FARM PROFITS. 11 
wheat, and hay in the organization of these farms, and the variation 
in the acreage of each over the seven-year period. The use of the 
silo is being increased in this area. The variation in the propor- 
tion of the corn area used for silage was also affected by the yield; 
1916 and 1918 were the years of poorest yields and therefore the 
years requiring the larger proportion of the corn crop to fill the silo. 
CROP YIELDS. 
The average yield of corn for the seven-year period was 41 bushels 
per acre; the lowest average yield for any year was 29 bushels in 
1918, and the highest 52 bushels in 1913. The average yield of 
wheat was 14 bushels per acre, ranging from an average of 9 bushels 
in 1913 to that of 18 bushels in 1914 and 1915. The average yield of 
hay was 1.2 tons, being as low as 0.9 ton in 1914 and as high as 1.5 
tons in 1912 and 1916. The highest yield of corn was accompanied 
with the lowest yield of wheat, and an average yield of hay; the lowest 
yield of corn was accompanied by average yields of wheat and hay. 
Of the total production, 25 per cent of the wheat was sold, 15 per 
cent of the hay, 9 per cent of the oats, and 6 per cent of the corn. 
LIVE STOCK. 
There was an increase in the stock kept on these farms during this 
period. ‘This increase, representing ‘3.7 animal units, or over 25 per 
cent, taken together with rising prices, had much to do with the 
increase in income. ‘The live stock (exclusive of work horses) when 
expressed in equivalents of mature cattle, or in what is termed, ‘‘a 
productive animal unit,’ averaged 15.5 units per farm. This is an 
average of one head to each 7.9 acres of crops and pasture. The 
number of cattle increased and that of sheep decreased during the 
first six years. A small increase in sheep was shown in 1918 over 
that of 1917. When measured by the amount of feed required, cat- 
tle represented 58 per cent of all live stock except work horses, 
sheep 17 per cent, hogs 10 per cent, and poultry 11 per cent. The 
number of work horses averaged 2.7 per farm. 
LABOR REQUIRED. 
It required, on the average, 17.5 months of man labor to operate 
these farms, of which 12 months represented the farmer’s own 
labor, 3.7 months unpaid family labor, and 1.8 months hired 
labor. This means that 90 per cent of the labor is performed by the 
farmer and members of his family, and 10 per cent is hired from 
the outside. The amount of labor for the various years remained 
practically constant. 
FARM CAPITAL. 
The average capital value of these farms was $6,682, of which 
$4,912, or about three-fourths, was in real estate, $1,101, or 15 per 
cent, in live stock, $330, or 5 per cent, in machinery, and $339, or 5 
