The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-01-03

receives for his years work is littl,
more than that which he would be
/ paid if he hired himself out as {
, farm hand TO one OF his neghbors
, In other words, though farmer is
; in business for himself, the average
. farmer gets little or no money re
|, ward for the intelligence and skill
with which he has managed his af
fairs or the risk and responsibility
he has assumed. But he must get
something in return or no one
would trouble to farm for himself.
A recent study conducted by experts
of the United States department of
agriculture shows that in many cases
this reward may best be found in
the products with which his farm
furnishes him directly. When a
farm is nearly, If not quite, self sus-
| tanning say agricultural experts,
when it supplies the family that lives
upon it with most of the necessities
of life, a large money income is not
necessary to prosperity greater
sum derived from farm which
yields nothing for home consump-
tion may leave the occupants much
worse off.
Under the title of Farmers Bull
letin No 635, What the Farm Con-
tributes Directly to the Farmers
Living" the department of agricul-
ture is about to publish the results
of survey of conditions on a large
number of farms in the ten states
OF North Carolina, Georgia, Texas,
Kansas, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, New York, and Yer
mont The farms selected for study,
though possibly a little more pros
porous than the average were fairly
representative of their sections which
1t will be noted, included three corn
and cotton areas, two states in tho
corn and wheat belt, two regions
where general farming was carried
on, and three different dairy districts. F.!
The average value of the chief ne
cess!ties of life-food. fuel, oil and .
shelter-used each year by the farm .
family the Investigators found to be .
S59o.OS. OF these necessities, esti
mated in money the portion contrib
uted directly by the farm was $4211T /.
leaving 1881 to be purchased with
the cash obtained from the sale of +
products. In considering these fig
ures II must be remembered that If
the farmer had been compelled TO
pay city prices for his home grown
necessities, this $i21.17 would have
represented much less comfort,
OF the food consumed 63 per cent
was furnished by the farm This
varied greatly in the DIFF
'erent sections but was greatest in |
he locality studied in North Caro- |
ina, where the farms supplied S2.3 ;
Der cent of the food consumed while y,
he average in the New York local !
ty was only 50.4. In view of the 7
present economic crisis in the south {
his fact is regarded as of particu- !
ar significance since ii demonstrates 4;
he extent to which, with a proper q
ystem of agriculture, southern farms il
an be made self-sustaining. Con- Z
upon one cash crop, cot !,
on, has proved disastrous and agri- Fl
ultural authorities are now trying
q every way to induce the people b
D adopt a system which will lead
D conditions similar to those now
REVEALING in this particular area of r
orth Carolina.
In this connection the investiga-
on revealed some interesting facts
regard to the four items of gro
'ries, animal products, fruits, and y
-getables in the average farm fam -
VS. food bill. OF the value of the -
cd consumed groceries constituted "'
'actically one-quarter, animal pro- -
lcts more than onehalf, vegetables "a
.6 per cent and fruit only 6.3. Prac- III
cally all of the groceries were re
'ught; on the other hand the guam 81
y of fruits and vegetables used ie
as in direct proportion to the w
lantity raised on the farm and u
here this quantity was great the vi
ocery bill was correspondingly low 10
lis was also found to be true of III
imal products, including of course lie
1 only butchers meat, but poultry, gr
gs, milk, cheese, etc. Where these he
re abundant on the farm fewer fec
oceries We're purchased. Since the lila
Dcery bill was found to be ordi- ed
rily two thirds of the entire me
lCunt expended in cash for food, fre
. Yers obvious and effective way inv
economizins appears to be 10 pa
Sc moro XprPfabips nora fr-tit co