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Vol. Ill - pt. 9 ch. VII

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION
IN THE UNITED STATES

(A COOPERATIVE REPORT)

Cash-Grain and Livestock
Producers in the Corn Belt

SPECIAL REPORTS

1954 •

Census
Agriculture

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U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE

WASHINGTON - 1956

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U. S. Department of Agriculture

Ezra Taft Benson, SeerKiaryf

Agricultural Research Service

Byron T. Shaw, Adminisfrafor

U. S. Department of Commerce

Sinclair Weeks, Secretary

Bureau of the Census

Robert W. Burgess, Director

»r: /u'lirifi' i

United States
Census

Agriculture:

1954

Volume III
SPECIAL REPORTS

Part 9

Farmers and Farm Production in the United States

(A Cooperative Report)

Chapter VII

Cosh-Grain and Livestock
Producers in the Corn Beit

CHARACTERISTICS OF FARMERS and FARM PRODUCTION •
PRINCIPAL TYPES OF FARMS •

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS
Robert W. Burgess, Director

AGRICULTURE DIVISION
Ray Hurley, Chief
Warder B. Jenkins, Assistant Chief

AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
Byron T. Shaw, Administrator

FARM AND LAND MANAGEMENT RESEARCH
Sherman E. Johnson, Director

PRODUCTION ECONOMICS RESEARCH BRANCH
Carl P. Heisic, Chief

Boston Public Library
Superintendent of Documents

OCT 3 - 1957

SUGGESTED IDENTIFICATION

U. S. Bureau of the Census. U. S. Census of A^ricuhure: 1954. Vol. Ill, Special Reports

Part 9, Farmers and Farm Production in the United States.

Chapter VII, Cash-Grain and Livestock Producers in the Corn Belt

U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C, 1956.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C.
or any of the Field Offices of the Department of Commerce, Price 45 cents (paper cover)

PREFACE

The purpose of this report is to present an analysis of the characteristics of farmers and farm production
for the most important types of farms as shown by data for the 1954 Census of Agriculture. The analysis
deals with the relative importance, pattern of resource use, some measures of efficiency, and problems of
adjustment and change for the principal types of farms.

The data given in the various chapters of this report have been derived largely from the special tabula-
tion of data for each type of farm, by economic class, for the 1954 Census of Agriculture. The detailed
statistics for each type of farm for the United States and the principal subregions appear in Part 8 of Volume
III of the reports for the 1954 Census of Agriculture.

This cooperative report was prepared under the direction of Ray Hurley, Chief of the Agriculture Divi-
sion of the Bureau of the Census, U. S. Department of Commerce, and Kenneth L. Bachman, Head, Produc-
tion, Income, and Costs Section, Production Economics Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service of
the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Jackson V. McElveen, Agricultural Economist, Production, Income, and Costs Section, Production
Economics Research Branch, Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, super-
vised a large part of the detailed planning and analysis for the various chapters.

The list of chapters and the persons preparing each chapter are as follows:

Chapter I Wheat Producers and Wheat

Production
A. W. Epp,
University of Nebraska.

Chapter II Cotton Producers and Cotton

Production
Robert B. Glasgow,
Production Economics Research

Branch,
Agricultural Research Service,
United States Department of

Agriculture.

Chapter III Tobacco and Peanut Producers

and Production
R. E. L. Greene,
University of Florida.

Chapter IV Poultry Producers and Poultry

Production
William P. Mortenson,
University of Wisconsin.

Chapter V Dairy Producers and Dairy Pro-
duction
P. E. McNall,
University of Wisconsin.

Chapter VI Western Stock Ranches and Live-
stock Farms
Mont H. Saunderson,
Western Ranching and Lands

Consultant,
Bozeman, Mont.

Chapter VII Cash-grain and Livestock Pro-
ducers in the Corn Belt

p;dwin G. Strand,

Production Economics Research
Branch,

Agricultural Research Service,

United States Department of
.Agriculture.

Chapter VIII __ Part-time Farming
H. G. Halcrow,
University of Connecticut.

Chapter IX Agricultural Producers and Pro-
duction in the United State.s —
A General View
Jackson V. McElveen,
Production Economics Research

Branch,
Agricultural Research Service,
United States Department of
Agriculture.

The editorial work for this report was performed by Caroline B. Sherman, and the preparation of the
statistical tables was supervised by Margaret Wood.

