CHAPTER XVI 



THE CROPPING SYSTEM AS A UNIT 



THE average agricultural enterprise of the 

 Middle West based on grain and live 

 stock farming produces a net profit to 

 the operator of 4.5 per cent.; any increase over 

 this amount may be considered an approach to- 

 ward intensive agriculture. This estimate is 

 based on the results of more than ten years of 

 careful statistics on individual farms. While 

 the rate is not high, it is higher than the rates 

 of interest paid on savings accounts and is prob- 

 ably as high as the average net income of any 

 Other extensive industry. 



This is quite different from the rate of profit 

 from special crops or special types of agricul- 

 ture. It is the net income from all the activities 

 of the average farm. There are a great va- 

 riety of special agricultural industries which 

 produce much higher results. In fact, in some 

 parts of the country tenant farming, when well 

 managed, as is shown in southeastern Mary- 

 i35 



