10 



BULLETIN 1070, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



In 1912, 24 per cent of the crop area was in wheat and in 1918, 28 

 per cent. This increase in area devoted to wheat in 1918 was largely 

 owing to the demand for wheat that existed at that time and because 

 the Government appealed to the patriotism of the farmers in urging 

 them to grow more wheat. The yield of wheat was low. In 1912 it 

 averaged 11 bushels per acre and in 1918 only 9 bushels. One would 

 expect that where the yields of wheat per acre were low wheat would 

 be less profitable than some other crops yielding a greater money 

 return per acre. Table 7 shows the relation between the acreage of 

 wheat, total receipts, and farm and labor income on 297 farms for 

 1912 and 304 farms for 1918. It will be seen that, in general, income 

 declines as wheat acreage increases. Where less than 10 per cent of 

 the crop acreage goes into wheat a poor yield will not cut down the 

 farm income very much, but where much over 10 per cent of the 

 crop acreage is in wheat it is important to make an effort to increase 

 the vield. 



Table 7. — Relation between per cent of total crop land in wheat and total receipts, farm 

 income, and labor income on 297 farms for 1912 and 304 farms for 1918, Catawba County, 

 N. C. 





Per cent of crop acres in wheat. 





1912. 





1918. 





















10 per 



10.1 



20.1 30.1 Over 





10 per : 10.1 



20.1 



30.1 



Over 







cent 



to 



to to 40 



All 



cent i to 



to 



to 



40 



All 





and 



20 per 



30 per 40 per per 



farms. 



and 20 per 



30 per 



40 per 



per 



farms. 





less. 



cent. 



cent. cent. 



cent. 





less. i cent. 



cent. 



cent. 



cent. 





Number of farms. . . 



30 



82 



117 51 



17 



297 



.12 



75 



119 



68 



30 



304 



Crop area, acres 



45.2 



51. 5 



48.8 ! 55.4 



52.4 



50.8 



30.1 



45.6 



46.6 



49.0 



63.7 



47.9 



Acres in wheat 



1.7 



8.4 



12.1 19.1 



24.4 



12.0 



1.2 



7.5 



11.6 



16.8 



30.0 



13.2 





■31,446 



S967 



S858 S917 



S8S5 



$919 



§1,302 



11,854 



SI, 766 



SI, 658 



SI, 873 



SI, 726 



Receipts from 



7 



42 



64 ' 142. 



219 



75 



4 



50 



103 



184 



468 



141 



wheat. 

























Farm income 



5S3 



440 



356 407 



402 



413 



784 



1,059 



1,033 



859 



969 



9S5 



Labor income 



196 



134 



61 44 



-29 



86 



482 



635 



601 



431 



346 



542 



To show the effect of increased yields of wheat on income, all farms 

 that had over 30 per cent of their crop acreage hi wheat were grouped 

 into two groups; the first group consisted of all farms on which the yield 

 of wheat was below the average, the second group of those with yield 

 above the average. In 1912 the average acreage of wheat per farm 

 for these groups was 20.4 acres. There were 39 of these farms with 

 an average yield of 8.6 bushels per acre. Their farm income was $260 

 and labor income was a minus $69. There were 29 farms with an 

 average yield of 14.6 bushels per acre which had an average farm 

 income of $601 and an average labor income of $153. 



In 1918 the average acreage of wheat per farm for these groups 

 was 20.8 acres. The 62 farmers having over 30 per cent of their 

 crop acreage in wheat, but with yields averaging 6.5 bushels per acre, 