December 1956

UNITED STATES CENSUS OF AGJRICULTURE : 1954

REPORTS

Volume I. — Counties and State Economic Areas. Statistics for counties include number of farms, acreage, value, and farm operators;
farms by color and tenure of operator; facilities and equipment; use of commercial fertilizer; farm labor; farm expenditures; livestock and
livestock products; specified crops harvested; farms classified by type of farm and by economic class; and value of products sold by source.

Data for State economic areas include farms and farm characteristics by tenure of operator, by type of farm, and by economic class.

Volume I is published in 33 parts.

Volume II. — General Report. Statistics by Subjects, United States Census of iVgriculture, 1954. Summary data and analyses of
the data for States, for Geographic Divisions, and for the United States by subjects.

Volume III. — Special Reports

Part 1. — Multiple-Unit Operations. This report wiU be similar to
Part 2 of Volume V of the reports for the 1950 Census of Agri-
culture. It will present statistics for approximately 900
counties and State economic areas in 12 Southern States and
Missouri for the number and characteristics of multiple-unit
operations and farms in multiple units.

Part 2. — Ranking Agricultural Counties. This special report will
present statistics for selected items of inventory and agricul-
tural production for the leading counties in the United States.

Part 3. — Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, District of Columbia, and
U. S. Possessions. These areas were not included in the 1954
Census of Agriculture. The available current data from vari-
ous Government sources will be compiled and published in
this report.

Part 4. — Agriculture, 1954, a Graphic Summary. This report will
present graphically some of the significant facts regarding
agriculture and agricultural production as revealed by the 1954
Census of Agriculture.

Part 5. — Farm-Mortgage Debt. This will be a cooperative study
by the Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department
of Agriculture and the Bureau of the Census. It will present,
by States, data based on the 1954 Census of Agriculture and a
special mail survey conducted in January 1956, on the num-
ber of mortgaged farms, the amount of mortgage debt, and the
amount of debt held by principal lending agencies.

Part 6. — Irrigation in Humid Areas. This cooperative report by
the Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of
Agriculture and the Bureau of the Census will present data ob-
tained by a mail survey of operators of irrigated farms in 28
States on the source of water, method of applying water, num-
ber of pumps used, acres of crops irrigated in 1954 and 1955,
the number of times each crop was irrigated, and the cost of
irrigation equipment and the irrigation system.

Part 7. — Popular Report of the 1954 Census of Agriculture. This
report is planned to be a general, easy-to-read publication for
the general public on the status and broad characteristics of
United States agriculture. It will seek to delineate such as-
pects of agriculture as the geographic distribution and dif-
ferences by size of farm for such items as farm acreage, princi-
pal crops, and important kinds of livestock, farm facilities,
farm equipment, use of fertilizer, soil conservation practices,
farm tenure, and farm income.

Part 8. — Size of Operation by Type of Farm. This will be a coop-
erative special report to be prepared in cooperation with the
Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agri-
culture. This report will contain data for 119 economic sub-

regions (essentially general type-of-farming areas) showing the
general characteristics for each type of farm by economic class.
It will provide data for a current analysis of the differences
that exist among groups of farms of the same type. It will
furnish statistical basis for a realistic examination of produc-
tion of such commodities as wheat, cotton, and dairy products
in connection with actual or proposed governmental policies
and programs.
Part 9. — Farmers and Farm Production in the United States.
The purpose of this report is to present an analysis of the
characteristics of farmers and farm production for the most
important types of farms as shown by data for the 1954 Census
of Agriculture. The analysis deals with the relative importance,
pattern of resource use, some measures of efficiency, and prob-
lems of adjustment and change for the principal types of farms.
The report was prepared in cooperation with the Agricultural
Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

The list of chapters (published separately only) and title
fur each chapter are as follows:

Chapter I — Wheat Producers and Wheat Production
II — Cotton Producers and Cotton Production
III — Tobacco and Peanut Producers and Production
IV — Poultry Producers and Poultry Production

V — Dairy Producers and Dairy Production
VI — Western Stock Ranches and Livestock Farms
VII — Cash-Grain and Livestock Producers in the Corn
Belt
VIII — Part-Time Farming
IX — Agricultural Producers and Production in the
United States — A General View
Part 10. — Use of Fertilizer and Lime. The purpose of this report
is to present in one publication most of the detailed data com-
piled for the 1954 Census of Agriculture regarding the use of
fertilizer and lime. The report presents data for counties.
State economic areas, and generalized type-of-farming areas
regarding the quantity used, acreage on which used, and
expenditures for fertilizer and lime. The Agricultural Research
Service cooperated with the Bureau of the Census in the prep-
aration of this report.
Part 11. — Farmers' Expenditures. This report presents detailed
data on expenditures for a large number of items used for farm
production in 1955, and on the living expenditures of farm
operators' families. The data were collected and compiled
cooperatively by the Agricultural Marketing Service of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of the Census.
Part 12. — Methods and Procedures. This report contains an
outline and a description of the methods and procedures used
in taking and compiling the 1954 Census of Agriculture.

