Agricultural Economic Survey and Studies

Agricultural Economic Survey and Studies, 1912-1965

Overview of the Collection

Title: Agricultural Economic Survey and Studies
Dates: 1912-1965 (inclusive)
19121965
Quantity: 48 linear feet, ( 41 containers)
Collection Number: Archives 224
Summary: Includes records, responses, questionnaires, surveys, farmers' notes and production studies.
Repository: Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC)
Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections
Terrell Library Suite 12
Pullman, WA
99164-5610
Telephone: 509-335-6691
mascref@wsu.edu
Access Restrictions: The Collection is open for research use.
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

A variety of agricultural studies of an economic nature have been conducted at Washington State University over a lengthy period that precedes the creation of a Department of Agricultural Economics about 1925.

Over the years, these efforts encompassed various studies, particularly those associated with the evaluation of federal reclamation projects and undertaken in conjunction with various agencies under the USDA, including the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, the Farm Security Administration, the Cooperative Extension Services, and the Agricultural Experiment Stations, and the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation. Another group of surveys pertained to part-time farming taken by the Federal Works Administration during the era of the Great Depression in 1933 and 1934; these surveys included comments and remarks concerning all family members including women and children. Further project involved various agricultural associations, gathering information on production and marketing matters. The Dairy Association, for example, was involved with a comprehensive and informative study.

precedes the creation of a Department of Agricultural Economics about 1925.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Farmers themselves interspersed notes throughout the records, with a particularly good set in the 1949 irrigation surveys, where the backs of survey sheets include notes on farmer attitudes. Some of the orchards surveys include information concerning amounts of pesticides sprayed on the fruit, with especially good data in the Grower Records from Chelan County, 1947-1965. The dairy series contains original records of 1950 production studies from the Seattle milkshed. The agricultural associations series contains a rich body of materials that synthesize data and ideas concerning production of crops grown throughout Washington.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The records were arranged largely according to types of studies, although the subject order within these contexts varies according the order in which the records were received. Series are organized around irrigation, orchards, types of fruit,marketing, soils, production costs, land prices, and real estate transfers. Many of the surveys are labeled confidential inasmuch as they gather detailed information concerning capital investment, operating expenses, and net income. One good example that includes a "hired labor" category is a survey of irrigated land regarding operations and settler progress in the Columbia Basin during the 1950s.

Acquisition Information

Records, responses, questionnaires and other surveys of agricultural management and economics were transferred to the Washington State University Libraries in 1977 by Dick Roberts of the Agricultural Economics Department. (Accession UA77-32).

Processing Note

The records were retained as unprocessed, but accessible, until 1996 when they were surveyed and arranged. At that time, approximately 20 per cent of the materials were discarded as being of little documentary value.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

General Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
1	1-4	Crop Research, Washington	1929
1	5-6	Washington State Farm Machinery & Labor Survey	1943
1	7-9	An Economic Study of Farming in Thurston County, USDA/WSC	1940
1	10-11	Thurston County, (Stanley W. Schwartze)	1939-1940
2	12	Thurston County, (Stanley W. Schwartze)	1939-1940
2	13-17	Western Washington Farm Organization and Valuation Study	1939
2	18-21	Survey of Farm Operations & Family Living of Recent Settlers in Western Washington	1939
3	22-29	Survey of Farm Operations & Family Living of Recent Settlers in Western Washington	1939
3	30-32	Farm Capital and Credit Study, Yakima Region	1948
4	33-34	Farm Capital and Credit Study, Yakima Region	1948
4	35-37	Spokane County Study	1939
4	38-41	Chelan County, WSC	1926
5	42-44	Chelan County, WSC	1926

Survey of Part-Time Farming, Federal Civil Works Administration , 1934Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
5	45	Lewis County
5	46	Thurston County
5	47	Douglas County
5	48-49	Spokane County
5	50	Chelan County
5	51	Walla Walla County
5	52	Clallam County
5	53	Mason County
5	54	Cowlitz County
5	55	Pierce County
6	56	Miscellaneous Washington Counties	n.d.
6	57	Supplemental Instructions & Data Compilations
6	58-64	Survey of Farm Operations & Settlement Experience, Vale-Owyhee Projects, USDA	1944
6	65-66	Farm Operation & Family Living, Vale-Owyhee Projects	1938

