2 BULLETIN 696, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



for instance, occur in areas wherein relatively high prices prevail 

 for corn. In the South lower production, higher prices, and smaller 

 consumption of wheat and other cereals go hand in hand. 



Such price differences are not accidental; they are traceable to 

 fundamental conditions which in many instances are contrary to 

 the general tendencies. Particularly is this true in the producers' 

 price, or " farm price," which is the basic as well as the first and 

 lowest price of food products. 



The present investigation is confined chiefly to the influence of 

 producing areas, trade routes, and consuming centers upon prices 

 paid to farmers for com and to a survey of the regional differences 

 in such prices. 



Existing types of agriculture are determined by a combination of 

 physical and commercial factors. Physical limitations upon most 

 agricultural products may be said to be measured by the average 

 yield in bushels to the acre. High or low yields per acre decrease or 

 increase costs of production. It is also apparent that commercial 

 limitations on production are to a large degree reflected in the price 

 obtained by the farmer. 



^'\'lien the varying farm prices of a product are propc^rly charted on 

 a map they are seen to increase or decrease in determinate directions. 

 The regions of lowest and of highest prices are thus shown clearly, 

 also regions or zones of intermediate prices. The directions of the 

 price movement vary with each product. Small areas appear where 

 farm prices are higher or lower than in the surrounding territory 

 or zone. 



The " geography of farm prices " is thus a controlling element in 

 crop selection. Climate and soil are, of course, the dominating 

 physical factors which determine local types of agriculture. But 

 the local farm price is an index of commercial conditions that are 

 hardly less important. Given a sufficiently high price, obviously 

 products could be grown profitably under unfavorable physical con- 

 ditions. 



DATA EMPLOYED AND METHOD OF TREATMENT. 



" Isotimes," the term used for lines bounding areas of like price. 

 Counties as basis of measurement, and a five-year average employed to 

 distinguish normal from spasmodic price differences. 



To the lines delimiting areas of like price the term " isotimes " 

 (price lines) has been given,^ similar to "isotherms" and "isobars" 

 as applied to lines running through points of like temperature or 

 barometric pressure. Just as the course of climatic changes is out- 

 lined in the latter two so are local or general commercial disturbances 

 reflected in the isotimes. 



1 Th. H. Engelbrecht. 



