74 BULLETIN 341, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
and the average of the country as a whole. The soils of this region 
appear to be particularly adapted to corn and wheat, though such 
yields are not obtained by careless methods. There are few localities 
where farmers make better use of manure than in Chester County or 
where more manure is produced per acre of crops grown. We shall 
later see that these farmers get much greater results from a Ses 
amount of manure than is the case in some other sections. 
The yield of oats here is fair, the average being 41.6 bushels per 
acre; but here, as in most other localities, the production of nutri- 
ment per acre is small compared with other crops grown for feed. 
The low price of this cereal and the small production per acre make it — 
an unprofitable crop in this section, and it is gradually being dis- 
carded by the better class of farmers. 
The yield of potatoes is distinctly low. The soil is poorly adapted 
to this crop. While potatoes should be raised for home consumption, 
and probably for sale to a limited extent, it is probable that farmers — 
having soils similar to those of this area would not find it advan- 
tageous to make this a major crop. 7 
The yield of hay in this region was lower than average in 1911. 
The average of 1.3 tons per acre is only just equal to that of the 
country as a whole. The pastures here are among the most produc- 
tive in the country. The low yield of hay was due mainly to unfavor- 
able weather during the early part of the season, but the practice of 
leaving hay fields down more than two years, which is not infrequent 
here, also lowers the average. The first-year hay field usually pro- 
duces an excellent crop, but if the field is cut for hay for three or 
four years the yields become very low. By using a somewhat larger 
proportion of the available manure as a top dressing for hay fields, 
or possibly by a somewhat more liberal use of commercial fertilizers 
on these fields, the yield of hay should be materially increased. This 
would give a better sod to turn under for corn, and this should com- 
pensate for the shght loss of manure to the corn crop due to the use 
of more manure on the hay fields. Hay is one of the most profit- 
able crops in this region, and it should be profitable to go to the 
necessary expense to produce better yields than are now obtained 
on the average farm. 
RELATION OF YIELD PER ACRE TO SIZE OF FARM. 
The plea for small farms has often been made on the basis of the 
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better yields it is possible to obtain by the better tillage that can be 
given to small areas. It is not questioned that better yields could — 
be thus obtained, but the fact is that American farmers have thus far _ 
found it to their advantage to spread their work over more acres — 
rather than to increase unduly the amount of work per acre. Within 