Irrigation Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
7	67-75	Summary of Operations, Settler Progress, Columbia Basin	1954-1957
8	76-86	Summary of Operations, Settler Progress, Columbia Basin	1954-1957
9	87-97	Summary of Operations, Settler Progress, Columbia Basin	1954-1957
10	98-108	Settler Progress Study, Columbia Basin	1954
11	109	Summary of Operations, Settler Progress, Columbia Basin	1956
11	110	Settler Progress Study, Columbia Basin	1956
11	111-114	Central Washington	1938
11	115	Miscellaneous Districts	1949
11	116	Selah	1949
11	117	Grandview	1949
11	118	Kennewick Highlands	1949
11	119	Mabton	1949
11	120	Granger & Emerald	1949
11	121	Sunnyside Area	1949
11	122	Toppenish & Wapato	1949
11	123	Selah Heights	1949
11	124	Moses Lake	1949
11	125	Kittitas Area	1949
11	126	Badger Pocket	1949
12	127-128	Foster Creek Study	1948
12	129	Crop Yield Report, Yakima Project	1913-1937
12	130	Columbia Basin	1948-1953
12	131	Results, Comparison of Sprinkler & Surface Irrigation Methods, Columbia Basin	1954
12	132-133	Census Data, Water User Census, Bureau of Reclamation	1956
12	134-138	Electrification, Washington	1949

Wheat-Fallow Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
12	139	Farm Expenses and Related Data, Oregon	1962
13	140-141	Farm Expenses and Related Data, Oregon	1962
13	142-147	Farm Expenses and Related Data, Washington	1962

Wheat-Pea Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
14	148-154	Expenditures, Machines, & Related Data, Whitman, Latah, Spokane & Nez Perce Counties	1958-1959
14	155-158	Farm Expenses & Related Data, Whitman, Latah, Spokane & Nez Perce Counties	1958-1959

Wheat Disticts , 1936Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
15	159	Pomeroy
15	160	Kahlotus
15	161	Neppel-Odessa
15	162	Wilbur
15	163-164	Tekoa
15	165-166	Endicott
15	167-169	Miscellaneous, Incomplete Records Omitted From Study

Wheat-Summer Fallow Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
16	170-174	Farm Business, USDA/Ed Hurd	1942-1943

Grain Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
16	175	Whitman & Spokane Counties	1938

Grain Growers Associations Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
16	176-177	Financial Records	1932
17	178	Financial Records	1932
17	179	North Pacific, Miscellaneous	1932-1946
17	180	Wheat Statistics	1923-1935

Land Use, Pierce County Plats , 1934Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
17	181	Value of Improved Land
17	182	Acres of Assessed Timber Land
17	183	Acres of Improved Land
17	184	Ownership Conflicts
17	185	Subdivision Values
17	186	Valuation of Timber
17	187	Value of Unimproved Land
17	188	Official Area Plats
17	189	N.F. Area Plats
17	190	Portland Ownership Plats
17	191	Delinquency Maps
17	192	Ownership
17	193-194	Farm Machinery & Labor Survey, Washington State, Forms	1943
17	195-197	Farm Machinery & Labor Survey, Washington State, Data	1943

Orchards Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
17	198	Okanogan County	1959
18	199	Okanogan County	1954-1958
18	200	Douglas County	1959
18	201	Miscellaneous Counties	1954-1965
18	202	Chelan County	1959
18	203	Yakima County	1954-1955
18	204-208	Yakima County	1927

Orchard Practices & Costs of Producing Apples in Washington , 1953Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
18	209	Yakima County
18	210	Douglas County
18	211	Okanogan County
18	212	Chelan County
18	213	Comment, Papers Delivered at Fruit Marketing Institute, WSC	1939
18	214	Census Report, Agriculture, Washington	1935

Orchards Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
19	215-217	Orchard Practices & Costs of Producing Fruit in Washington	1960

Chelan County, Grower Records Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
19	218		1947-1948
19	219		1949-1950
19	220		1951-1952
19	221		1953-1954
19	222		1955-1956
19	223		1957-1958
19	224		1959-1960
19	225		1961-1963
19	226		1964-1965
19	227	Soft Fruit, Production Costs	1943
20	228	Fruit Practices Study, Greater Wenatchee Area	1949
20	229	Cost of Production Study, Washington Apples	1944
20	230	Washington Apple Production Cost Survey	1945-1946
20	231	Orchard Practices & Costs of Producing Apples in Washington	1956
20	232	Central Washington Apple Production Costs	1954
20	233	Orchard Practices & Costs of Producting Apples in Washington	1953
20	234-237	Apple & Soft Fruit, Cost of Production 1954-1958 (C.H. Zuroske)

