851] Machinery and Labor 53 



Per cent of Per cent of Average value 



acreage value of Per acre of 



onfall crops all crops 



in cereals ift cereals all crops cereals 



United States 63.8 .... 51.0 .... $10.04 $ 8.02 



North Atlantic div. .. . 36.3 .... 26.6 .... 15.19 11.14 



South Atlantic div. ... 58.1 .... 33.6 .... 11.32 6.55 



North Central div. . . . 73.2 .... 71.1 .... 8.42 8 18 



South Central div. . . . 56.1 .... 36.3 .... 10.99 7 



Western div 49.4 .... 37.0 .... 11.59 869 



The North Central division ranked first in the pro- 

 duction of cereals, not only in 1899, but a ^ so * n J ^9 

 and in 1879.* ^ ranked first also in the production of 

 hay. 2 That it is the region of increasing average size 

 of farms 3 and of increasing crop acreage per person en- 

 gaged in farm work 4 has already been shown. The 

 North Central states will, therefore, furnish the best 

 field for a study of the effects of farm machinery. 



Among the states of the North Central division 

 there were seven which, for the year 1899, reported 

 that over 70 per cent, of their total crop acreage was in 

 cereals and also that the value of their cereal crops for 

 that year constituted more than 70 per cent, of the 

 value of their total crop production. 5 The seven states 

 and the per cent, of their reported cereal acreage and 

 cereal crop values to their total crop acreage and crop 

 values, respectively, are as follows : 6 



1 Twelfth Census, Agriculture II, p. 63. 

 Twelfth Census, Agriculture II, p. 215. 

 3 See pp. 47-50. 

 * See pp. 16-17. 



5 Oklahoma is the only other State, or Territory, in the Union which 

 reported so high a per cent of acreage and value in cereals for the 

 year 1899. But no separate report was returned for Oklahoma in 1880 

 and it is, therefore, necessarily omitted from this study. 



6 Twelfth Census, Agriculture II, p 62. 