INTRODUCTION

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VI

INTRODUCTION

Purpose and scope. — American agriculture is exceedingly diverse
and is undergoing revolutionary changes. Farmers and their
families obtain their income by producing a large variety of
products under a large variety of conditions as well as from sources
other than farming. The organization of production, type of
farming, productivity, income, expenditures, size, and character-
istics of operators of the 4.8 million farms in the United States
vary greatly. Agriculture has been a dynamic, moving, adjusting
part of our economy. Basic changes in farming have been occurring
and will continue to be necessary. Adjustments brought by tech-
nological change, by changing consumer wants, by growth of
population, and by changes in the income of nonfarm peoijle, have
been significant forces in changing agriculture since World War II.
The transition from war to an approximate peacetime situation
has also made it necessary to reduce the output of soine farm
products. Some of the adjustments in agriculture have not pre-
sented relatively difficult problems as they could be made by the
transfer of resources from the production of one product to another.
Others require substantial shifts in resources and production.

Moreover, a considerable number of farm families, many of whom
are employed full time in agriculture, have relatively low incomes.
Most of these families operate farms that are small when compared
with farms that produce higher incomes. The acreage of land and
the amount of capital controlled by the operators of these small
farms are too small to provide a very high level of income. In
recent years, many farm families on these small farms have made
adjustments by leaving the farm to earn their incomes elsewhere,
by discontinuing their farm operations, and by earning more non-
farm income while remaining on the farm or on the place they
farmed formerlv.

One objective of this report is to describe and analyze some of
the existing differences and recent adjustments in the major types
of farming and farm production. For important commodities and
groups of farms, the report aims to make available, largely from
the detailed data for the 1954 Census of Agriculture but in a more
concise form, facts regarding the size of farms, capital, labor, and
land resources on farms, amounts and sources of farm income and
expenditures, combinations of crop and livestock enterprises,
adjustment problems, operator characteristics, and variation in use
of resources and in size of farms by areas and for widely differing
production conditions. Those types of farms on which production
of surplus products is important have been emphasized. The
report will provide a factual basis for a better understanding of
the widespread differences among farms in regard to size, resources,
and income. It will also provide a basis for evaluating the effects
of existing and proposed farm programs on the production and
incomes of major types and classes of farms.

Income from nonfarm sources is important on a large number
of farms. About 1.4 million of the 4.8 million farm-operator
families, or about 3 in 10, obtain more income from off-farm sources
than from the sale of agricultural products. More than three-
fourths of a million farm operators live on small-scale part-time
farms and ordinarily are not dependent on farming as the main
source of family income. These part-time farmers have a quite
different relation to adjustments, changes, and farm problems
than do commercial farmers. A description of and facts regarding
these part-time farms and the importance of nonfarm income for
commercial farms are presented in Chapter 8.

Except for Chapter 8, this report deals with commercial farms
(see economic class of farm). The analysis is limited to the major
types of agricultural production and deals primarily with geo-
graphic areas in which each of the major types of agricultural
production has substantial significance.

Source of data. — Most of the data presented in this report are
from special compilations made for the 1954 Census of Agriculture,
although pertinent data from research findings and surveys of the
U. S. Department of Agriculture, State Agricultural Colleges, and
other agencies have been used to supplement Census data. The
detailed Census data used for this report are contained in Part 8 of
Volume III of the reports of the 1954 Census of Agriculture.
Reference should be made to that report for detailed explanations
and definitions and statements regarding the characteristics and
reliability of the data.

Areas for which data are presented. — Data are presented in
this report primarily for selected economic subregions and for the
United States. The boundaries of the 119 subregions used for the
compilation of data on which this report is based are indicated by
the map on page vi. These subregions represent primarily general
t3'pe-of-farming areas. Many of them extend into two or more
States. (For a more detailed description of economic subregions,
see the publication "Economic Subregions of the United States,
Series Census BAE; No. 19, published cooperatively by the Bureau
of the Census, and the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U. S.
Department of Agriculture, July 1953.)

