FAEM PEOFITS. 11 



wheat, and hay in the organization of these farms, and the variation 

 in the acreage of each over the seven-year period. The use of the 

 silo is being increased in this area. The variation in the propor- 

 tion of the corn area used for silage was also affected by the yield ; 

 1916 and 1918 were the years of poorest yields and therefore the' 

 years requiring the larger proportion of the corn crop to fill the silo. 



CROP YIELDS. 



The average yield of corn for the seven-year period was 41 bushels 

 per acre; the lowest average yield for any year was 29 bushels in 

 1918, and the highest 52 bushels in 1913. The average yield of 

 wheat was 14 bushels per acre, ranging from an average of 9 bushels 

 in 1913 to that of 18 bushels in 1914 and 1915. The average yield of 

 hay was 1.2 tons, being as low as 0.9 ton in 1914 and as high as 1.5 

 tons in 1912 and 1916. The highest yield of corn was accompanied 

 with the lowest yield of wheat, and an average yield of hay; the lowest 

 yield of corn was accompanied by average yields of wheat and hay. 

 Of the total production, 35 per cent of the wheat was sold, 15 per 

 cent of the hay, 9 per cent of the oats, and 6 per cent of the corn. 



LIVE STOCK. 



There was an increase in the stock kept on these farms during this 

 period. This increase, representing 3.7 animal units, or over 25 per 

 cent, taken together with rising prices, had much to do with the 

 increase in income. The live stock (exclusive of work horses) when 

 expressed in equivalents of mature cattle, or in what is termed, "a, 

 productive animal unit," averaged 15.5 units per farm. This is an 

 average of one head to each 7.9 acres of crops and pasture. The 

 number of cattle increased and that of sheep decreased during the 

 first six years. A small increase in sheep was shown in 1918 over 

 that of 1917. When measured by the amount of feed required, cat- 

 tle represented 58 per cent of all live stock except work horses, 

 sheep 17 per cent, hogs 10 per cent, and poultry 11 per cent. The 

 number of work horses averaged 2.7 per farm. 



LABOR REQUIRED. 



It required, on the average, 17.5 months of man labor to operate 

 these farms, of which 12 months represented the farmer's own 

 labor, 3.7 months unpaid family labor, and 1.8 months hired 

 labor. This means that 90 per cent of the labor is performed by the 

 farmer and members of his family, and 10 per cent is hired from 

 the outside. The amount of labor for the various years remained 

 practically constant. 



FARM CAPITAL. 



The average capital value of these farms was $6,682, of which 

 $4,912, or about three-fourths, was in real estate, $1,101, or 15 per 

 cent, in live stock, $330, or 5 per cent, in machinery, and $339, or 5 



