FARM MANAGEMENT IN CATAWBA COUNTY, N. C. 
15 
culty in keeping the crop, and distance from producer to consumer. 
Then there is the objection that to a certain extent it competes for 
labor with another high money value crop — cotton. 1 
From the standpoint of acreage in 1912 and again in 1918, hay 
was the crop fourth in importance. Very little hay is sold, but 
most farmers grow all the hay needed for their live stock. In 1912 
the value of hay bought per farm was $3 and in 1918 it was $5. 
Hay fits in fairly well in the rotation, does not compete very 
seriously for labor with other crops, is useful as a catch crop, and, if 
a legume, improves the soil. 
The climate and soil are favorable for raising a wide variety of 
truck crops, but the local demand for these products is very limited 
and competition with other regions is keen, hence comparatively 
little truck is grown. 
Some fruit is grown on every farm for home use, but very little is 
sold. - 
Table 11 shows the distribution of live stock and selling prices of 
some stock products on the farms studied in 1912 and 1918. There 
was a slight decrease in the number of productive animal units 2 per 
farm from 1912 to 1918. In 1912 there were six productive animal 
units per farm, and 5.6 in 1918. Table 5 showed that in 1912 24 
per cent and in 1918 22 per cent of all the farm receipts were from 
live stock. 
Table 11. — Distribution of live stock and selling prices of some products on 297 farms for 
1912 and 304 farms for 1918, Catawba County, N. C. 
1912 
1918 
Item. 
30 crop 
acres 
or 
les*. 
30.1 
to 50 
crop 
acres. 
50.1 
to 70 
crop 
acres. 
■ 
Over 
70 
crop 
acres. 
All 
farms. 
30 crop 
acres 
or 
less. 
30.1 
to 50 
crop 
acres. 
50.1 
to 70 
crop 
acres. 
Over 
70 
crop 
acres. 
All 
farms. 
Productive animal units 
2.8 
5.3 
6.9 
10.9 
6 
3.0 
4.4 
6.7 
11.8 
5.6 
Number of cows 
1.6 
.3 
37 
1.5 
2.6 
.6 
49 
2.3 
3.5 
.9 
65 
3.3 
4.7 ; 2.9 
1.2 ! .7 
69 53 
4.8 ! 2.7 
1.8 
.3 
39 
1.7 
2.4 
.6 
42 
2.3 
3.5 
1.0 
53 
3.0 
6.1 
1.4 
65 
4.5 
3.0 
Number of brood sows 
47' ? 
Number of work stock 
2.6 
Selling prices: 
SO. 20 
80.20 
$0.22 
$0.26 sn 9.2 
$0.28 
$0. 39 
$0.37 
$0.37 
$0 36 
Hoss, pound dressed 
.0925 
.18 
22 
.18 
.18 
.18 
.18 
.35 
.35 
.35 
.35 
.35 
Dairy cattle were the principal productive animals kept on these 
farms. In 1912 cows averaged 2.9 per farm, and 3 in 1918. Jerseys, 
i Where the coatrol methods worked out by the U. S. Department of Agriculture are used the effect of 
diseases on the sweet-potato crop may be discounted. Moreover, the difficulties formerly experienced in 
keeping this crop are rapidly being overcome by the development of proper storage methods. 
For details as to growing sweet potatoes, see Farmers' Bulletin 999, " Sweet-Potato Growing." 
2 A productive animal unit is a grown steer, cow, or horse or its equivalent in small animals— 5 hogs, 
7 sheep, or 100 fowls. 