DEFINITIONS AND EXPLANATIONS

Definitions and explanations are given only for some of the more
important items. For more detailed definitions and explanations,
reference can be made to Part 8 of Volume III and to Volume II of
the reports of the 1954 Census of Agriculture.

A farm. — For the 1954 Census of Agriculture, places of 3 or
more acres were counted as farms if the annual value of agricultural
products, exclusive of home-garden products, amounted to $150
or more. The agricultural products could have been either for
home use or for sale. Places of less than 3 acres were counted as
farms only if the annual value of sales of agricultural products
amounted to $150 or more. Places for which the value of agricul-
tural products for 1954 was less than these minima because of crop
failure or other unusual conditions, and places operated at the time
of the Census for the first time were counted as farms if normally
they could be expected to produce these minimum quantities of
agricultural products.

All the land under the control of one person or partnership was
included as one farm. Control may have been through ownership,
or through lease, rental, or cropping arrangement.

Farm operator. — A "farm operator" is a person who operates
a farm, either performing the labor himself or directly supervising
it. He may be an owner, a hired manager, or a tenant, renter, or
sharecropper. If he rents land to others or has land cropped for
him by others, he is hsted as the operator of only that land which
he retains. In the case of a partnership, only one partner was
included as the operator. The number of farm operators is con-
sidered the same as the number of farms.

VIII

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Farms reporting or operators reporting. — Figures for farms
reporting or operators reporting, based on a tabulation of all farms,
represent the number of farms, or farm operators, for which the
specified item was reported. For example, if there were 11,922
farms in a subregion and only 11,465 had chickens over 4 months
old on hand, the number of farms reporting chickens would be
11,465. The difference between the total number of farms and the
number of farms reporting an item represents the number of farms
not having that item, provided the inquiry was answered
completely for all farms.

Farms by type. — The classification of comm"ercial farms by
type was made on the basis of the relationship of the value of
sales from a particular source, or sources, to the total value of all
farm products sold from the farm. In some cases, the type of
farm was determined on the basis of the sale of an individual farm
product, such as cotton, or on the basis of the sales of closely re-
lated products, such as dairy products. In other cases, the type
of farm was determined on the basis of sales of a broader group of
products, such as grain crops including corn, sorghums, all small
grains, field peas, field beans, cowpeas, and soybeans. In order to
be classified as a particular type, sales or anticipated sales of a
product or group of products had to represent 50 percent or more
of the total value of products sold.

The types of commercial farms for which data are shown, to-
gether with the product or group of products on which the classi-
fication is based are:

Product or group of products amounts
ing to 50 percent or more of the
Type of farm value of all farm products sold

Cash-grain Corn, sorghum, small grains, field

peas, field beans, cowpeas, and
soybeans.

Cotton Cotton (lint and seed).

Other field-crop Peanuts, Irish potatoes, sweet-
potatoes, tobacco, sugarcane, sug-
ar beets for sugar, and other
miscellaneous crops.

Vegetable Vegetables.

Fruit-and-nut Berries and other small fruits, and

tree fruits, nuts, and grapes.

Dairy Milk and other dairy products.

The criterion of 50 percent of the
total sales was modified in the
case of dairy farms. A farm for
which the value of sales of dairy
products represented less than 50
percent of the total value of farm
products sold was classified as a
dairy farm if —

(a) Milk and other dairy prod-

ucts accoimted for 30
percent or more of the
total value of products
sold, and

(b) Milk cows represented 50

percent or more of all
cows, and

(c) Sales of dairy products, to-

gether with the sales
of cattle and calves,
amounted to 50 percent
or more of the total
value of farm products
sold.
Chickens, eggs, turkeys, and other

poultry products.
Cattle, calves, hogs, sheep, goats,

wool, and mohair, provided the

farm did not qualify as a dairy

f arm .

Poultry.

Livestock farms other
dairy and poultry.

than

Product or group of products amount-
ing to 50 percent or more of the
Type of farm value of all farm products sold

General Farms were classified as general

when the value of products from
one source or group of sources
did not represent as much as 50
percent of the total value of all
farm products sold. Separate
figures are given for three kinds
of general farms:

(a) Primarily crop.

(b) Primarily livestock.

(c) Crop and livestock.

Primarily crop farms are those for
which the sale of one of the
following crops or groups of
crops — vegetables, fruits and
nuts, cotton, cash grains, or other
field crops — did not amount to
50 percent or more of the value
of all farm products sold, but
for which the value of sales for
all these groups of crops repre-
sented 70 percent or more of the
value of all farm products sold.

