FARM PRACTICE IN THE CULTIVATION OF CORN. 
of increase is caused in all cases by this extra preparation. Suppose 
we place this increase at 10 per cent. Soils yielding normally 60 
bushels per acre would then be increased 6 bushels by such extra 
work. With soils, however, having a normal yield of only 20 bushels 
per acre the increase for the same amount of work would be but 2 
bushels. This latter amount might be too small to warrant such 
practice. 
Table II. — Com culture in the United States, showing farm practice averages 
summarized hg divisions. 
Area of farms. 
Per acre. 
Fall plow- 
ing. 
Spring plow- 
ing. 
Fall and spring 
plowing. 
Regions covered 
(fig. 1). 
Total. 
Culti- 
vated. 
Price of 
land. 
Normal 
yield. 
Farm- 
ers 
prac- 
tic- 
ing. 
Depth. 
Farm- 
ers 
prac- 
tic- 
ing. 
Depth. 
Farm- 
ers 
plac- 
ing. 
Depth. 
Fall. 
Spring. 
Ten regions: 
Best 
Poorest 
Acres. 
189.1 
294.6 
Acres. 
154. 4 
179.4 
$132. 38 
62.32 
Bushels. 
45.4 
27.4 
P.ct. 
24.0 
17.2 
In. 
6.6 
7.0 
P.ct. 
73.8 
72.6 
In. 
6.4 
5.7 
P.ct. 
2.1 
10.2 
In. 
8.2 
7.8 
In. 
6.0 
4.8 
Average of all... 
242.7 
170.3 
100. 25 
36.3 
20.0 
6.8 
74.1 
6.0 
5.9 
7.9 
5.1 
Divisions: 
Central western . . 
Northeastern 
South centra] 
Southwestern 
Southeastern 
176.4 
104.2 
343.0 
380.5 
334.7 
150.6 
80.1 
248.7 
231. 9 
194.6 
167. 42 
97.29 
72. 85 
65.54 
57.46 
45.0 
43,1 
34.3 
26.0 
26.0 
21.1 
19.2 
35.9 
12.4 
2.9 
6.1 
6.6 
7.0 
5.9 
9.0 
78.9 
80.8 
45.2 
71.5 
91.1 
5.9 
6.5 
6.7 
5.3 
5.4 


18.9 
16.1 
6.0 


8.1 
6.5 
8.7 


5.3 
5.9 
4.3 
Cultivations given. 
Area per horse. 
Farmers 
practic- 
ing hand 
labor. 
Cost of labor. 
Regions covered (fig. 1). 
After 
plowing 
and 
before 
planting. 
After 
planting. 
Culti- 
vated 
land. 
Inter- 
tilled 
crop. 
Per day. 
Per 
month. 
Ten regions: 
Best 
3 
1.6 
4.9 
4.5 
Acres. 
24.4 
28.4 
Acres. 
6.6 
14.5 
Per cent. 
39.8 
56.9 
SI. 39 
1.09 
$24. 14 
21.45 
Average of all 
2.3 
4.6 
26.4 
10.5 
46.4 
1.25 
23.55 
Divisions: 
2.9 
2.8 
2.3 
1.0 
1.4 
4.8 
4.7 
5.2 
3.9 
4.6 
21.6 
21.0 
35.9 
27.7 
26.9 
7.9 
5.0 
9.0 
15.7 
21.7 
28.8 
71.4 
41.6 
43.4 
73.2 
1.53 
1.49 
.76 
1.38 
.71 
27.49 
25.04 
South central 
17.69 
Southwestern 
25.00 
12.41 
It is shown in Table II that in the regions making the highest 
yield of corn the least handwork is done. It is not thought, however, 
that there is any relation between the amount of hand labor and the 
yield of corn. Where the topography of a region is level and corn 
is grown in large acreages in a field, it is usually planted in checks 
and cultivated in alternate directions. Where this is done, very little 
hand labor is employed. Where the fields are small or where the 
land is rolling, checkrowing is not as a rule practiced. In this case 
hand labor is more extensively employed. Hand labor, therefore, 
compared with yield must be considered merely as an associated 
rather than a related factor. 
