34 BULLETIN 341, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



probably occupy a larger acreage than the same crop on another 

 farm where it yields poorly in comparison with other crops. It is 

 also probable that in two localities similar in all respects, except that 

 in one the crops produce low yields while in the other the same crops 

 produce good yields, the optimum status of the individual crops 

 would be different in the two regions. Conclusions based on studies 

 in one region should certainly not be applied too broadly in other 

 regions in which conditions are different. 



Corn. — We have already seen that on the average the corn crop 

 occupies 22.3 per cent of the entire crop area in the area here under 

 consideration. Percentages as low as about 13 and as high as about 

 33 are fairly common, the extremes being 8 and 55. The more fre- 

 quent percentages of this crop are from 18 to 25. While the corn 

 crop is nearly universal on these farms, and in a large number of 

 cases occupies from one-fifth to one- fourth of the crop area, there is 

 seen to be considerable variation in the percentage of corn acreage 

 on the different farms. The question arises, What percentage of corn 

 acreage is most profitable under the conditions which prevail in this 

 locality ? The answer to this question will depend to some extent on 

 the intensity of the stocking of the farm. In general, those farms 

 which are most heavily stocked have the largest percentage of their 

 land in corn. But we may first consider the matter from the stand- 

 point of the average conditions prevailing in the region. 



Table X classifies the 378 farms into groups based on the percentage 

 of their crop area devoted to corn. 



Table X. — Percentage of crop area in Gom 



as related to labor income. 





to 19. 



20 to 29. 



30 to 39. 



40+. 









138 

 94 



188 

 102 



42 

 121 



10 





52 







Average percentage of corn area on the 378 farms, 22.3. 



It will be noticed that the average labor income of the 138 farms 

 having from to 19 per cent of corn acreage is 6 per cent below the 

 general average of the region. One hundred and eighty-eight farms 

 had 20 to 29 per cent of corn acreage, and their labor incomes are 2 per 

 cent above the average. In the next higher group 42 farms have an 

 average labor income 21 per cent above the general average. Unfor- 

 tunately, the number of farms in the next group is small, but it will 

 be noticed that the average labor income on them is very low. 



It will be remembered that the original form of the common ro- 

 tation of this region had corn the first year only. In recent years 

 the price of corn has risen very materially as compared with two 

 decades ago, and corn has begun to invade the second year of the 



