2 BULLETIN 1447, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
in the selection of combines and the choice of motive power in a 
region of relatively large grain farms. 
Pata on which this bulletin is based were obtained by personal 
interviews with actual farm operators during a study of the cost of 
winter wheat production and farm organization for the calendar 
years 1920, 1921, and 1922. 
AREA AND EXTENT OF STUDY 
Sherman County, Oreg., is located in an upland area of the south- 
western portion of the ‘Columbia River basin in a region of very 
limited rainfall. The aver age annual precipitation ‘at Moro in 
Sherman County is about 11.5 inches. Practically all of the rain- 
fall occurs during the period from September to June, inclusive. 
The soil varies from a sandy loam to a silt loam type and is free 
from loose surface stones. The topography ranges in character from 
nearly level areas to very rolling slopes and is broken by canyons, 
the more rugged portions of which are used principally for grazing 
purposes. Dry-farming methods are well established. The pre- 
vailing farm practice is to clean-cultivate the land one year and 
follow with a crop of grain the succeeding year. 
Winter wheat production is the chief enterprise. Over the period 
1920 to 1922, on tractor-owned farms, the average total acreage per 
farm was divided approximately 39 per cent. to wheat, 3 per cent to 
other crops, 42 per cent to summer fallow and 16 per cent to pasture 
and waste land. On nontractor farms the approximate division of 
the farm area was: Wheat, 34 per cent; other crops, 5 per cent; 
summer fallow, 37 per cent; ‘and pasture and waste land, 24 per cent. 
The crops other than wheat were oats and barley which were utilized 
mainly as feed for livestock. The number of farms studied, distri- 
bution of the farm area, numbers of work stock and colts per farm, 
and pou number of tractors and combines on these farms are given 
in Table 1. 
TABLE 1.—Number of farms studied, distribution of farm area, numbers of work 
stock and colts per farm; total tractors and combines on these farms, 
1920-1922 
1920 1921 1922 3-year average 
Item Trac- Now Trac- Nee Trac- | NOD- | prac. | Non- 
tor aC) “tor rac- | ‘tor | aC | tor | trac 
tor tor tor tor 
Marms Soe. iF oe oe ee ose Bae number-- 37 108 39 114 35 117 37 113 
Sizevofifanm=) 2. se et a aD acres__| 1, 237 904 | 1,388 900 | 1, 459 945 | 1,360 917 
Area under cultivation per farm: 
Wih@at!=!- 2. oN ake ok Se eee Gomes 484 315 516 312 587 325 528 317 
OthHeRICrOpS = seen ee ee ee done 33 41 46 46 54 45 44 dt 
Summer fallow: s*22.0-- = Se Geers |= 529 326 592 337 582 357 568 341 
Motals ee PENA ot pe ee es 1,046 | 682]1,154] 695] 1,223 | 727 | 1,140 702 
Pasture pertanemie sae ee acres__| 171 205 214 190 217 204 201 200 
Waste land Sper farm! 2) ieee dow 20 17 20 15 19 14 19 15 
Work stock per farm______-________ number__| 13567) 16°32 |" 15205) 7A |S be 2a Ae Oe 1426 ay Aut 
Coltsipenfarm=. > eS aaa cee Gol |-426 4.5 B07; 4.4 3.5 3.6 3.8 4.1 
SPractors_oifite to" Ripe nNAD) Gees ee dost 225 349 0 45 0 40 0 42 0 
Combines! 282 S00 on Sia e hao S ame: See dosem 31 68 32 76 27 76 30 73 
A total of 450 records were obtained over the three-year period, 
1920 to. 1922. Approximately the same number of farms were visited 
each year. Tractors were owned on about one-fourth of the farms. 