Berry Schedules Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
21	238-246	Pierce County	1934-1935
21	247	Pend Oreille County	1936
21	248	Whitman County	1936
21	249	Grant County	1936
21	250	Lewis County	1936
21	251	Kitsap County	1936
21	252	Skamania County	1936
21	253	Skagit County	1936
21	254	Klickitat County	1936
21	255	Snohomish County	1936
22	256-257	Clark County	1936
22	258-260	Thurston County	1936
22	261	Spokane County	1936
22	262-263	King County	1936
22	264	Benton County	1936
22	265	Lincoln County	1936
22	266	Ferry County	1936
22	267	Mason County	1936
22	268	Stevens County	1936
22	269	Whatcom County	1936
22	270	Cowlitz County	1936
23	271	Walla Walla & Okanogan Counties	1936
23	272	Douglas, Chelan, & Kittitas Counties	1936
23	273	Franklin & Island Counties	1936
23	274	Asotin & Yakima Counties	1936

Alfalfa Hay Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
23	275-278	Field Practices & Costs of Producing Alfalfa Hay in Washington	1954

Potatoes Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
23	279-281	Field Practices & Costs of Producing Potatoes in Washington	1954-1956
24	282	Field Practices & Costs of Producing Potatoes in Washington	1954-1956
24	283	Hops, Hop Survey	1942-1945
24	284	Poultry, Poultry Management Questionnaire for Economic Land Use Study	1944
24	285	Hogs, Hog Enterprise	1931

Ranching Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
24	286	Preliminary Ranch Questionnaire	1963
24	287-290	Range	1963
24	291	Ranching Questionnaire	1962
25	292	Ranching Questionnaire	1962
25	293	Master Lists & Averages	n.d.
25	294	Washington Cattle Ranch Organization & Operation	1962-1963
25	295-297	Questionnaire Supplement	1962

Dairy Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
25	298-301	Seattle Milkshed Production Study	1950
26	302-311	Seattle Milkshed Production Study	1950
27	312-317	Seattle Milkshed Production Study	1950
27	318-320	Yakima County Milk Production Study Questionnaire	1950
28	321-325	Yakima County Milk Production Study Questionnaire	1950
28	326	Dairy Cost Study	n.d.

Dairy Farm Study , 1954Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
28	327	Cost of Production
28	328	Labor
28	329	Land Use & Feed
28	330	Cattle Inventory
28	331	Equipment
28	332	Miscellaneous Expenses
28	333	Dairy Cost Study	1930-1935
28	334	Whatcom County	1927-1931
28	335	Peppermint Production Costs	1953
29	336	Peppermint, Cost Analysis Sheets	1947-1948
29	337	Irrigation, Data	n.d.
29	338	Irrigation, Data	n.d.
29	339	Miscellaneous Data	1909-1927

Agricultural Associations Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
29	340	Apple Growers	1923-1925
29	341	Cooperative Marketing of Dairy Products in Washington	1923
29	342	Wenatchee District Cooperative	1929
29	343	Kale Canning Company	1932-1937
29	344	Yakima Horticultural Union	1924
29	345	Wool	1923-1925
29	346	Priest Rapids Valley Growers Association	1924
29	347	Cranberries	1918-1924
29	348	Dairy Associations	1934-1948
29	349	Berry Growers	1933
29	350	Grain Growers	n.d.
29	351	Yakima Fruit Exchange	1924-1925
29	352	Egg & Poultry	1930
29	353-354	Dairy	1913-1942
29	355	Fruit	1923-1940
29	356	Background	1920-1933, n.d.
30	357	Berry Growers	1924-1934
30	358	Miscellaneous Crops	1932-1933
30	359	Grain Growers	1920-1976
30	360	Bulb Growers	1940, n.d.
30	361	Miscellaneous	1924-1950
30	362	Miscellaneous	1918-1924
30	363	Apples, Private and Coop	1923-1925
30	364	Hatcheries	1935
30	365	Canning	1928-1933
30	366	Fruit	1922-1924
30	367	Local Wheat Coops	1923-1928
30	368	Apple Crop	1924-1933
30	369	Grange	1928, n.d.
30	370	Potatoes	1923-1924
30	371	Pacific Supply Coop	1941-1943
30	372	Whatcom County	1928-1930
30	373	Dairy Association, Annual Reports	1930-1943
30	374	Miscellaneous	1921-1936

Farm Management Surveys Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
31	375	Washington Farm Records, TVA Farms	1954
31	376	Individual Farm Record Summary by Years, Clark County	1937-1941

