10 BULLETIN 1296, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
the larger number of cattle usually keep them primarily for beef pro- 
duction and not for dairy purposes. A sufficient number of hogs to 
supply meat for the household and to consume farm wastes are kept on 
most farms. Poultry receive careful attention on many farms, but the 
usual farm flock is not large. Very few sheep are kept in the region. 
Work horses constitute nearly one-third of all of the livestock on 
these farms. Sufficient work horses are kept to supply the needs of 
the farm during wheat harvest. Most of the farms grow a sufficient 
number of colts to make replacements among the work stock. 
Tractors are used to supplement horse work on about one-third of 
the farms. Table 3 shows the average livestock units of the various 
kinds kept on these farms. 
Table 3. — Amounts of the various kinds of livestock 
Livestock 
Average livestock units per 
farm in— 
1920 
1921 
1922 
4.9 
6.5 
2.0 
.6 
1.1 
2.3 
7.5 
4.7 
12.3 
1.7 
.3 
1.6 
1.6 
9.0 
4.6 
10.1 
1.6 
Sheep -. .- - - - - 
.4 
Poultry.. . -. 
1.8 
1.9 
8.6 
24.9 
31.2 
29.0 
The prevailing soil types of the region and on these farms are silt 
loams. The topography is level to very gently rolling. Drainage is 
fairly good over most of the area, although some portions suffer from 
inadequate drainage in years of excessive rainfall. Most of the drain- 
age is by natural watercourses. In some of the lower areas open 
ditches have been dug to facilitate drainage of surface water. Such 
systems are not common, however. A very high proportion of the 
land is tillable, and much of that now in native prairie could be tilled 
if it were desirable. 
Figure 6 shows the rainfall during 1920, 1921, 1922 and the 1913- 
1922 10 year average. The usual growing season is approximately 
150 days. More than 70 per cent of the annual rainfall of 26.5 inches 
comes during the growing season, but the low rainfall and high 
temperatures of July and August frequently affect growing crops 
adversely. 
The region has good dirt roads, many of which are kept dragged. 
They are in condition for the use of automobiles most of the time. 
The farms of the region have ready access to local shipping points. 
This is particularly true of grain elevators, as most of the railroads 
have sidings between the towns in which elevators are located. 
These elevators are in addition to those in the towns. Few farmers 
need to haul wheat more than 5 or 6 miles, and most of them are 
within less than 7 or 8 miles of a general trading point. 
The city of McPherson, as well as most of the region to which these 
studies are applicable, is adequately supplied with railroads. Four 
lines pass through McPherson. Hutchinson, Wichita, and Kansas 
City are the terminal markets for most of the farm products of the 
region. 
