COST OF PRODUCING WHEAT. 41 
Spink County, S. Dak., the thrasherman usually furnished the thrash- 
ing crew, and the average rate for thrashing was 27 cents per bushel 
in both counties. 
In the Kansas areas the farmers furnished the bundle haulers 
and teams and the thrasherman furnished field pitchers, where 
shock thrashing was done; where the grain was thrashed from the 
stack, the grain pitchers were furnished by the thrasherman. In 
any case, the crew furnished by the thrasherman did not vary to 
any marked extent, and the rate per bushel was fairly uniform, 
being slightly higher for stack thrashing. 
In Saline Coimty, Mo., 63 per cent of the production was thrashed 
with the farmer's crew and 37 per cent with the thrasherman's crew. 
The rates were 16 cents and 29 cents a bushel. In the other winter- 
wheat areas the thrashing crews were furnished by the farmers in 
nearly every case and the rates averaged from 8 cents to 11 cents a 
bushel. 
The average cost per acre varied in each region according to yield 
and rate per bushel. The average acre cost for aU winter wheat 
was 52 cents greater than the average for all spring wheat, but the 
average bushel cost was 4 cents less for winter wheat. 
USE-COST OF LAND OR LAND RENT. 
An estimate of the value of the land on which wheat was grown 
was obtained from each farmer visited. The current interest rate 
on first mortgages was also determined for each district. The result 
obtained by multiplying the investment in wheat land by the 
interest rate was used as the charge for use of land on owned farms. 
If the land was rented on a cash basis the actual cash rent paid per 
acre was used. If the land was share-rented the value of any items 
furnished by the landlord, such as seed, twine, thrashing, crop 
insurance, etc., was charged as a cost to the operator; these items 
were then deducted from the value at thrashing time of the share 
of wheat given to the landlord, the difference appearing as the 
operator's cost for the use of land. The one-half share rent system 
predominated in the Spring- Wheat Belt, and the one-third share 
rent system was most common in the Winter- Wheat Belt. Approxi- 
mately 30 per cent of the spring-wheat acreage was rented on a 
one-half share basis and 62 per cent of the wheat land was owned 
by the operator. About 47 per cent of the winter-wheat acreage 
was one-third share-rented and 42 per cent of the wheat land was 
owned by the operator. 
On owned farms the market value of the wheat land influenced 
the land-rent charge. On share-rented land the yield per acre, 
the share given as rent, and the part of the expenses paid by the 
landlord are the dominating factors. 
