COST OF PRODUCING WHEAT. 5 



average cost and the variation in cost on individual farms and groups 

 of farms in each area visited, and to indicate the more important 

 reasons, for the great variations in cost per acre and per bushel on 

 individual farms. 



The cost data were obtained from wheat growers to whom personal 

 visits were made. Each record represents the experience of an indi- 

 vidual farmer, the object being to learn for each farm visited, the 

 detailed facts of production relative to all wheat land operated by 

 the farmer during the crop year 1919. 



This study is based on 481 farm records, of which 197 were obtained 

 in five representative counties of the principal spring-wheat States, 

 and 284 in nine counties in the leading winter-wheat States. Table I 

 shows the districts visited and the total harvested acreage and total 

 production on the farms visited in each district: 



Table I. — Distribution of cost records, spring and winter wheat, 1919. 



State and county. 



North Dakota: 



Grand Forks County. 



Morton County 



South Dakota: 



Spink County 



Minnesota: 



Clay County 



Traverse County 



Total spring wheat. 



Kansas: 



Ford County 



Pawnee County 



MePherson County. 

 Missouri: 



Saline County 



Jasper County 



St. Charles Co 



Nebraska: 



Phelps County 



Saline County 



Keith County 



Total winter wheat. 



Designation of area. 



Larimore-Gilby 



New Salem-Hebron. 



Redfleld. 



Moorhead 



Wheaton-Graceville. 



Dodge City. 



Larned 



MePherson. 



Marshall . . . 

 Carthage . . . 

 St. Charles. 



Holdredge 



Crete-Dorchester. 

 Ogallala 



Number 



of 

 records. 



39 



197 



284 



Acres 

 har- 

 vested. 



10,060 

 5,840 



9,500 



10,376 



7,071 



9,817 

 9,092 

 4,652 



2,362 

 2,949 

 3,035 



4,404 

 2,008 

 4,395 



42,714 



Bushels 



pro- 

 duced. 



98, 335 

 25,835 



93,862 



84, 325 

 59,690 



130, 890 

 126,838 

 59,034 



38, 422 

 56, 730 

 59, 520 



47, 744 

 36,334 

 79,612 



635, 124 



According to the Yearbook of the United States Department 

 of Agriculture for 1919, farmers in the United States harvested 

 49,905,000 acres of winter wheat, yielding 731,636,000 bushels, and 

 23,338,000 acres of spring wheat, yielding 209,351,000 bushels. 



In this survey a total area of 43,940 acres seeded to winter wheat, 

 yielding 635,124 bushels, and a total area of 44,218 acres seeded to 

 spring wheat, with a total production of 362,047 bushels, were used 

 as the basis for computing costs. About equal acreages are shown 

 for the spring and winter wheat groups, though in 1919 the winter- 

 wheat acreage in the United States as a whole was a little more than 

 twice as large as the spring wheat acreage. 



