COST OF PRODUCIl^G WHEAT. 
19 
wheat land was in such condition as a result of heavy rains that an 
8-foot binder was able to cut but one-third to one-half of a full swath. 
The influence of such conditions on labor requirements not only in 
cutting but in shocking such wheat is apparent The abandonment 
of a high percentage of the acreage has a decided effect on acre cost. 
Rent or interest on land, the value of which ranged from $30 to over 
$200 per acre in the spring-wheat areas, is also a big item in acre- 
cost variation, just as is high or low yields on share-rented farms. 
Other items of cost were less variable, but each contributed its part 
to the range in acre costs as shown for these farms. 
Could each wheat farmer foresee the cost per acre of production, 
and furthermore forecast with any degree of accuracy the yield for 
any given year, farming as well as cost of production studies would 
be much simphfied. But unfortunately, this is not the case, and 
while such information for one year is of considerable value, it is only 
after data of this nature have been obtained for a number of years 
that plans for farm organization can be undertaken with best results. 
These cost figures, therefore, should be treated as preliminary, repre- 
sentative of but one year's work. They should be supplemented by 
similar figures for years to come to make them applicable as fixed 
standards for individual farmers. 
(Further variations in the cost per acre and per bushel on farms 
operated by landowners are shown in Table XXXVII, appendix, 
where an itemized statement is recorded for each farm visited.) 
VARIATION IN NET COST PER ACRE. 
In figures 4 and 5 the spring-wheat and winter-wheat farms have 
been grouped according to cost per acre, without regard to counties. 
In the spring-wheat area 88 of the 197 farms came within the $20 
to $25 class. Next in importance were the farms with costs ranging 
from $25 to $30 per acre, followed closely by the group with cost 
under $20 per acre. Few farms had costs of over $30. 
Table IX. — Variation in net cost per acre, spring and winter wheat, 1919 {481 farms). 
Net cost per acre. 
Num- 
ber of 
farms. 
Cumula- 
tive 
per cent, 
of farms. 
Seeded. 
Harvest- 
ed. 
Cumula- 
tive per 
cent har- 
vested. 
Produc- 
tion. 
Cumula- 
tive pro- 
duction. 
Produc- 
tion. 
SPRING WHEAT. 
Under $20 
46 
88 
50 
11 
1 
1 
22 
52 
59 
65 
49 
37 
Per cent. 
23.4 
68.1 
93.4 
99.0 
99.5 
100.0 
7.8 
26.1 
46.9 
69.7 
87.0 
100.0 
Acres. 
10,389 
22,224 
10,066 
1,278 
210 
51 
5,468 
11,773 
10,823 
8,343 
5,044 
2,489 
Acres. 
10, 156 
21,962 
9,440 
1,178 
60 
51 
5,193 
11,485 
10,537 
8,206 
4,924 
2,369 
Acres. 
23.7 
75.0 
97.0 
99.8 
99.9 
100.0 
12.2 
39.1 
63.8 
83.0 
94.5 
100.0 
Bushels. 
62,855 
196,224 
89,432 
12,618 
423 
495 
46,437 
141,542 
160, 860 
146, 151 
92,508 
47,626 
Bushels. 
62,855 
259, 079 
348, 511 
361,129 
361,552 
362,047 
46,437 
187,979 
348, 839 
494, 990 
587,498 
635, 124 
Per cent. 
17.4 
$20 to 825 
71.6 
$25 to $30 
96 3 
$30 to $35 . 
99 8 
$35 to $40 
99.9 
100.0 
WINTER WHEAT. 
Under $20 
7 3 
$20 to $25 
29.6 
$25 to $30 
54.9 
$30 to $35 
77.9 
$35 to $40. .. 
92.5 
$40 and over 
100.0 
