FARM MANAGEMENT PRACTICE OF CHESTER COUNTY, PA. 39 

 Taim.k XV. — Percentage of crop area in hay as related to labor income. 





0to29. 



30 to 39. 



40 to 49. 



50 to 59. 



60+. 









33 

 96 



107 

 93 



145 

 107 



74 

 105 



19 





72 







Average percentage of crop area in hay, 44. 



Thus the larger number of farmers, as well as the average of all 

 the farms, falls within the limits of the most profitable acreage. In 

 other words, the farmers here have in a general way, and perhaps 

 Avithout any very definite knowledge that they were right, responded 

 to the economic pressure which tends to drive them in the direction 

 of the greatest profit. The hay crop ordinarily occupies the land for 

 two years in a five-year rotation, but a sufficient number of the 

 farmers leave their hay lands down for a year longer, and occa- 

 sionally even longer than this, to bring the percentage area of the 

 crop somewhat above the 40 per cent line. It is probable that the 

 substitution of soy beans for oats in the second year of the rotation 

 would obviate the necessity of leaving meadows down for more than 

 two years except for pasture, unless the soys are grown for seed. 



We have already seen in Table VIII that hay is the second most 

 important direct source of cash income in this region. While it occu- 

 pies twice the area of any other crop, a large proportion of the crop 

 is fed. Here again the question arises whether it would pay best to 

 feed all the hay, sell all of it, or feed part and sell part. If the lat- 

 ter, then what proportion of the farm income may legitimately be 

 derived from the sale of hay ? Fortunately, the data on this point are 

 such as to give quite a definite answer to the query. During the year 

 to which these records relate 298 of the 378 farms operated by 

 their owners sold some hay. The highest proportion of income from 

 this source on any farm was 57 per cent. The percentages for the 

 different farms are fairly evenly distributed between 1 and about 25 

 per cent, gradually falling off beyond this point. Table XVI shows 

 quite conclusively that those farmers who derive from 1 to 9 per cent 

 of their income from the sale of hay make higher profits than any 

 others, and that, next to these, those who derive from 10 to 19 per 

 cent make the most profit. 



Table XVI. — Relation of labor income to percentage of income from hay. 





None. 



1 to 9. 



10 to 19. 



20 to 29. 



30+. 







80 



78 



78 

 132 



114 

 112 



64 

 98 



42 





55 