Primarily livestock farms are those
which could not qualify as dairy
farms, poultry farms, or livestock
farms other than dairy and
poultry, but on which the sale

- of livestock and poultry and
livestock and poultry products
amounted to 70 percent or more
of the value of all farm products
sold.

General crop and livestock farms are
those which could not be classi-
fied as either crop farms or live-
stock farms, but on which the
sale of all crops amounted to at
least 30 percent but less than 70
percent of the total value of all
farm products sold.

Miscellaneous This group of farms includes those

that had 50 percent or more of
the total value of products ac-
counted for by sale of horticul-
tural products, or sale of horses,
or sale of forest products.

Farms by economic class. — A classification of farms by eco-
nomic class was made for the purpose of segregating groups of
farms that are somewhat alike in their characteristics and size of
operation. This classification was made in order to present an
accurate description of the farms in each class and in order to
provide basic data for an analysis of the organization of agriculture.

The classification of farms by economic class was made on the
basis of three factors; namely, total value of all farm products
sold, number of days the farm operator worked off the farm, and
the relationship of the income received from nonfarm sources by
the operator and members of his family to the value of all farm
products sold. Farms operated by institutions, experiment sta-
tions, grazing associations, and community projects were classified
as abnormal, regardless of any of the three factors.

For the purpose of determining the code for economic class and
type of farm, it was necessary to obtain the total value of farm
products sold as well as the value of some individual products
sold.

The total value of farm products sold was obtained by adding
the reported or estimated values for all products sold from the
farm. The value of livestock, livestock products except wool and
mohair, vegetables, nursery and greenhouse products, and forest

INTRODUCTION

IX

products was obtained by the einmirrator from the farm operator
for each farm. The enumerator also obtained from the farm
operator the quantity sold for corn, sorghums, small grains, hays,
and small fruits. The value of sales for these crops was obtained
by multiplying the quantity sold by State average prices.

The quantity sold was estimated for all other farm products.
The entire quantity produced for wool, mohair, cotton, tobacco,
sugar beets for sugar, sugarcane for sugar, broomcorn, hops, and
mint for oil was estimated as sold. To obtain the value of each
product sold, the quantity sold was multiplied by State average
prices.

In making the classification of farms by economic class, farms
were grouped into two major groups, namely, commercial farms
and other farms. In general, all farms with a value of sales of
farm products amounting to $1,200 or more were classified as
commercial. Farms with a value of sales of $250 to $1,199 were
classified as commercial only if the farm operator worked off the
farm less than 100 days or if the income of the farm operator and
members of his family received from nonfarm sources was less than
the total value of all farm products sold.

land in farms according to use. — Land in farms was classified
according to the use made of it in 1954. The classes of land
are mutually exclusive, i. e., each acre of land was included only
once even though it may have had more than one use during the
year.

The classes referred to in this report are as follows:

Cropland harvested. — Thi.s includes land from which crops
were harvested; land from which hay (including wild hay) was
cut; and land in small fruits, orchards, vineyards, nurseries, and
greenhouses. Land from which two or more crops were reported
as harvested was to be counted only once.

Cropland used only for pasture. — In the 1954 Census, the
enumerator's instructions stated that rotation pasture and all
other cropland that was used only for pasture were to be in-
cluded under this class. No further definition of cropland
pastured was given the farm operator or enumerator. Per-
manent open pasture may, therefore, have been included under
this item or under "other pasture," depending on whether the
enumerator or farm operator considered it as cropland.

Cropland not harvested and not pastured. — This item includes
idle cropland, land in soil-improvement crops only, land on
which all crops failed, land seeded to crops for harvest after
1954, and cultivated summer fallow.

In the Western States, this class was subdivided to show
separately the acres of cultivated summer fallow. In these
States, the acreage not in culti\ated summer fallow represents
largely crop failure. There are verj' few counties in the West-
ern States in which there is a large acreage of idle cropland or
in which the growing of soil-improvement crops is an important
use of the land.

In the States other than the Western States, this general
class was subdivided to show separately the acres of idle crop-
land (not used for crops or for pasture in 1954). In these States,
the incidence of crop failure is usually low. It was expected
that the acreage figure that excluded idle land would reflect
the acreage in soil-improvement crops. However, the 1954
crop year was one of low rainfall in many Eastern and Southern
States and, therefore, in these areas the acreage of cropland not
harvested and not pastured includes more land on which all
crops failed than would usually be the case.

