COST OF PRODUCING WHEAT. 
21 
In the winter-wheat areas the range in cost per acre was greater than 
in the spring-wheat areas. Nearly 70 per cent of the farmers, rep- 
resenting 83 per cent of the acreage and 78 per cent of total pro- 
duction, had costs of $35 or less per acre 
NET COST PER BUSHEL. 
RELATION OF YIELD TO COST PER BUSHEL. 
As heretofore shown, a wide range in cost per acre existed on the 
farms visited. While, of course, it is advisable to produce a maximum 
yield at a minimum cost per acre, the ultimate result of importance 
is the cost of producing a bushel of wheat. If yield were to increase 
with fixed relation to an increase in cost per acre, a definite basis would 
be established for planning profitable farm organization. However, 
one may handle a crop according to approved methods of production 
only to have the crop destroyed by insects, fungus diseases, exces- 
sive droughts or rains, etc., and while the acre cost of production may 
be reasonable, the cost per bushel may be extremely high. The 
experience of wheat growers has been that if they can withstand the 
losses occasioned by crop failures they may hope to realize a com- 
pensating income during the good years. Were it not for a reali- 
zation of these things an exceedingly bad year might induce many 
farmers to go out of the business. 
In Tables X and XI the spring and winter wheat farms have been 
grouped according to yield. A review of these tables shows the in- 
fluence of yield in determining cost per bushel. In general, as the 
yield per acre increased, the cost per bushel decreased. 
Table X. — Relation of yield to cost per bushel, spring tvheat, 1919 (197) farms. 
Range of yield. 
Num- 
ber 
of rec- 
ords. 
Cumu- 
lative 
per 
cent of 
produc- 
tion. 
Aver- 
age 
yield. 
Aver- 
age 
cost per 
bushel. 
Kange of yield. 
Num- 
ber 
of rec- 
cords. 
Cumu- 
lative 
per 
cent of 
produc- 
tion. 
Aver- 
age 
yield. 
Aver- 
age 
cost per 
bushel. 
Bushels. 
Ito 1.9 
2to 2.9 
3to 3.9 
4 to 4.9 
5 to 5.9 
6 to 6.9 
7 to 7.9 
8 to 8.9 
9to 9.9 
3 
5 
7 
14 
18 
27 
22 
25 
19 
0.2 
.8 
1.6 
4.9 
11.0 
23.1 
32.2 
46.1 
55.0 
Bushels. 
1.3 
2.8 
3.3 
4.5 
5.4 
6.5 
7.6 
8.5 
9.5 
$12. 16 
5.81 
5.98 
4.54 
3.79 
3.25 
2.97 
2.65 
2.58 
Bushels. 
lOtolO.9 
11 to 11.9 
12 to 12.9 
13 to 13.9 
14tol4.9 
15 to 15.9 
16 to 16.9 
17 and over 
11 
22 
7 
8 
4 
2 
2 
1 
67.0 
79.7 
84.2 
90.5 
94.5 
98.0 
99.7 
100.0 
Bushels. 
10.3 
11.5 
12.0 
13.2 
14.6 
15.4 
16.7 
20.8 
2.30 
2.10 
1.95 
1.93 
1.79 
1.45 
1.60 
1.15 
The column in these tables showing cumulative per cent of pro- 
duction indicates that over one-half of the wheat grown on the 
spring-wheat farms included in this study was produced on farms 
having yields of less than 10 bushels per acre, and that 45 per cent was 
raised on farms having yields of from 10 to 20.8 bushels per acre. In 
