UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 757 
Office of the Secretary 
Contribution from the Office of Farm Ma tecrieat 
R. L. ADAMS, Acting Chief 
Washington, D.C. Vv March 25, 1919 
FARM PRACTICES IN GRAIN FARMING IN NORTH 
DAKOTA. 
By C. M. HEnnis, Assistant Agriculturist, and Rex E. WILLARD, Agriculturist. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. | Page 
Summary of facts brought out.............-. iL |) WME WOR AS Grid CO 55 s55cocossecasaocsasass 24 
Agricultural development of the State....... 2 \| DEVE OF COGRINOMS =~ ossocosesno-scossconesee 25 
_ General conditions influencing grain farming | WHOIS coosopocasdncscccscsnssesoneesnceasese 27 
io igri D0) 2 a 4; Summary of cost factors. ...-.-.....-.-.----- 33 
The farm and its organization................ 5 | Costs for 1917 as compared with pre-warcosts. 34 
Factors that control cost of production...... 10 
SUMMARY OF FACTS BROUGHT OUT. 
This bulletin presents the results of over 350 records of grain pro- 
duction in 1912, 1913, and 1914, for 34 counties of North Dakota, 
together with information relating to dates of operations, time avail- 
able for field work, farm organization, character of equipment, man 
labor, horse labor, use of eenerse amount of seed needed for 
various crops, thrashing, etc. In conclusion there are presented, in 
comparison, the costs of various items for five years prior to the war, 
and the costs of the same items for 1917, as found on a representative 
North Dakota farm. 
Wheat occupies 39 per cent of the crop acreage of the farms studied 
in North Dakota, oats 17 per cent, and barley 14 per cent. Crops of 
less importance are flax, corn, rye, and potatoes. 
The average yield of wheat on the farms visited in this investiga- 
tion is 13.2 bushels per acre; for the State as a whole, 12.7 bushels. 
The equivalent of one disking and two harrowings, in general, ap- 
pears to give better results than either more working or less. Under 
certain conditions the disking may be omitted and the same results 
obtained by covering three times with the harrow. — 
Summer-fallowing is not generally profitable, except in the case 
of land foul with weeds. Comparatively few farmers follow this 
practice. 
$9815°—19—Bull, 757——1 
