5-4 



lUU.KTlX 492, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



portant still, aids materially in increasing the production of the main 

 money crop. For. after all, cotton is the staple crop of the region 

 and the general scheme of farming must always be shaped with the 

 welfare of the cotton crop in view. 



THE RELATION OF SIZE OF FARM AND YIELD PER ACRE OF 

 COTTON TO PROFITS. 



The two factors which more than all others influence profits on 

 these farms, providing a normal price is received for cotton, are 

 size of farm and yield of cotton per acre. While farmers are not al- 

 ways in a position to increase the size of their farms, Table XXV 

 shows the possibilities many of them have of increasing their profits 

 quite materially by getting higher yields per acre. Along with these 

 two factors, however, are interrelated many others of importance, 

 but when the farms are grouped on the basis of these two outstand- 

 ing factors the others seem to bring about in each group the same 

 relative results. The yield per acre of cotton is of great importance 

 to all these farmers, but the chance for the greatest immediate in- 

 crease in profits is for the men who are getting poor yields on the 

 large areas. 



Table XXV. — Relation of size of farm and yield of cotton per acre to labor in- 

 come on 268 iridic owner, owner additional, and owner part rented out farms, 

 Sumter County, Ga. 





Number of farms and average labor income in eacli specified yield of cotton 

 per acre groups. 



Tilled acreage groups. 



One-half bale 

 and less. 



One-half to two- 

 thirds bale. 



Over two-thirds 

 bale. 



Total. 



Number 



of 

 farms. 



Average 



labor 

 income. 



Number Average 



of labor 

 farms, income. 



Number 



of 

 farms. 



Average 



labor 

 income. 



Number 



of 

 farms. 



Average 



labor 



income. 



100 acres and less 



43 

 a 32 



120 

 423 



33 308 

 46 749 



24 

 25 

 13 



504 

 1,721 

 4,649 



100 

 103 

 65 



275 



101 lo 250 acres 



884 



Over 250 acres 



30 | 430 J 22 3,159 



2,197 







All farms , , 



105 301 1 101 1.130 



62 



1,864 



268 



975 













a One of these farms is a dairy farm with high-quality cows. 



In regard to the farmers with 100 or less tilled acres per farm it 

 will be observed that these men with cotton yields of one-half bale 

 or less per acre made an average labor income of only $120, while 

 with the same size farms the men with cotton yielding over two- 

 thirds of a bale per acre made an average labor income of $504. 



Out of the 103 farm operators with 101 to 250 tilled acres per 

 farm, there were one-third with yields of cotton of one-half bale or 

 less per acre and their average labor income was $423. With farms 

 of the same size the men with cotton yielding over two-thirds of a 

 bale per acre made labor incomes averaging $1,721. 



This same trend holds good for the farmers with over 250 tilled 

 acres per farm. The farms of the group producing the lowest yields 



