FAKM MANAGEMENT IN CATAWBA COUNTY, N. C. 



11 



had average farm, incomes of $710 and labor incomes of $301, while 

 the 36 farmers who had a yield of wheat averaging 11.9 bushels 

 per acre had an average farm income of $1,207 and an average 

 labor income of $585. 



In spite of the fact that the low yield, the topography, and the 

 type of farming followed make the cost of raising wheat high and 

 its production therefore relatively less profitable than that of some 

 other crops, farmers grow wheat here because they do not like to 

 buy flour for bread and do not think it is a mark of good farming 

 to do so. Moreover, the presence of local flour mills makes it easy 

 to have their wheat ground. A small acreage of wheat does not 

 materially interfere with other crops. It fits well into the rotation 

 and is a good nurse crop for clover. .Wheat sells at a higher price 

 here than in the wheat belt, and a little wheat to sell in the summer 

 brings in ready cash when it is needed most. The wheat crop is 

 thus the medium through which important steps in raising the cotton 

 crop are financed. 



The corn crop occupied 28 per cent of the crop area in 1912 and 26 

 per cent of the area in 1918. The average yield per acre was 23 

 bushels in 1912 and 24 bushels in 1918. In both years in which 

 the study was made there was only one farm that did not grow corn. 

 The acreage of corn which the farmer should grow is a question that 

 arises annually. Table 8, showing the relation between the acreage 

 of corn and the farm and labor income on 297 farms for 1912 and 

 304 farms for 1918, may help to solve the question. 



Table 8. — Relation between per cent of total crop land in corn, and total receipts, farm 

 income, and labor income on 291 farms for 1912 and 304 farms for 1918, Catawba 

 County, N. C. 





Per cent of crop area in corn. 





1912. 



1918. 





10 per 



ll-Ut 



anrl 

 less. 



■'. 



40.1 



4.6 



1687 



it. 

 300 



10.1 

 to 



20 ,,. , 

 cent. 



20.1 



to 



30 per 



cent. 



30.1 



to 



to per 



cent. 



Over 



40 



per 

 cent. 



All 

 farms. 



10 per 

 cent 

 and 

 less. 



5 



XI 



2.8 



$1,441 

 4 



000 



375 



10.1 



to 



20 per 



cent. 



20.1 



t> 

 30 per 

 cent. 



30.1 



to 



40 per 



cent. 



Over 

 40 

 per 



cent. 



All 

 farms. 



Number of turns... 



56 



01.:; 



11,333 

 13 



:,;:', 

 i:si 



Ill 

 58. 7 

 L3.3 



!!>:)7 



■10 



394 



86 



17.1 



L6.2 



$w;o 



62 



39 

 37.4 

 18.0 

 $740 



72 



297 

 50.8 



ll.l 



-0 10 

 42 

 li:: 

 87 



61 

 59.9 



•j. ;i 



$2, 332 



58 



1 . 202 



720 



123 



49.2 



12. ;i 



$i,7:s;i 



so 



972 



545 



SI 



42. 1 

 14.5 



si, oi.-, 



134 

 902 



m 



31 



16. s 



17.4 



$1 1 10 



195 

 60S 



B 



304 



47.9 



n com 



1 : 



Receipt 

 Warm Income 



12.7 



$1,720 



101 



985 



■' 



Disregarding the firs! groups of farms, i><>tli in i ( .ir_> and in l'.iis, 



since there are only five farms in each, !<><> small b tiumbc i make 



the conclusions very reliable, it will be seen thai for both are the 



farmers making the highest farm incomes were those gr< ing the 

 smallest acreage of corn. 



