6o6 



READINGS IN RURAL ECONOMICS 



If the crops are very poor (more than 15 per cent below the 

 average), there is usually little profit with any size of farm. If 

 crop yields drop so low that they are raised at a loss, more acres 

 would not help matters. But with average crops, the profits 

 increase rapidly with size of farm. 



The faYms of 50 acres or less did not do very well even if 

 they did have good crops. The farms of 51 to 100 acres with 

 the best crops made more than the farms of 101 to 150 with 

 average crops, but not nearly so much as the farms of over 

 200 acres with average crops. 



Farms of 101 to 150 acres with the best crops made more 

 than did farms of 151 to 200 acres with average crops, but not 

 much more than half as much as did farms of 151 to 200 acres 

 that also had the best crops. 



A comparison of the chart on page 585 with that on page 603 

 shows that area sets a more positive limit on profits than do 

 yields. The farms of a given area are grouped more closely 

 about the average than are the farms with given crop yields. 

 This should be expected. With a given area, one soon reaches 

 the limit of crop production. He cannot get yields of five to 

 ten times the average. But with given crop yields, there are 

 some farms over five to ten times as large as others. 



TABLE 18. RELATION OF SIZE OF FARM AND CROP YIELDS TO 

 LABOR INCOME. 574 FARMS, LIVINGSTON COUNTY, NEW YORK 



Acres 



50 or less 

 51-100 . 

 101-150 . 

 151-200 . 

 Over 200 



Crop Yields compared with Average 

 of Region 



85 per cent 

 or less 



Labor income 

 $29 

 185 

 94 

 449 

 266 



86 to 115 

 per cent 



Labor income 

 $321 



427 

 592 



934 

 1056 



Over 115 

 per cent 



Labor income 



$355 

 656 



985 

 1749 

 1773 



Conclusions on crop yields. Usually the most profitable way for 

 the individual farmer to secure good crops is to get a farm that 



