FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CIIKSTKK COUNTS', PA. 37 



The 213 farms having 10 to 19 per cent of wheat acreage made 

 >rofits considerably above the average. In the next higher group 

 there are 121 farms, sufficient to give an average having a definite 

 leaning. Their labor incomes averaged 10 per cent lower than in 



le preceding group. In the remaining group the number of farms 

 is small, and they need not be considered. The results for the first, 

 second, and third groups are apparently conclusive. They indicate 

 that an acreage of wheat equal to 10 to 19 per cent of the total crop 

 area is more profitable on these farms under normal conditions than 

 either a larger or a smaller acreage. This merely means that wheat 

 should here occupy one year in the rotation. But it appears to be 

 more profitable to run wheat twice in the rotation than to omit it 

 altogether. 



It is interesting to note that not only is the largest number of 

 farms in this most profitable group, but the average for the 378 

 farms falls within the limits of this group. Wheat has occupied 

 approximately its present position in the agriculture of this region 

 for more than a century, a sufficient length of time for the farmers 

 to have found the most profitable acreage of it. Yet the facts have 

 not been definitely recognized by these farmers. Many of them 

 grow either more or less wheat than these results indicate they 

 should. 



The figures for percentage of income from wheat are in close 

 agreement with the above, and confirm the conclusion that on the 

 maj or portion of these farms this crop, occupies its proper position, 

 as is seen in Table XIII. 



Table XIII. — Relation of percentage of income from wheat to labor income. 





None. 



lto9. 



10 to 19. 



20+. 









36 

 79 



204 

 121 



121 



82 



17 





19 







Average percentage ol wheat area on the 378 farms, 18.2. 



Thirty-six farms sold no wheat. Their labor incomes average 

 much lower than the general average. Two hundred and four farms 

 derive from 1 to 9 per cent of their income from the sale of wheat. 

 Their profits are much above the average. One hundred and twenty- 

 one farms received from 10 to 19 per cent of their income from this 

 source and made profits much below the average. The number of 

 farms deriving more than 20 per cent of their income from wheat is 

 small. This fact is in itself significant. While their number is too 

 small to give a very significant average, the fact that this average is 

 exceedingly low is consistent with the other data of this table and 



