Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1915-01-29

| SO AiSuIeS III must ha
remembered that if the farmer haS
been compelled to pay city prices ~
his home grown necessities ..,'
$421.17 would have renresontas
much less comfort.
Or the food consumed s3 nor oon.
was furnished by the farm Tim
proportion varied greatly in the DIFF.
ferent sections but was greatest T.
the locality studied in North Carr
llna' where the farms supplied 900
per cent of the food consumed -,
the average in the New York localitv
was only 5O.4. In view of the No.
ent economic crisis in the South thi.
fact Is regarded as of particular 81.
nificance since it demonstrates ~.
extent to which, with a proper or.
tenn of agriculture, southern farm,
can be made self-sustaining. Gov
centration upon one cash crop. cot
ton, has proved disastrous and agri-
cultural authorities are now trvipo
in every way to induce the peonle r..
adopt a system which will lead ~
conditions similar to those now nro
vailing in this particular area of
North Carolina.
In this connection the inyest;go-
ton revealed some interesting facts
in regard to the four items of groc-
cries, animal products, fruits. and
vegetables in the average farm fam
ily's food bill. OF the value of the
food consumed groceries constituted
practically one-quarter, animal pro-
ducts more than one-half, vegetables
11.6 per cent and fruit only Ga
Practically all of the groceries were
bought; on the other hand the GUAM
tity of fruits and vegetables used
was in direct proportion to the uuan-
tity raised on the farm and where
this quantity was great the grocery
Dill was cOrrespondingly low. This
was also found to be true of ami
NAL products, including, of curse.
not only butchers meat, but poultry.
eggs, milk, cheese, etc. Where these
were abundant on the farm fewer
groceries were purchased. Since the
grocery bill was found to be ordi-
narily two-thirds of the entire
amount expended in cash for food.
one very obvious and effective way
of economizing appears to be to raise
TF1n fob
milk and eggs. In many cases, ex-
perts say, this can be done with no
appreciate increase in trouble or
expense.
Next to food shelter is probably
the most important necessity of life
In considering the farmers income,
however. common error in the past
has been to ignore the question of
house rent. The value of the house
Aas usually been included in the
value of the land and the whole con-
sidered as capital invested on which
interest must be paid before the
farmer can be regarded as receiving
any pay at all This method, how
ever, assumes that the farm family
is to have shelter for NOTTINGHAM
assumption which the city worker
with whom it is not unusual to pay
out from one-third to one-quarter of
his entire wages for rent alone
would regard as most astonishing.
According to the recent investiga-
ton, if the average farmer had to
pay rent, his home would cost him
S125 a year. This figure represents
10 per cent of the value of the aver
age house. Including interest, de-
probation and repairs, this is re-
garded as a fair rental charge for the
class of houses usually found on the
farm.
With the information at their
comm and, the Investigators were also
in a position to compute the average
cost of board and lodging on the
farm. In this they included an item
very easily fOrgotten--the value of
the housework performed by mem
bers of the family. This was reck-
oned on the basis of the wages that
would have had to be paid for hired
assistance. Including this with the
more obvious charges for food, fuel,
light, and rent, it was found that
board and lodging for eacn inoi-
vidual averaged $14.62 a month.
But of this sum, it is interesting to
note, the farmer paid out in cash
only % per cent. Exclusive of lodg-
ing the board of the average hired
man cost $40 month, but here
again the farmer had only to pay So.
The remaining 81 was furnished by
the farm as a result presumably or
the hired mans own efforts.
The averages obtained as the re-
cl11t of 4hio nUacfioa tion ora NOT 0f