TYPES OF FAHM1NG 79 



The average yields per acre and values per acre for corn, 

 cotton, and potatoes in the United States for 21 years 

 are given in Table 13. One might expect that an increase 

 in the yield of corn would give an increased value per 

 acre, and a decrease in yield decrease the value per acre. 

 For corn the yield and value have gone in the same 

 direction 10 times and in opposite directions 10 times. For 

 potatoes the yield and value have gone in the same direc- 

 tion 5 times and in opposite directions 15 times. 



A very low yield of potatoes seems always to be worth 

 more than a large crop. Even with corn, we find the 

 17-bushel yield of 1901 worth more than the 25-bushel 

 crop of the preceding year, and almost as much as the 

 27-bushel crop of the following year. In the case of 

 potatoes, the results are very striking. In 1891, the aver- 

 age yield per acre was 94 bushels, and the value per acre 

 was $34. The next year the yield dropped to 62 bushels, 

 but the value per acre was $41. In 1894, the yield was 

 62 bushels with a value of $33. The next year the yield 

 jumped to 101 bushels, but the value dropped to $27 per 

 acre. Two years later the yield again dropped to 65 

 bushels, but the value per acre rose to $35. Again we 

 see the 66-bushel yield in 1901 worth more than the 

 larger crops of the years preceding and following. In 

 general, the years of very large crops of potatoes bring 

 low returns per acre, and very small crops bring high 

 returns. This is merely another way of showing how 

 easily the potato market is affected by too many or too 

 few potatoes. 



After a year of good prices, all the newspapers are 

 filled with advice about increasing the area of potatoes 

 or doubling the yield per acre. We constantly see figures 

 given to show how many billions of dollars better off the 



