COST OF PRODUCING WHEAT. 



21 



In the winter-wheat areas the range in cost per acre was greater than 

 in the spring-wheat areas. Nearly 70 per cent of the farmers, rep- 

 resenting 83 per cent of the acreage and 78 per cent of total pro- 

 duction, had costs of $35 or less per acre 



NET COST PER BUSHEL. 



RELATION OF YIELD TO COST PER BUSHEL. 



As heretofore shown, a wide range in cost per acre existed on the 

 farms visited. While, of course, it is advisable to produce a maximum 

 yield at a minimum cost per acre, the ultimate result of importance 

 is the cost of producing a bushel of wheat. If yield were to increase 

 with fixed relation to an increase in cost per acre, a definite basis would 

 be established for planning profitable farm organization. However, 

 one may handle a crop according to approved methods of production 

 only to have the crop destroyed by insects, fungus diseases, exces- 

 sive droughts or rains, etc., and while the acre cost of production may 

 be reasonable, the cost per bushel may be extremely high. The 

 experience of wheat growers has been that if they can withstand the 

 losses occasioned by crop failures they may hope to realize a com- 

 pensating income during the good years. Were it not for a reali- 

 zation of these things an exceedingly bad year might induce many 

 farmers to go out of the business. 



In Tables X and XI the spring and winter wheat farms have been 

 grouped according to yield. A review of these tables shows the in- 

 fluence of yield in determining cost per bushel. In general, as the 

 yield per acre increased, the cost per bushel decreased. 



Table X. — Relation of yield to cost per bushel, spring wheat, 1919 {197) farms. 







Cumu- 











Cumu- 







Range of yield. 



Num- 

 ber 

 of rec- 



lative 



per 

 cent of 



Aver- 

 age 

 yield. 



Aver- 

 age 

 cost per 



Range of yield. 



Num- 

 ber 

 of rec- 



lative 



per 

 cent of 



Aver- 

 age 

 yield. 



Aver- 

 age 

 cost per 





ords. 



produc- 



bushel. 





cords. 



produc- 



bushel. 







tion. 











tion. 







Bushels. 







Bushels. 





Bushels. 







Bushels. 





lto 1.9 



3 



0.2 



1.3 



$12. 16 



10 to 10.9 



11 



67.0 



10.3 



2.30 



2to 2.9 



5 



.8 



2.8 



5.81 



11 to 11.9 



22 



79.7 



11.5 



2.10 



3 to 3.9 



7 



1.6 



3.3 



5.98 



12 to 12.9 



7 



84.2 



12.0 



1.95 



4 to 4.9 



14 



4.9 



4.5 



4.54 



13 to 13.9 



8 



90.5 



13.2 



1.93 



5 to 5.9 



18 



11.0 



5.4 



3.79 



14tol4.9 



4 



94.5 



14.6 



1.79 



6 to 6.9 



27 



23.1 



6.5 



3.25 



15 to 15.9 



2 



98.0 



15.4 



1.45 



7 to 7.9 



22 



32.2 



7.6 



2.97 



16 to 16.9 



2 



99.7 



16.7 



1.60 



8 to 8.9 



25 



46.1 



8.5 



2.65 



17 and over 



1 



100.0 



20.8 



1.15 



9 to 9.9 



19 



55.0 



9.5 



2.58 













The column in these tables showing cumulative per cent of pro- 

 duction indicates that over one-half of the wheat grown on the 

 spring-wheat farms included in this study was produced on farms 

 having yields of less than 10 bushels per acre, and that 45 per cent was 

 raised on farms having yields of from 10 to 20.8 bushels per acre. In 



