and price of tobacco at 60 cents a pound. The charges amounted to $29.62 per 
acre in 1955, as compared with $40.50 in 1956, The take-home receipts from 3.8 
acres of tobacco each year per area-type farm averaged about $3,655 in 1956 
compared with $3,190 in 1955. 
The yield of corn per acre in 1956 was the highest on record. It 
reflected a very favorable growing season and improved cultural practices. 
The yields of hay and small grains were also above average in 1956. Although 
prices of hogs and cattle were moderately lower, prices received for all live- 
stock and livestock products were practically the same in 1956 as in 1955. 
The ratio of prices received for products sold to prices paid, including wages 
to hired labor (197-.9=100), was 92 for area-type farms in 1956 as compared 
with 90 in 1955. 
Total cash production expenditures per farm were 2 percent higher in 
1956 than in 1955. In 1956, wage rates paid for hired labor averaged about 58 
cents per hour, and estimated net cash returns of croppers for share-crop 
labor performed averaged 56 cents an hour, Total cost per unit of production 
in 1956 was practically the same as in 1955 - 30 percent higher than the 
197-9 average. 
Returns per hour for operator and family labor, including management, 
averaged 68 cents on small farms, 70 cents on medium-sized farms, 71 cents on 
large farms, and 70 cents on the average commercial family-operated farm. 
These returns were 17 percent higher than in 1955, but about 19 percent 
smaller than in 19h7-l9. 
In 1955, the average size of tobacco-livestock farms increased by about 
3 acres. This was the first time in several years that there had been a per- 
ceptible change in the size of tobacco-livestock farms. The number of small 
farms averaging 50 acres declined, while the number of large farms (those of 
about 175 acres) increased. However, except for the drastic decrease in the 
acreage of burley tobacco, which was due mainly to the reduction in acreage 
allotments voted by burley tobacco growers, and increased penalties for over- 
production of tobacco, the proportion of land devoted to different crops 
remained about the same as in previous years. 
Although the long-time trend in the yield of tobacco per acre is up- 
ward, the weather of the last 3 years was responsible for large upward 
deviations from that trend. The yield in 1955 averaged about 1,0 pounds, 
approximately 0 percent above the pre-World War II yield. This was similar 
to the yields in 1951-53. The average yield in 1956 was approximately 1,550 
pounds, but the yield in 195), was 1,670 pounds, about 55 and 67 percent 
higher, respectively, than the pre-World War II yield. Apparently, the 195) 
yield was abnormally high, largely because of the unusual growing season in 
1954. Corn and hay yields were above average both in 1955 and 1956, mainly 
because of the good weather when these crops were maturing. 
Sheep numbers increased in 1955 and again in 1956 after a decline of 
several years. Improved prices, especially for spring lambs, and wool pay- 
ments under the wool program encouraged additional sheep numbers, Production 
