18 
BULLETIN 1446, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
grouped according to tillable acres per farm shows that man labor, 
work stock, and machinery are used more effectively on the larger 
farms. 
Growing wheat by the summer-fallow method in this region permits 
the farmer to operate a relatively large acreage, since by this system 
a relatively long period of time is provided in which to plow and 
prepare the land for seeding to wheat. In addition, a favorable 
climate allows the wheat to stand for a period of two or three weeks 
after it is ripe without shattering and thereby provides a much longer 
harvesting season than in the more humid areas. 
The question of the best size of farm unit for these wheat farms 
is dependent to a large extent on the experience and managerial ability 
of the farmer. It can be said with a fair degree of assurance, however, 
that these wheat farmers can not hope to make a comfortable living 
on less than a section of land. It is difficult to lay down a general 
rule as to the best size of farm, but it is safe to say that the farm 
should not be so large as to prevent the performance of the various field 
operations during the normal time for these operations. The in- 
fluence of size of farm on the cost of the factors of production and on 
the income from farming in this region is shown in Tables 16 and 17 
for tractor and nontractor farms separately. 
Table 16. — Relation of size of farm to cost of important factors of production and to 
returns on 79 nontractor farms, 1921 
Item 
Tillable acres per farm 
550 and 
under 
801 to 
1,050 
1,051 and 
over 
Farms number 
Average size of farm. acres. 
Average tillable area per farm do.. 
Months of hired-man labor per far m number 
Months of unpaid family labor per farm do.. 
Hired and family labor expense per tillable acre dollars 
Total man-labor expense per tillable acre including operator.do. 
Tillable acres per 12 months of man labor (including the oper- 
ator's time) number 
Work stock per farm _ __do__ 
Tillable acres per head of work stock do.. 
Work stock cost per tillable acre dollars 
Cost per hour of horse work cents 
General farm machinery cost: 
Per farm dollars 
Per tillable acre do.. 
Net cost per acre of winter wheat do.. 
Yield per acre of winter wheat bushels 
Net cost per bushel of winter wheat dollars 
Farm income do_. 
Interest on farm capitalization at 6 per cent.- do._ 
Labor income do.. 
Operator's labor do.. 
Return on farm capitalization per cent 
Unpaid family labor dollars 
Returns per farm to capital and unpaid labor do._ 
19 
594 
450 
5.4 
2.1 
1.44 
3.50 
277 
13.7 
32 
2.22 
9.1 
404 
.90 
27. 15 
24.8 
1.10 
1,930 
1,699 
231 
928 
3.5 
120 
2,050 
33 
891 
651 
10.5 
2.3 
1.83 
3.44 
315 
16.9 
38 
2.14 
475 
.73 
27. 18 
25.2 
1.08 
3,276 
2,767 
509 
1,047 
4.8 
147 
3,423 
13 
L, 146 
927 
15.4 
2.5 
1.81 
2.87 
372 
19.8 
47 
1.78 
8.8 
.74 
26.43 
25.6 
1.03 
5, 252 
3,770 
1,482 
983 
6.8 
211 
5,463 
14 
1,651 
1,311 
19.9 
3.8 
1.80 
2.73 
429 
26.4 
49 
1.83 
8.7 
905 
.70 
26.33 
25.6 
1.03 
7,925 
5,433 
2,492 
1,221 
7.4 
299 
8,224 
