54 FIELD CROPS 



and on the acreage of improved farm land reported by the 

 Census of 1910, latest authentic figures available. 



61. Acre Yield. The average yield of corn to the acre, 

 even in the best corn states, is seen to be very low in com- 

 parison with known yields in any community. The states 

 showing the highest average yield are those with compara- 

 tively small acreages. The five states showing highest yields 

 are Connecticut, with an average yield of 46.2 bushels; 

 Massachusetts, 43.5 bushels; New Hampshire, 42.7 bushels; 

 Maine, 41.6 bushels; and Penns3dvania, 39.8 bushels to the 



MO. imi^aa^^KmBmmmmmmm^i^^^mi^^mam ss^c 



ILLINOIS wmm^^aammaaotmi^^Hmmammmmmi^a^^ 36.70% 

 IOWA mamBmiB^mmammmmmmmmm^^^maa^ 33.56% 

 NEB. mma^mmam^^^mm^^maa^Ma^^m 31.09% 



INDIANA B^nBHHHHHH^HHnBBBHaai 29.36% 



Figure 16. — The proportion of the improved farm acreage in the leading 

 states which is annuallj' planted to corn (1908-1917). 



acre. The surprising fact shown by a study of yields is that 

 in the northern states, where small varieties are grown, the 

 yield is considerably more per acre than in the Southern 

 states, where the largest varieties thrive. The South, how- 

 ever, owing to the longer season and more abundant rainfall, 

 has greater possibilities in corn production than can be found 

 in the North, and yields there of over 200 bushels per acre 

 have been obtained on specially prepared and fertilized land. 

 The possibilities for increased yields are great in any part 

 of the United States, and even in the northernmost states 

 yields of 100 bushels and over are sometimes produced. 



62. Units of Measure for Farm Crops. Over a very 

 large part of the United States the unit of measure for the 

 cereal crops is the bushel of 2,150.42 cubic inches capacity, 

 but as these crops vary in weight per bushel and as their 

 values are more accurately measured by weight than by 

 bulk, a more accurate comparison of production and value 

 may be made by use of the unit of measure now common in 

 the western states, the pound or hundred pounds. It would 



