BULLETIN 412 



average price received would have covered the cost of producing about 

 75 per cent of the total crop. 



In spite of poor yields obtained in 1919, the acreage of peas grown in 

 1920 was 1 6 per cent above the yearly average grown from 1917 to 1920 

 (table 24). The acreage figures are from reports of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture. 



TABLE 24. ACRES OF SELECTED CROPS GROWN IN NEW YORK STATE 

 FROM 1917 TO 1920 



The question was asked of each grower, " If prices and costs are the same 

 as this year [1920], will you grow peas next year? " A summary of the 

 answers to this question among the groups of farmers having different 

 costs, shows that the proportion of growers not planning to grow peas in 

 1921 increased as the cost per ton in 1920 increased (table 25). 



TABLE 25. COST PER TON IN 1920 ON 262 FARMS, AND NUMBER OF 

 FARMERS NOT PLANNING TO GROW PEAS IN 1921 



By the method of calculating costs used in this study, even if a grower 

 failed to receive returns that paid all costs he might still have received 

 some returns for his labor and some interest. The question whether or 

 not he should grow peas depends on whether he has an alternative that 

 would give greater returns. Even if the returns are sufficient to pay a 

 profit above all costs, they may not be as good as could be received from 

 some alternative. In such a case peas would not be grown. 