Cultivated summer fallow. — This item includes cropland
that was plowed and cultivated but left unseeded for several
months to control weeds and conserve nioisture. No land
from which crops were harvested in 1954 was to be included
under this item.

Cropland, total. — This includes cropland harvested, cropland
used only for pasture, and cropland not harvested and not
pastured.

Land pastured, total. — This includes cropland used only for
pastvire, woodland pastured, and other pasture (not cropland
and not woodland).

Woodland, total. — This includes woodland pastured and

woodland not pastured.

Value of land and buildings. — The value to be reported was
the approximate amount for which the land and the buildings on
it would sell.

Off-farm work and other income. — Many farm operators receive
a part of their income from sources other than the sale of farm
products from their farms. The 1954 Agriculture Questionnaire
included several inquiries relating to work off the farm and non-
farm income. These inquiries called for the number of days
worked off the farm by the farm operator; whether other members
of the operator's family worked off the farm; and whether the
farm operator received income from other sources, such as sale
of products from land rented out, cash rent, boarders, old age
assistance, pensions, veterans' allowances, unemployment com-
pensation, interest, dividends, profits from nonfarm business,
and help from other members of the operator's family. Another
inquiry asked whether the income of the operator and his family
from off-farm work and other sources was greater than the total
value of all agricultural products sold from the farm in 1954.
Off-farm work was to include work at nonfarm jobs, businesses,
or professions, whether performed on the farm premises or else-
where; also, work on someone else's farm for pay or wages. Ex-
change work was not to be included.

Specified facilities and equipment. — Inquiries were made in
1954 to determine the presence or absence of selected items on
each place such as (1) telephone, (2) piped running water, (3)
electricity, (4) television set, (5) home freezer, (6) electric pig
brooder, (7) milking machine, and (8) power feed grinder. Such
facilities or equipment were to be counted even though tem-
porarily out of order. Piped running water was defined as water
piped from a pressure system or by gravity flow from a natural
or artificial source. The enumerator's instructions stated that
pig brooders were to include those heated by an electric heating
element, by an infrared or heat bulb, or by ordinary electric bulbs.
They could be homemade.

The number of selected types of other farm equipment was also
obtained for a sample of farms. The selected kinds of farm
equipment to be reported were (1) grain combines (for harvesting
and threshing grains or seeds in one operation); (2) cornpickers;
(3) pickup balers (stationary ones not to be reported) ; (4) field
forage harvesters (for field chopping of silage and forage crops) ;
(5) motortrucks; (6) wheel tractors (other than garden); (7)
garden tractors; (8) crawler tractors (tracklaying, caterpillar);
(9) automobiles; and (10) artificial ponds, reservoirs, and earth
tanks.

Wheel tractors were to include homemade tractors but were not
to include implements having built-in power units such as self-
propelled combines, powered buck rakes, etc. Pickup and truck-
trailer combinations were to be reported as motortrucks. School
buses were not to be reported, and jeeps and station wagons were
to be included as motortrucks or automobiles, depending on
whether used for hauling farm products or suppUes, or as passenger
vehicles.

Farm labor. — The farm-labor inquiries for 1954, called for the
number of persons doing farmwork or chores on the place during
a specified calendar week. Since starting dates of the 1954 enumer-
ation varied by areas or States, the calendar week to which the
farm-labor inquiries related varied also. The calendar week was
September 26-October 2 or October 24-30. States with the
September 26-October 2 calendar week were: Arizona, CaUfornia,
Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico,

423024—57-

X

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

New York, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont,
Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. States with the October
24-30 calendar week were : Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia,
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North
Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Farmwork was to include any work, chores, or planning necessary
to the operation of the farm or ranch business. Housework,
contract construction work, and labor involved when equipment
was hired (custom work) were not to be included.

The farm-labor information was obtained in three parts:
(1) Operators working, (2) unpaid members of the operator's family
working, and (3) hired persons working. Operators were consid-
ered as working if they worked 1 or more hours; unpaid members
of the operator's family, if they worked 15 or more hours; and
hired persons, if they worked any time during the calendar week
specified. Instructions contained no specifications regarding age
of the persons working.

Regular and seasonal workers. — Hired persons working on
the farm during the specified week were classed as "regular"
workers if the period of actual or expected employment was 150
days or more during the year, and as "seasonal" workers if the
period of actual or expected employment was less than 150 days.
If the period of expected employment was not reported, the
period of employment was estimated for the individual farm
after taking into account such items as the basis of payment,
wage rate, expenditures for labor in 1954, and the type and
other characteristics of the farm.

