RELATIVE FARM VALUE OF CROPS. 



41 



COMPARISON OF THE RELATIVE FARM VALUE OF CROPS OF WHEAT, 

 OATS, AND BARLEY PRODUCED BY EACH OF THE NINE ROTA- 

 TIONS AND BY CONTINUOUS CROPPING. 



THE TABULAR SUMMARY. 



In Tables XXII and XXIII have been brought together in con- 

 densed form much of the data contained in the foregoing tables. 

 Table XXII gives the farm value per acre for wheat and oats or 

 barley and oats for each rotation. The figures given in the respective 

 columns of Table XXIII for each rotation were obtained by subtract- 

 ing the corresponding figures for the farm values of each test of 

 continuous cropping, as given in Table V, from the farm values for 

 each test of each rotation as given in Table XXII. In these com- 

 parisons the average farm value per acre for wheat and oats has 

 been used for rotations Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9, and for barley and 

 oats in rotations Nos. 6 and 7 — the basis of valuation, as in all other 

 tables, being 60 cents for wheat, 30 cents for oats, and 38 cents for 

 barley. The second column from the right-hand side of the table 

 gives the loss or gain in dollars per acre of the best rotation, except 

 Nos. 5 and 8, as compared with continuous cropping. The reason 

 for excepting Nos. 5 and 8 is that they are both fallow rotations and 

 are therefore not strictly comparable with the other rotations of 

 this series where a crop is grown every year. This best rotation is 

 printed in black-faced type so as to be readily recognized at a glance. 



At the foot of each column is given the average for all tests of the 

 respective rotations. Just below these averages are given their 

 equivalents in bushels per acre of wheat, oats, and barley. It must 

 be constantly borne in mind that the farm values are all based upon 

 wheat at 60 cents, oats at 30 cents, and barley at 38 cents. These 

 prices are at least 50 per cent too low to meet present price conditions. 

 In order, therefore, to meet these conditions, all the farm values 

 expressed in dollars and cents should be multiplied by 1.5, while 

 bushels per acre would, of course, remain the same. 



We find from consulting the figures given in this table that all the 

 rotations except No. 9 gave better average results for all the tests 

 than continuous cropping. We also find that the average results 

 for all rotations in each test were better than continuous cropping 

 except at Judith Basin, Mont., 1909; North Platte, Nebr., 1909; and 

 Amarillo, Tex., 1908. 



At Judith Basin the crops were all grown on virgin prairie, broken 

 in 1907 and first cropped in 1908. The season of 1909 was especially 

 favorable, so that very large crops were raised by all methods. The 

 slight difference in favor of continuous cropping was therefore of 



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