FARM MANAGEMENT IN SUMTER COUNTY, GA. 19 
as already pointed out, they had lower yields of cotton. However, 
when the farms are classified in groups upon the basis of fertilizer 
application a definite relation between the amount of fertilizer ap- 
plied and yields returned each year is apparent. The quantity of 
fertilizer used per acre was reduced 37 per cent. (See Table 5.) 
TABLE 5.—Amount of fertilizer applied per crop acre and yield of cotton and 
corn, Sumter County, Ga. 
Fertilizer | Yield per acre. | 
| 
F ‘ Per cent 
Number | applied Tilled 
Fertilizer applied. of er ; acres | ee 5 ae 
farms. |cropacre.| aan ; Corn. |Pe farm. | capital. 
By white owners, 1913: Pounds. | Pounds. | Bushels. | 
200 pounds and less......... 37 171 228 12 157 | $20 4.4 
201-300 pounds............. 78 257 258 13 186 | 250 5.8 
301-400 pounds. -............ 69 350 285 14 192 | 428 6.5 
401-500 pounds. -........... 43 443 314 17 337 739 6.3 
Over 500 pounds............ 41 620 339 18 315 | 1,108 (ets 
By white owners, 1918: 
100 pounds and less......-... 47 64 211 12 133 | 914 8.5 
a0) E2010) oXeyb halo 119 153 232 13 185 | 841 9.2 
201-300 pounds. ............ 62 243 260 14 257 | 2,270 9.6 
301-400 pounds. -.......-... 28 357 267 15 383 | 3,777 | 13.1 
Over 400 pounds............ 24 525 305 20 318] 4,921 | 15.4 
By colored tenants, 1913: | 
200 pounds and less......... 47 155 172 8 61 | 214 yak enero 
201-300 pounds 22. -2.2.....- 86 250 203 8 54 | Bp ae eens Ge 
Over 300 pounds............ 53 350 250 11 67 | MASI |S SMe ry Soe 
By colored tenants, 1918: | 
100 pounds and less......... 29 79 | 154 8 | UU (ie ese ceases 
101-200 pounds. .........2. 2 90 151 181 11} 73 (et, 066:|5 Sse 
Over 200 pounds............ | 47 249 230 12 | WMG | Soy 3) 428) Ie So ahs 5 
| | | | 
One of the reasons for the lighter applications of fertilizer in 
1918 was the higher cost per ton, but even with the advance in price 
the heavier applications seem to have brought profitable gains, as 
indicated by the higher average labor incomes and higher per cent 
returned on capital of the farms making the heavier applications of 
fertilizer. 
In case of the owners shown in this table, however, it should not 
be inferred that this entire increase in labor income is due to in- 
creased application of fertilizer, for it will be observed that. those 
farms applying the larger amount of fertilizer are the larger farms, 
and for this reason alone would naturally be expected to return the 
larger labor incomes. It undoubtedly is true that a number of fac- 
tors aided in returning the higher labor incomes, but the fact that 
the better farmers do use the larger applications of fertilizer would 
seem to justify the practice. 
For comparison of the yields of the more important crops grown 
in Sumter County with those for the entire State, and to aid in 
determining the relation of the yields in 1913 and 1918 to those of 
other years, crop yields for the State of Georgia, as reported by the 
Bureau of Crop Estimates, are shown for the 10-year period 1911 
