A STUDY OF FARM ORGANIZATION IN CENTRAL KANSAS 9 
PRESENT TYPE OF FARMING 
Twenty-five farms were included in the study, thirteen for the 
entire three-year period 1920-1922, six for two years, and six for one 
year. These farms are typical of the agriculture and characteristics 
of the region. The average area of the farms included in 1922 was 
295 acres, of which 245 acres were in crops and 42 acres in pasture. 
Wheat occupies the major portion of the cropped land. In 1922 
the area of wheat per farm was 174 acres. Table 2 gives the acreages 
of the various crops on these farms in the years included in the study. 
Wheat is the principal cash crop of the region, and on many farms the 
receipts from wheat constitute a very high proportion of the total 
cash income. 
Corn ranks second in area among the crops grown. It is ordinarily 
used as a feed crop, although occasionally as a cash crop. The 
latter occurs only in the years of good yields of corn. Corn is fre- 
quently planted on land where wheat has failed. 
Oats and alfalfa rank just below corn in acreage grown. The oats 
crop is grown for feed and like corn is frequently grown on abandoned 
wheat land. Alfalfa is the chief hay crop, practically all of which is 
fed on the farms where grown. Rye and barley are minor grain 
crops in this region. 
Kafir, the sorghums, milo, feterita, and Sudan grass are grown in 
limited areas as feed crops. Each farm usually has a few acres of 
one or more of these crops to furnish roughage for work horses and the 
limited number of other livestock kept. 
Prairie hay land is available in small areas on about half of the 
farms. The land left in prairie meadow is usually low and frequently 
is not well drained. 
The pastures of the region are of native grasses. Additional 
pasture land is available to some of these farmers at a distance of 10 
to 20 miles and a few use it for stock cattle. 
Table 2. — Distribution of crop acreage and total acreage on farms studied 
Item 
Average acres per farm in— 
1920 
1921 
1922 
Wheat 
162 
34 
23 
2 
5 
2 
14 
5 
247 
40 
298 
160 
138 
179 
33 
25 
1 
6 
3 
13 
5 
265 
42 
318 
143 
175 
174 
25 
Oats 
17 
Rye 
1 
6 
Sudangrass 
4 
Alfalfa.. . 
15 
3 
245 
42 
295 
151 
144 
Raising livestock is a minor part of the business on the farms of 
this region. The cattle serve the dual purpose of producing beef and 
milk. Many farmers keep only a sufficient numberof cows to supply 
the needs of the family table for milk and cream, 
Those farms having 