Data Sheets Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
31	377	Yakima County	1927
31	378	Douglas and Chelan Counties	1928
31	379	Wahkiakum County	1914
31	380	Wahkiakum County	1914-1916
31	381	Wahkiakum County	1915
31	382	Whatcom County	1923
31	383	Whitman County	1920
31	384	Whitman County	1919
31	385-386	Erosion Control Survey	1934
32	387	Chelan and Douglas Counties	1926
32	388	Pierce County	1923
32	389	Whatcom County	1924
32	390	Yakima County	1928
32	391	Yakima County	1926
32	392	King County	1914
32	393	Yakima County	1922-1929
32	394	Yakima County	1921
32	395	Spokane County	1915
32	396	Spokane County	1914-1915
32	397	Yakima County	1915
32	398	Yakima County	1922
32	399	King County	1915
32	400	Whatcom County	1930
32	401	Spokane County	1915
32	402	Whitman County	1921
32	403	Washington Farm Record	1938

Farm Business Reports , 1944Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
32	404	Whatcom County
32	405	Spokane County
32	406	Grays Harbor County
32	407	Garfield, Lincoln, & Spokane counties
32	408	Lewis County
32	409	Whitman County
32	410	Clark County
32	411	King County
32	412	Cowlitz, Pacific, Wahkiakum, and Thurston counties
32	413	Snohomish, King, and Skagit counties
32	414	Snohomish County
32	415	Thurston County Study	1940
32	416	Location Maps Used for Surveys, Land Class (Farm Business) Survey 1944 & Others
32	417	Unpublished Data, Washington, Statistical Tables for 1945 Census of Agriculture
32	418	Northwest Daily Produce News	1935
32	419	Average Wheat Yields, State of Washington (Maps)	n.d.
33	420	Cooperative Extension Work & Miscellaneous Data	1934-1953
33	421	Inventories, W.J. McLean, Walla Walla	1912-1913

Consumer Cooperative Buying , 1935Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
33	422	Returns from Cooperative Stores
33	423	Returns from Stores that have Ceased to Operate
33	424	Unclaimed Letters
33	425	Cooperative Marketing Associations
33	426	Letters from County Agents
33	427	Miscellaneous Letters & Statements
33	428	Miscellaneous Letters and Forms

Real Estate Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
33	429	Farm Real Estate Transfers	n.d.
33	430	Farm Real Estate Transfers, Whitman County	1947
33	431	Farm Real Estate Transfers	1945
33	432-433	Farm Real Estate Transfers, Lewis County	n.d.

Farm Management Record Cards Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
34	434	Poultry, Pierce County	1924
34	435	Dummeir's Cooperative Study	1929-1939

Farm Management Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
34	436	Walla Walla	1915-1916
34	437	Grays River	1914
34	438	Enumclaw	1916
34	439-440	Northeast Washington	1914-1916
35	441	Sunnyside	1915
35	442	Tolt/Fall City	1915
35	443	Whitman	1915-1920
35	444	Fairfield	1916
35	445	Enumclaw	1915
35	446-447	Real Estate Information	n.d.
36	448	Irrigation Survey, Labor & Produce	1919-1923
36	449	Real Estate Information, Whitman County	1948
37	450	Western Washington	1915, 1920
37	451	King and Pierce Counties	1915, 1920
37	452	Potato Production, Spokane & Yakima Counties	1913
37	453	Cooperators, Palouse Area	1919-1921
38	454	Yakima County	1921-1923
38	455	King & Pierce Counties	1915, 1921
38	456	Skagit County	1916
39	457	Skagit County	1916
39	458	Labor Reports, Walla Walla	1912-1914

Real Estate Transfer Return to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box	Folder
39	459	Washington	1948
40	460	Lewis County	1944
40	461	Lewis and Whitman Counties	1941-1949
40	462	Whitman County	1941-1949
40	463-487	Photographs and Negatives, Miscellaneous (chiefly of transition from bagging to bulk in grain handling) Includes one negative in good condition of a 33-mule team drawn combine operation.	c. 1928-1930

Farm and Home Planning Reference Materials , 1959Return to Top

Container(s)		Description
Box	Folder
41	488	Index
41	489	Business Management
41	490	Crops
41	491	Livestock
41	492	Farm Buildings and Equipment
41	493	Housing
41	494	Family Living
41	495	Notebook

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Agricultural colleges--Washington (State)--Administration--Archives
Agricultural surveys--Washington (State)
Agriculture--Economic aspects--Washington (State)
Agriculture--Washington (State)--Research--Archives
Agriculture--Washington (State)--Societies, etc.
Farm management--Records and correspondence
Fruit-culture--Washington (State)--Archives

Corporate Names

Washington State University. Dept. of Agricultural Economics--Archives (creator)
Washington State University. Dept. of Agricultural Economics--Records and correspondence

Other Creators

Corporate Names
- State College of Washington. Dept. of Agricultural Economics--Archives (creator)

Archives West Finding Aid

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