODUCTIVE
Prof. Brown showed by figures that
the larger farms were by far the best
he found the stock more productive
than on the smaller farms, rs per cent
of the income of these farms coming
from crops, and 25 per cent from stock.
The cattle business was not found ul
to the standard of some areas, that he
has visited, as the average income pei
COW was found to be S5l; of the II
best farms the average was SOL; on the
one best farm of 345 acres, $106. He
estimated the value of the land of 65
farms at SIS per acre, and said that il
was superior to any land he had seen in
Delaware. According to the figures of
Prof. Brown, the landlords are getting
on an average of 81 per cent on their
investment. Several landlords, who
were present did not agree with this.
SOME FARMS PAY FULLY 90 PER CENT
Some of tire farms paid as low as 2
per cent and some as high as % per
cent. These figures are based on the
producers of this year, which have
been somewhat above the average year.
He also showed that the horses work
less in the area than any other he
had visited, due, he said, to the fact
that the horses are too small, and he
advised that the farmers breed larger
horses. Alfalfa was found to be grown
on only ten farms, but where it was
grown was very productive, averaging
SO 10 tons per acre. He advised the
farmers to sow it, believing this to be
the solution of the feed problem. Prof
Brown paid tribute to the farmers of
this section. saying the average labor
income is far above that of many Sec
tions he has visited.