Farm Labor and Farm Costs, 1951

Methods of COMPuting and Presenting the DataGENERAL IT»1:S: Man labor was charged at an uniform rate of 80 cents per hour for all labor.This rate is the average of what farmers in the area paid, or estimated they would have to pay, to a married man.It includes a charge for house, garden.and a certain amount of farm produce.Tractor power was charged at cost for each individual farm.A ",eighted average was used for all tractor hours \OTherever the farmer used more' than one tractor.Truck was charged at l~ cents per mile.~was charged at 6 cents per mile.Horse power was charged B.t cost for inoi vidual i'arms.Interest charges for use of all types of farm capital was computed by taking 5~ of the average inventory value.-2 CROP SUMMARIES:~was charged at cost.In the cases where seed was home grown the average 1951 market price plus a cleaning charge was used.Manure was charged at one dollar per ton plus the cost of hauling.The charge was distributed to the crops in the following way: 40~ to the field to which the manure was applied.and 60~ to other fields normally receiving manure.Commercial fertilizer was charged at cost excluding P.M.A. refunds.The enti re charge was made to the crop to which the fertilizer was aWl1ed.Crop machinery was charged according to the number of acres on which each machine or group of machines was used for a particular crop.(For costs see computation of machinery costs).Land charge.A uniform charge of $10 per acre was used.This repre sents a close approximation of the average cash rent for land without buildings in 1951.Building charge.No building charge was made for ,the storage of crops.Prices used in determining value produced represent an average of 1951 prices received in the area. LIVESTOCK SUMMARIES:Feed costs include all feeds bought.home grown feeds at average 1951 farm pri ces and a charge for pas ture ranging from $ .30per head-month for hogs to $1.50 per head-month for cows and feeder cattle.Shelter costs were computed by taking two times the annual depreciation plus interpst on investment.This figure was distributed between individual livestock enterprises according to floor space occupied.Equipment costs for livestock were computed by adding together depre ciation, interest on investment.repairs and maintenance.Value produced reprpsents the sum of products marketed.used in the house.fed to livestock.and changes in inventory. POWER AND MACHINERY COSTS:Depreciation is copied directly from the farmer's account book.No attempt is made to standardize depreciation sChedules for similar machines except to the extent that this is done in the regular account ing work.Acres over refers to the acres covered by a machine during the season.Acres used refers to the number of crop acres on which the machine ,.,ras used in the season.