10 
BULLETIN 1070, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Iii 1912, 24 per cent of the crop area was in wheat and in 1918, 28 
per cent. This increase in area devoted to wheat in 1918 was largely 
owing to the demand for wheat that existed at that time and because 
the Government appealed to the patriotism of the farmers in urging 
them to grow more wheat. The yield of wheat was low. In 1912 it 
averaged 11 bushels per acre and in 1918 only 9 bushels. One would 
expect that where the yields of wheat per acre were low wheat would 
be less profitable than some other crops yielding a greater money 
return per acre. Table 7 shows the relation between the acreage of 
wheat, total receipts, and farm and labor income on 297 farms for 
1912 and 301 farms for 1918. It will be seen that, in general, income 
declines as wheat acreage increases. WTiere less than 10 per cent of 
the crop acreage goes into wheat a poor yield will not cut down the 
farm income very much, but where much over 10 per cent of the 
crop acreage is hi wheat it is important to make an effort to increase 
the yield. 
Table 7. — Relation between per cent of total crop land in wheat and total receipts, farm 
income, and labor income cm 297 farms for 1912 and 304 farms for 1918, Catawba County, 
X. C. 
Per cent of crop acres 
in wheat. 
1912. 
191S. 
10 per 
10.1 
20.1 
30.1 
Over 
10 per 
10.1 
20.1 
30.1 
Over 
cent 
to 
to 
to 
40 
All 
cent 
to 
to 
to 
40 
All 
and 
20 per 
30 per 
40 per 
per 
farms. 
and 
20 per 
30 per 
40 per 
per 
farms. 
less. 
cent. 
cent. 
cent. 
cent. 
less. 
cent. 
cent. 
cent. 
cent. 
Number of farms... 
30 
82 
117 
51 
17 
297 
12 
75 
119 
6S 
30 
304 
Crop area, acres 
45.2 
51. 5 
48.8 
55.4 
52.4 
50.8 
30.1 
45.6 
46.6 
49.0 
63.7 
47.9 
Acres in wheat 
1.7 
8.4 
12.1 
19.1 
24.4 
12.0 
1.2 
1. 
11.6 
16. S 
30.0 
13. 2 
Total receipts 
SI. 446 
$967 
Sv",v 
S917 
S>v3 
§919 
§1,302 
•SI . 854 
$1,766 
51.65S 
51,873 
51,726 
Receipts from 
< 
42 
64 
142. 
219 
75 
4 
50 
103 
1S4 
468 
141 
wheat. 
Farm income 
5S3 
410 
356 
407 
402 
413 
7s4 
1,059 
1,033 
S59 
969 
9S5 
Labor income 
196 
134 
61 
44 
-29 
S6 
4v2 
635 
601 
431 
346 
542 
To show the effect of increased yields of wheat on income, all farms 
that had over 30 per cent of their crop acreage in wheat were grouped 
into two groups: the first group consisted of all farms on which the yield 
of wheat was below the average, the second group of those with yield 
above the average. In 1912 the average acreage of wheat per farm 
for these groups was 20.4 acres. There were 39 of these farms with 
an average yield of 8.6 bushels per acre. Their farm income was $260 
and labor income was a minus $69. There were 29 farms with an 
average yield of 14.6 bushels per acre which had an average farm 
income of $601 and an average labor income of $153. 
In 1918 the average acreage of wheat per farm for these groups 
was 20.3 acres. The 62 farmers having over 30 per cent of their 
crop acreage in wheat, but with yields averaging 6.5 bushels per acre. 
