COST OF FARMING OPERATIONS 



farm crops under consideration, while in 

 Pennsylvania these four crops occupy only 

 one-third the farm area. 



(3) Will there be a general increase or 

 decrease in the price of crops during the 

 coming years? 



The following table gives the average 

 farm price for Missouri by five-year 

 periods. 



THE AVERAGE DECEMBER FARM PRICE BY 



PREVIOUS DECADES COMPARED WITH 



AVERAGE OF FIVE YEARS, 1906-10. 



1866 1875 1886 1896 1906 



to to to to to 



1875 1885 1895 1905 1910 



cts. cts. cts. cts. cts. 



Maize, bu. 40 33 33 35 49 



Wheat, bu. 103 87 64 71 87 



Oats, bu. 30 27 26 27 39 



Potatoes, bu. 57 48 49 53 68 



Hay, ton 902 799 704 700 875 



An examination of the last column shows 

 that the average price of these staple farm 

 products has been considerably greater dur- 

 ing five recent years than during the 

 previous thirty years. Will this increase in 

 price continue, or will there be a series of 

 years of unusually low prices which will 



153 



