Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-29
FARM PROFITS LOW.
Survey Shows That Few are Enjoying
Large Returns.


Figures m farm profits, covering seven
years in two areas and five ycars in u
third, Were recently mado public by tho
United States Department of Agriculture.
They show that comparatively few OF the
farmers in the groups studied have been
making profits in the recent years OF
comparatively high prices; that their
average return on investment increased
about per cent in 1913 TO per cent in
1913, and that most of them arc making
less than $500 cash year over and above
the things the farm furnishes toward the
family living. which, however, constitutes
an important factor
Specialists of the Office of Farm Man
agcment and Farm Economies, who have
conducted these Investigations, say that
while the results will not Justify making
flat genoralizations as to what farm pro-
fits arc for the country as whole they
believe they should have weight in the
consideration of the general problem as
indicated Of the trend of farm returns
IN representative farming districts
The three groups OF farms studied arc
IN Washington Cour ty. Ohio; Clinton
County, Ind and Dane County, Wis
Representatives. of the department visit
ed these farms each year, taking records
covering distribution of farm area, crop
yields, amount of work stock and other
live stock, labor used distribution Of
farm capital, distribution of receipts and
expenses, value Of the family living OBJ
tanned from tho farm, and amount. of
the more important products sold and
prices received.
From the figures thus obtained tho
farm income (recelpta less expensesl, +,
and the labor income farm income less
per cent on investment havc been
computed for each farm and for each
group of farms.
The average farm income Of the TWEEN
ty-fve farmers visited in Washington
County, Ohio for tho seven yonrs 1912
1918, was 500, tho labor income 1916
tho return on Investment. 46 per cent
In addition to tho farm income, tho farm
ers had food. fuel and house rent estimated
to be worth, on the average, 35p year
For 1912 the farm income Of these farms
averaged s456. and for 1918 the average
was s7I9 These farms are in hilly
section, where the soil ia not especially
fertile
The 100 farmers in Clinton County.
Ind, beiug on better land than tho Ohio
farmers, made n corresponding better
showing Their farm incomes averaged
81 $50 for the seven years, 1910 and 1913
1918, and their labor income, s55s Re
turn on capital was 81 per cont, and food,
fuel and house rent furnished ny thr farm.
s425. The average farm income - these
farms Increased from 81 ,2S2 IN 1910 To
81 SIS IN 1918.
The farm income Of the SIXTY Niscon-
sin farms averaged 81 ,2o3 for the five
4 -
abd return on investment AZ per cont
Tho average farm ircome rar ged from
sl.O70 III 1913 to 81 900 IN 1918. On most
of these farms the principal source of
income lis dairyIrg
OF tho lS5 farmers in the thrce aresr
mono made labor income of 81 900 for
every year Of the study. hut eighteen
IN the Indiana area and seven IN the Wis
consin area made labor Incomes averagirg x
more than 81 600 a wear for the pcrlod
-Four farmers made moro than $500 labor
income every year Averaging labor In
come and loss over the whole time. Is
Per cent Of the farmers failed 10 make
any labor income At all Ten per cen1
failed even to make : per cont interest
on investment IN any year of tho study.
Department specialists poiut out that
though farm incomes in most cases showed
marked increase during the wear 1916
1918. as compared with incomes for 1912
Is, these increases arr more apparent
than renl. in view Of tho decrease in the
purchasing power Of tho dollar The
turnover for the recent years WAS larger
than for the earlier years, but the returns
were relatively little larger. Il measured
IN terms Of the things it would buy rather
than IN terms of dollars and cc.nts