14 FIELD CROPS 



of improved farm land was more than four hundred and 

 seventy-seven million acres, leaving something like one 

 hundred and seventy-two million acres in pastures and 

 improved woodlands. Of the three hundred and five million 

 acres in field crops, about one hundred and ninety-one 

 million acres, or practically 62.62 per cent, were in grain 

 crops; seventy-two million acres, or 23.61 per cent, in hay 

 and forage crops; about 10 per cent in fiber crops; and the 

 remainder in tuber, root, sugar, stimulant, and miscellaneous 

 crops. 



Of a total value of $2,625,000,000 for all crops as reported 

 by the Census of 1900, $1,484,000,000 or 56.5 per cent was 

 grain crops; $487,000,000 or 18.6 per cent, hay and forage; 

 and $391,000,000 or 14.9 per cent, fiber crops. From such 

 figures as are available, there is apparently little change 

 in the relative values as shown by the Census of 1910, 

 though all crops are much increased in value over those of 

 1900. The value of all grain crops in 1909 1 was approxi- 

 mately $2,727,000,000, or more than the value of all crops 

 combined in 1899. The value of the cotton crop was $665.- 

 000,000, as compared with $391,000,000 for all fiber crops 

 in 1899, while the value of hay and forage increased to 

 $822,000,000 in the decade. The value of all field crops was 

 approximately $4,953,000,000 for the year. 



7. Grain Crops. A grain crop is one which is grown 

 principally for the production of its seeds; the most impor- 

 tant grains are the cereals, which are grasses grown for their 

 seeds. The more important cereals in the United States 

 are corn, wheat, oats, barley, rye, and rice. Millet and 

 sorghum are also cereals, though some types of these two 



iThe census is known as the census of 1910, but the figures of crop yields 

 and values are for the previous year, 1909. 



