FARM-MANAGEMENT STUDY IN ANDERSON CO., S. C. 



15 



but the values are indicative. The cost of fertilizer per acre ran (Voir) 

 nothing in 34 cases to an average of $5.01 in 20 cases. The higlic-.f 

 value per acre and the greatest profit were with applications costing 

 less than $2 per acre and averaging $1.42 per acre. The residual 

 effect of the fertilizers applied to other crops is responsible for this 

 showing. It is an indication that the best farmers fertilize cotton 

 and corn heavily and oats lightly. Where such a practice is followed 

 nothing but nitrate of soda is ordinarily used as a direct application 

 to the oats. In normal times this costs from $1 to $2 per acre for 

 the amount of fertilizer used in the most profitable group. 



Table IX. — Relation of the fertilizer practice to the cost, value, and profit per acre of oats 



and oat hay. a 



Cost of fertilizer per acre. 



Number 

 of records. 



Average 



cost of 



fertilizer 



per acre. 



Cost of 



crop per 



acre. 



Value of 



crop per 



acre. 



Profit 

 per acre. 



JO 



34 



29 

 20 

 20 



$0 

 1.42 

 2.36 

 5.01 



$8.88 

 10.46 

 12.56 

 15.37 



$14. 18 

 19.58 

 19.03 

 19.33 



S5.30 



$0 to $1.99 



9 52 



$2 to $2.99 



6 47 



$3 



3 96 







a The fertilizers applied to previous crops largely determine the fertilizer applied to oats. Heavy appli- 

 cations to previous crops followed by moderate applications to oats constituted the most profitable practice. 



Another way by which increased yields are obtained in the Belton 

 area is by planting cowpeas. The cowpea is the only legume that is 

 used extensively. It is planted principally after oats, but also in 

 corn for soil improvement and for seed. Farmers in this section 

 frequently furnish land rent free to croppers and tenants for planting 

 cowpeas, it being assumed that the soil improvement resulting from 

 growing the cowpeas is worth the use of the land. 



In Table X the farms are grouped on the basis of the per cent of 

 the crop area planted in cowpeas. The cowpeas include those planted 

 either separately or with sorghum and millet. It can easily be seen 

 from this table that the higher the percentage of crop land planted 

 in cowpeas the higher are the yields of cotton and corn. This is an 

 indication of the great value of the cowpea in obtaining yields. 



Table X. — Relation of the per cent of crop area planted in cowpeas to the yield per acre of 



cotton and corn. 



Per cent planted in cowpeas. 



Number 

 of farms. 



Yield. 



Net lint 

 cotton. 



5 per cent or less. . 



6 to 10 per cent 



11 per cent or more 



Pounds. 

 222 

 252 

 277 



Bushels. 

 15.6 

 1S.0 

 20.8 