Specified farm expenditures. — The 1954 Census obtained data
for selected farm expense items in addition to those for fertilizer
and lime. The expenditures were to include the total specified
expenditures for the place whether made by landlord, tenant, or
both.

Expenditures for machine hire were to include any labor in-
cluded in the cost of such machine hire. Machine hire refers to
custom machine work such as tractor hire, threshing, combining,
silo filling, baling, ginning, plowing, and spraying. If part of the
farm products was given as pay for machine hire, the value of the
products traded for this service was to be included in the amount
of expenditures reported. The cost of trucking, freight, and
express was not to be included.

Expenditures for hired labor were to include only cash pay-
ments. Expenditures for housework, custom work, and contract
construction work were not to be included.

Expenditures for feed were to include the expenditures for
pasture, salt, condiments, concentrates, and mineral supplements,
as well as those for grain, hay, and mill feeds. Expenditures for
grinding and mixing feeds were also to be included. Payments
made by a tenant to his landlord for feed grown on the land rented
by the tenant were not to be included.

Expenditures for gasoline and other petroleum fuel and oil were
to include only those used for the farm business. Petroleum
products used for the farmer's automobile for pleasure or used
exclusively in the farm home for heating, cooking, and lighting
were not to be included.

Crops harvested. — The information on crops harvested refers
to the acreage and quantity harvested for the 1954 crop year. An
exception was made for land in fruit orchards and planted nut
trees. In this case, the acreage represents that in both bearing
and nonbearing trees and vines as of October and November 1954.
Hay. — The data for hay includes all kinds of hay except soy-
bean, cowpca, sorghum, and peanut hay.

livestock and poultry. — The data on the number of livestock
and poultry represent the number on hand on the day of enumera-

tion (October-November 1954). The data relating to livestock
products and the number of livestock sold relate to the sales made
during the calendar year 1954.

LABOR RESOURCES

The data for labor resources available represent estimates based
largely on Census data and developed for the purpose of making
comparisons among farms of various size of operations. The
labor resources available are stated in terms of man-equivalents.

To obtain the man-equivalents the total number of farm opera-
tors as reported by the 1954 Census were adjusted for estimated
man-years of work off the farm and for the number of farm opera-
tors 65 years old and over. The farm operator was taken to rep-
resent a full man-equivalent of labor unless he was 65 years or
older or unless he worked at an off-farm job in 1954.

The man-equivalent estimated for farm operators reporting spec-
ified amounts of off-farm work were as follows:

Estimated
Days worked off the farm in 1954 man-equivalent

1-99 davs 0. 85

100-199 days . 50

200 days and over . 15

The man-equivalent for farm operators 65 years of age and older
was estimated at 0.5.

Man-equivalents of members of the farm operator's family were
based upon Census data obtained in response to the question
"How many members of your family did 15 or more hours of farm
work on this place the week of September 26-October 2 (or, in
some areas, the week of October 24r-30) without receiving cash
wages?" Each family worker was considered as 0.5 man-equiva-
lent. This estimate provides allowance for the somewhat higher
incidence of women, children, and elderly persons in the unpaid
family labor force.

In addition, the number of unpaid family workers who were
reported as working 15 or more hours in the week of September
26-October 2 was adjusted to take account of seasonal changes in
farm employment. Using published and unpublished findings of
the U. S. Department of Agriculture and State Agricultural Col-
leges, and depending largely upon knowledge and experience with
the geographic areas and type of farming, each author deter-
mined the adjustment factor needed to correct the number of
family workers reported for the week of September 26-October 2
to an annual average basis.

Man-equivalents of hired workers are based entirely upon the
expenditure for cash wages and the average wage of permanent
hired laborers as reported in the 1954 Census of Agriculture.

Value of or investment in livestock. — Numbers of specified
livestock and poultry in each subregion were multiplied by a
weighted average value per head. The average values were com-
puted from data compiled for each kind of livestock for the 1954
Census of Agriculture. The total value does not include the value
of goats. (For a description of the method of obtaining the value
of livestock, see Chapter VI of Volume II of the reports for the
1954 Census of Agriculture.)

Value of investment in machinery and equipment. — The data
on value of investment in machinery and equipment were developed
for the purpose of making broad comparisons among types and
economic classes of farms and by subregions. Numbers of specified
machines on farms, as reported by the Census, were multiplied by
estimated average value per machine. Then the total values ob-
tained were adjusted upward to provide for the inclusion of items
of equipment not included in the Census inventory of farm
machinery.

