The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-01-05

IA 1IdF tSLc IL III i1A4o1
out as a farmland to one of his
neighbors. In other words, though the
farmer is in BUSINESS for himself. the
average farmer gets little or no money
reward for the intelligence and Skill
with which he has managed his at
fairs or the risk and responsibility he
has assumed"
The above, then, describes the con-
dition of the average farmer in New
York State who buys half he con
sumes on his farm. Where the North
Carolina farmer gets his is described
by the department when It snyS:
Not Necessary iii This ttlte.
when a farm is nearly, II not quiz.
! self-sustaining, when it supplies the
family hat lives upon it with most OF
| the necessities of life, a large money
income is not necessary to prosperity.
A greater sum derived from a farm
which yields nothing for home con
sumption may leave the occupants
much worse OF"
Of the states which the Department
studied and of the farms chosen the
Department y 1.-The farms selected
for study, though possibly a little
moro prosperous than the average,
were fairly representative OF their
sections which, it will be noted, in
Guided three corn n cotton areas
two states in the corn and wheat belt,
two regions where general armlng
was carried OH, anu II IILCISlt
dairy districts. The average value Of
the chief necessities of life-food, fuel,
oil, and shelter-used each year by
the farm family the investigators
found to be $595.0S. Of these neces-
sites, estimated in money, the por-
ton contributed directly by the farm
was s421.17, leaving $173.91 to be
| purchased with the cash obtained
from the sale of products. In con-
sidering these figures it must be re
l membered that if the farmer had beer
compelled to pay city prices for his
: would nave represented much less
) comfort"
s The Departments experts went
l so far as to scrutinize the grocery bills
: Of Individual farm families. It finds
n thai when fruits and vegetables are
- grown in abundance on a farm the
s grocery bill is CORRESPONDENCE low.
They found the average cost Of board
= and lodging or the farm, not forget
- ting to consider that often-forgotten
: item OF labor, the work Of the farm
housewife. These figures are given in
! the report as follows:
I'm this connection the investiga-
- ton reveale some interesting facts in
- regard to Dc four items Of groceries.
animal products, fruits, and vegetables
in the average farm~iamily's food bill.
OF the value Of the food cOnSumeC
groceries constituted practically one
=, quarter, animal products more than
: one-half, vegetables, 11.6 per cent,
-; and fruit only 6.3. Practically all OF
q" the groceries were bought; on the
- other hand the quantity Of fruits and
g, vegetables used was in direct proper.
-; ton to the quantity raised or the farm
- and where this quantity was great tbs
grocery bill was cofreSpondingly low
This was also found to be true Of ami
maj products, including of course no,
" OnlV bl{chQrQ r1aat hut ,o111fryy
:. eggs, milk, cheese, etc. Where thes.
w. were abundant on the farm fewer gro,
ceries were purchased. Since the gro
" Gerry bill was found to be ordinarily
twothlrds OF the entire amount ex
pended in cash for food, one very oh
VlouS and effective way Of ecOnOmizin:
lie appears to be to raise more vegetable,
more fruits, more milk and eggs. Il
ar. many cases, experts say, this can b
is done with no appreciate increase il
trouble or expense.
ut Shelter Next to Food.
or Next to food, shelter is probabI
the most important necessity Of lft
In conidering the farmers incoms
however "a common error in the pas
has been to ignore the question c
house rent. The value of the hous
has usually been included in the valu
Of the land and the whole considere
as capital invested on which intere>
n list be paid before the farmer ca
be regarded as receiving any pay
all. This method, however, assum,
that the farm family is to have she
ter for NOTTINGHAM assumpti
which h city worker with whom
IS hot unsual to pay out from on,
third to one-quarter of his enti
wages for rent alone would regard
most astonishing.
according to the recent investig;
ton, if the average farmer had
pay rent, his home would cost hi
1917 a wear This S~.-.
ten per cent. of the value of the ave
age house. Including interest. depr
citation and repairs, this is regarded
a 1alr rental charge for the class
houses usually found on the farm.
xost OF Living On Farm.