74 BULLETIN 341, XT. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



and the average of the country as a whole. The soils of this region 

 appear to be particularly adapted to corn and wheat, though such 

 yields are not obtained by careless methods. There are few localities 

 where farmers make better use of manure than in Chester County or 

 where more manure is produced per acre of crops grown. We shall 

 later see that these farmers get much greater results from a given 

 amount of manure than is the case in some other sections. 



The yield of oats here is fair, the average being 41.6 bushels per 

 acre ; but here, as in most other localities, the production of nutri- 

 ment per acre is small compared with other crops grown for feed. 

 The low price of this cereal and the small production per acre make it 

 an unprofitable crop in this section, and it is gradually being dis- 

 carded by the better class of farmers. 



The yield of potatoes is distinctly low. The soil is poorly adapted 

 to this crop. While potatoes should be raised for home consumption, 

 and probably for sale to a limited extent, it is probable that farmers 

 having soils similar to those of this area would not find it advan- 

 tageous to make this a major crop. 



The yield of hay in this region was lower than average in 1911. 

 The average of 1.3 tons per acre is only just equal to that of the 

 country as a whole. The pastures here are among the most produc- 

 tive in the country. The low yield of hay was due mainly to unfavor- 

 able weather during the early part of the season, but the practice of 

 leaving hay fields down more than two years, which is not infrequent 

 here, also lowers the average. The first-year hay field usually pro- 

 duces an excellent crop, but if the field is cut for hay for three or 

 four years the yields become very low. By using a somewhat larger 

 proportion of the available manure as a top dressing for hay fields, 

 or possibly by a somewhat more liberal use of commercial fertilizers 

 on these fields, the yield of hay should be materially increased. This 

 would give a better sod to turn under for corn, and this should com- 

 pensate for the slight loss of manure to the corn crop due to the use 

 of more manure on the hay fields. Hay is one of the most profit- 

 able crops in this region, and it should be profitable to go to the 

 necessary expense to produce better yields than are now obtained 

 on the average farm. 



RELATION OF YIELD PER ACRE TO SIZE OF FARM. 



The plea for small farms has often been made on the basis of the 

 better yields it is possible to obtain by the better tillage that can be 

 given to small areas. It is not questioned that better yields could 

 be thus obtained, but the fact is that American farmers have thus far 

 found it to their advantage to spread their work over more acres 

 rather than to increase unduly the amount of work per acre. Within 



