Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 151, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 June 1920 — FARMERS ENABLED TO REDUCE LIVING COST [ARTICLE]

FARMERS ENABLED TO REDUCE LIVING COST

Food, Fuel and Shelter Contributed Direct by Farm. No Han Seems Complete Without Its Family Garden, and Eggs and Milk Are Used in Preparing Meals— Other Economies. * Why can the farmer continue In business when the financial summary of his operations show, at the end of the year, a margin of profit so small as to be insufficient to support his family? It is because of the food, fuel and shelter furnished the family by the farm. “These contributions,” says the United States department of agriculture, “are not a cash receipt from the farm business, but they enable the farmer to reduce materially the cash cost of living.” So far as food, fuel and shelter are concerned twothirds of the farmer’s living is furnished directly by the farm. The food retained for family use may be raised especially for the family or may be taken from the regular farm products raised for market No farm plan seems complete without its family garden. A part of the day’s supply of milk and a part of the day’s collection of eggs Is used in preparing meals for the family. Similarly, other food products are diverted to the pantry, cellßr, or smoke house, instead of being sent to town to be sold. The farm wood lot condemned fruit trees, discarded fence rails and posts, and

pruning wood furnish fuel for cooking and heating. These perquisites are not furnished altogether frde of cost to the farmer. They represent labor and invested capital. Much of the labor, however, is performed at times when the work of the main farm business is not very pressing, and frequently a considerable part of it is done by women or children. Thus the actual money cost of these things to the farmer is insignificant or at most is considerably less than it would be if they were bought. Pictures and descriptions of important methods followed tjy farmers in utilizing the food, fuel, shelter and other things that the farm furnishes free of money cost are published by the United States department of agriculture in Farmeps’ Bulletin 1082, Home Supplies Furnished by the Farm. Copies may be had free from the division of publications, United States department of agriculture.