COST OF PRODUCING WHEAT. 11 



Over a series of years approximately one-half of the annual pre- 

 cipitation in all districts occurred during the four months, April, 

 May, June, and July. The lowest annual precipitation was re- 

 corded in Keith County, Nebr. (16.62 inches), and the highest in 

 Jasper County, Mo. (41.26 inches). 



In Ford County, Kans., and Morton County, N. Dak., the rainfall 

 in 1919 was considerably below normal. In Ford County the dis- 

 tribution during the growing season was sufficient to insure a fairly 

 good yield. However, in Morton County the rainfall was not well 

 enough distributed to produce an average yield. 



SOILS. 



Wheat was grown in the regions visited on fairly deep limestone 

 soils, generally well supplied with humus. The lime content was 

 especially high in Ford County, Kans., Keith County, Nebr., and 

 Morton County, N. Dak., where the amount of rainfall is limited and 

 the soluble material has not been leached out. In general, little 

 wheat was grown on sandy soils, since this soil type is not so well 

 adapted to wheat growing because of its tendency to blow during 

 high winds. 



On these soils no commercial fertilizer was used except in the 

 Missouri areas. 



COMPARATIVE WHEAT YIELDS. 



The yield of farm crops in any given region is influenced by a 

 number of things, such as soil fertility, weather, insect and fungus 

 diseases, crop management, etc. Therefore, the results of any 

 attempt to tabulate yields for a single year must be considered as 

 suggestive rather than definite and conclusive. Yet when yields 

 are tabulated over a series of years an average yield can be arrived at 

 which will be of value in measuring the possibilities of the area for a 

 given crop grown in that region. 



In Table V the average wheat yields for the State, county, and 

 farms visited in 1919 are recorded. In some cases the figures on 

 yield were obtained from the Bureau of Crop Estimates, United 

 States Department of Agriculture; in others, from State boards of 

 agriculture. 



The average yield of spring wheat in the United States in 1919 

 was 9 bushels per acre, in contrast with a yield of 8.4 bushels per 

 acre for the total spring wheat area surveyed. The average yield 

 for all winter wheat in 1919 was 14.7 bushels per acre, while the 

 average yield for the farms surveyed in this region was 14.9 bushels 

 per acre. 



The abnormally low yield of wheat in Morton County, N. Dak., 

 was partially due to an insufficient amount of total rainfall which 

 was not well distributed over the growing period* 



