FARM ORGANIZATION IN SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA 97 
This advantage in favor of the oats is too small to be significant 
and is offset by the element of diversity introduced by the barley 
crop. 
At times the relative prices of grain shift materially, making a 
change in the acreage of each advisable. The effect of such a change 
in prices on the farm income is significant in the following example. 
Assuming that the price of barley has remained the same as in the 
preceding example and the price of oats to have advanced to 40 
cents per bushel, the gain by changing from barley to o,ats would be 
as follows : 
15 acres of oats, 38 bushels per acre, 570 bushels, at $0.40 $228 
15 acres of barley, 25 bushels per acre, 375 bushels, at $0.40 150 
Increase in value of oats over barley 78 
Increase in cost of seed, twine, and threshing 5 
Added returns from the choice of 1 5 acres of oats 73 
It is obvious that this increase is large enough to warrant a 
shift from barley to oats. Any change in the relative yields of these 
crops over a period of years with the relative prices remaining the 
same would affect the profits in a similar way. 
Effect on returns of substituting rye for oats as a cash small-grain 
crop. — Inasmuch as this farm produces small grain for sale, the possi- 
bility of substituting rye, which has a relatively higher value per acre, 
is worth consideration. Using the data on yields and prices given 
above, the effect of replacing 20 acres of oats with rye would be as 
follows : 
Rve, 20 acres, 18 bushels per acre, 360 bushels, at $0.70 $252 
Oats, 20 acres, 38 bushels per acre, 760 bushels, at $0.30 228 
Increase in value of rye over oats 24 
Extra costs of seed, twine, and threshing 6 
Added value from choice of 20 acres of rye 18 
The substitution of this acreage of rye for oats would improve the 
distribution of labor by providing more work during August and 
September and reducing the amount required in April. It would 
spread out the harvest labor, as rye comes ahead of the oats and 
barley, but might conflict with haying or corn cultivation. The rye 
would require more total labor in the preparation of seed bed, as it is 
common to plow for rye. However, this comes at a time when there 
is little other work and could be done without increasing the supply 
of labor. This change would necessitate the seeding of rye after 
oats or barley, unless the fodder com was cut and shocked in time 
to put in rye. Rye is a better nurse crop for clover and grass than 
oats, and therefore could be advantageously included in the rotation. 
However, it does not fit into the cropping scheme as well as oats, 
because it must be seeded in the fall before the corn crop can be 
removed. \ 
Effect of a change in the relative prices of rye and oats upon the choice 
between these crops. — A relative increase in the price of rye over oats 
might warrant some adjustment in the oats and rye acreages. With 
94680°— 24t 7 
