FARM-MANAGEMENT STUDY IN ANDERSON CO., S. C. 
15 
but the values are indicative. The cost of fertilizer per acre ran from 
nothing in 34 cases to an average of $5.01 in 20 cases. The highest 
value per acre and the greatest profit were with applications costing 
less than $2 per acre and averaging $1.42 per acre. The residual 
effect of the fertilizers applied to other crops is responsible for this 
showing. It is an indication that the best farmers fertilize cotton 
and corn heavily and oats lightly. Where such a practice is followed 
nothing but nitrate of soda is ordinarily used as a direct application 
to the oats. In normal times this costs from $1 to $2 per acre for 
the amount of fertilizer used in the most profitable group. 
Table IX. — Relation of the fertilizer practice to the cost, value, and profit per acre of oats 
and oat hay. a 
Cost of fertilizer per acre. 
Number 
ofrecords. 
Average 
cost of 
fertilizer 
per acre. 
Cost of 
crop per 
acre. 
Value of 
crop per 
acre. 
Profit 
per acre. 
$0 
34 
29 
20 
20 
$0 
1.42 
2.36 
5.01 
$8.88 
10.46 
12.56 
15.37 
$14. 18 
19.58 
19.03 
19.33 
$5.30 
$0 to $1.99 
9.52 
$2 to $2.99 
6.47 
$3 
3.96 
a The fertilizers applied to previous crops largely determine the fertilizer applied to oats. Heavy appli- 
cations to previous crops followed by moderate applications to oats constituted the most profitable practice. 
Another way by which increased yields are obtained in the Bel ton 
area is by planting cowpeas. The cowpea is the only legume that is 
used extensively. It is planted principally after oats, but also in 
corn for soil improvement and for seed. Farmers in this section 
frequently furnish land rent free to croppers and tenants for planting 
cowpeas, it being assumed that the soil improvement resulting from 
growing the cowpeas is worth the use of the land. 
In Table X the farms are grouped on the basis of the per cent of 
the crop area planted in cowpeas. The cowpeas include those planted 
either separately or with sorghum and millet. It can easily be seen 
from this table that the higher the percentage of crop land planted 
in cowpeas the higher are the yields of cotton and corn. This is an 
indication of the great value of the cowpea in obtaining yields. 
Table X. — Relation of the per cent of crop area planted in cowpeas to the yield per acre of 
cotton and corn. 
Number 
of farms. 
Yield. 
Per cent planted in cowpeas. 
Net lint 
cotton. 
Corn. 
5 per cent or less 
38 
33 
39 
Pounds. 
222 
252 
277 
Bushels. 
15.6 
6 to 10 per cent 
18.0 
11 per cent or more 
20.8 
