FABM MANAGEMENT IN CATAWBA COUNTY, N. C. 7 



allowing 5 per cent interest on the capital invested averaged $87 per 

 farm for 1912 and $542 per farm for 1918. 



In addition to this labor income the farmers received house rent and 

 what the farm furnished toward the family living. In 1918 this aver- 

 aged $573 per farm. These figures were not obtained direct for 1912, 

 but were calculated by applying 1912 prices to the quantities used 

 in 1918. In 1912 this form of income averaged $328 per farm. 



DISTRIBUTION OF FARM AREA. 



The farm area for the 297 farms surveyed in 1912 averaged 121.1 

 acres per farm, and for the 304 farms surveyed in 1918 it averaged 

 111.5 acres per farm, or 9.6 acres less per farm (Table 3). 



Table 3. — Distribution of farm area on 297 farms for 1912 and 304 farms for 1918, 



Catawba County, N. C. 





1912 



1918 



Item. 



30 crop 

 acres 



or 

 under. 



30.1 

 to 50 

 crop 

 acres. 



50.1 

 to 70 

 crop 



acres. 



Over 



70 

 crop 

 acres. 



All 

 farms. 



30 crop 

 acres 



or 

 under. 



30.1 

 to 50 

 crop 

 acres. 



50.1 

 to 70 

 crop 

 acres. 



Over 



70 

 crop 

 acres. 



All 

 farms. 





73 

 53.5 

 30.2 

 22.6 

 .3 

 3.2 

 4.1 

 3.1 

 1.5 

 16.0 

 4.2 



112 

 90.8 

 50.5 

 40.1 



62 



138.5 

 81.9 

 60.0 



50 



265.8 

 153.5 

 105.0 

 .7 

 25.0 

 22.8 

 19.6 

 12.4 

 73.1 

 19.6 



297 



121.1 



69.4 



50.8 



.2 



9.8 



8.6 



8.5 



5.0 



34.2 



9.0 



75 



53.0 



30.5 



22.8 



.7 



3.1 



3.9 



4.4 



2.9 



15.0 



3.1 



125 

 91.2 

 53.1 

 39.1 



.8 

 6.9 

 6.3 

 8.6 

 5.6 

 25.9 

 3.6 



60 



129.2 



75.3 



58.5 



.8 



8.8 



7.2 

 12.7 



9.7 

 36.4 



4.8 



44 



244.8 

 136.5 

 101.6 

 2.5 

 21.8 

 10.6 

 21.7 

 15.4 

 75.4 

 11.2 



304 





111.5 



Tillable area 



64.0 





47.9 





1.1 





6.5 

 3.9 

 6.2 

 3.2 

 26.9 

 7.2 



11.0 



10.9 



9.9 



6.5 



37.5 



9.2 



8.5 





6.5 





10.3 





7.2 



Woodland 



32.4 



Waste 



4.8 







The crop area per farm averaged 42 per cent of the total farm area 

 in 1912 and 43 per cent in 1918. In 1912, 12.4 per cent of the acreage 

 of tillable land was lying idle or "resting," while in 1918 this area 

 had been reduced to 10.1 per cent. "Resting land" has long been 

 ;i practice throughout the South. With low-priced land the practice 

 doubtless has been justified, but as values increase the interest on 

 idle land becomes so great as to make the resting of land In restore 

 it- fertility no Longer profitable. 



Table I Bhowa the distribution of capital on the farms in 1912 and 

 in 1918. Both years about four-lift lis of the capital on the farms was 

 in real estate. In 1912 the value of real estate \\;is $45 per acre and 

 in Mils $66, "i 17 per cent higher. This increase \\:is principal^ 

 due to the genera] increase in land values thai occurred through this 

 region rather than to improvements on the farm. 