INTRODUCTION

XI

The estimates for average value of specified machines and the
proportion of total value of all machinery represented by tlie
\-alue of these machines were based largely on published and un-
published data from the "Farm Costs and Returns" surveys con-
ducted currently by the Agricultural Research Service, U. S.
Department of Agriculture.' Modifications were made as needed
in the individual chapters on the basis of State and local studies.
The total estimated value of all machinery for all types and
economic classes of farms is approximately eciual to the value of
all machinery as estimated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

Value of farm products sold, or gross sales. — Data on the
value of the various farm products sold were obtained for 1954 by
two methods. First, the values of livestock and livestock prod-
ucts sold, except wool and mohair; vegetables harvested for sale;
nursery and greenhouse products; and forest products were
obtained by asking each farm operator the value of sales. Second,
the values of all other farm products sold were computed. For the
most important crops, the quantity sold or to be sold was obtained
for each farm. The entire quantity harvested for cotton and
cottonseed, tobacco, sugar beets for sugar, hops, mint for oil, and
sugarcane for sugar was considered sold. The quantity of minor
crops sold was estimated. The value of sales for each crop was
computed by multiplying the quantity sold by State average
prices. In the case of wool and mohair, the value of sales was
computed by multiplying the quantity shorn or clipped by the
State average prices.

Gross sales include the value of all kinds of farm products sold.
The total does not include rental and benefit, soil conservation,
price adjustment, Sugar Act, and similar payments. The total

does include the value of the landlord's share of a crop removed
from a farm operated by a share tenant. In most of the tables,
detailed data are presented for only the more important sources
of gross sales and the total for the individual farm products
or sources will not equal the total as the values for the less impor-
tant sources or farm products have been omitted. (For a detailed
statement regarding the reliability and method of obtaining the
value of farm products sold, reference should be made to Chapter
IX of Volume II of the reports for the 1054 Census of Agriculture.)

Livestock and livestock prodxicts sold. — The value of sales for
livestock and livestock products includes the value of live animals
sold, dairy products sold, poultry and poultry products sold, and
the calculated value of wool and mohair. The value of bees,
honey, fur animals, goats, and goat milk is not included.

The value of dairy products includes the value of whole milk and
cream sold, but does not include the value of butter and cheese,
made on the farm, and sold. The value of poultry and products
includes the value of chickens, broilers, chicken eggs, turke}'s,
turkey eggs, ducks, geese, and other miscellaneous poultry and
poultry products sold. The value does not include the value
of l)al-iy chicks sold.

Crops sold. — Vegetables sold includes the value of all vegetables
harvested for sale, but does not include the value of Irish potatoes
and swectpotatoes.

The value of all crops sold includes the value of all crops sold
except forest products. The value of field crops sold includes the
value of sales of all crops sold except vegetables, small fruits and
berries, fruits, and nuts.

1 Farm Costs and Returns, 1955 (with comparisons), Agricultuic lurormatiou Bulletin No. 158, Agricultuial Research Service, U. S. Department of Agricultuie, June 1956.

CHAPTER VII

CASH 'GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

(1)

CONTENTS

Page

Introduction 5

The Corn Belt 5

Significance of the Corn Belt in American agriculture— 6

Regions within the Corn Belt 7

Types of farming 8

Farm organization in the Corn Belt 9

Type of farm 9

Economic class of farm 11

Size of farm 12

Residence and tenure of farm operators 15

Type of land 18

Land use 20

Capital investment on farms 24

Total investment 24

Land and buildings 25

Livestock 27

Machinery and equipment 27

Horses and mules 31

Automobiles and home facilities 31

Farm labor 32

Characteristics of operators 32

Size and composition of labor force 34

Crop production

Crops grown

Yields per acre

Crop sales

Use of commercial fertilizer and lime

Commercial fertilizer

Lime

Livestock production

Kind and number of livestock

Sales of livestock and livestock products.
Gross sales and income

Specified expenses

Investment cost

Indicators of farm efficiency

Production per unit of land

Capital inputs and product output per acre.

Production per unit of labor

Production per unit of capital

Literature cited

MAPS

Page

Corn for all purposes, acreage, 1954 5

The Corn Belt 5

Value of all farm products sold, dollars, 1954 6

Value of all crops sold, dollars, 1954 6

Value of livestock and livestock products other than dairy

and poultry sold, dollars, 1954 6

Percent of total land area in farms, 1954 8

■Commercial farms, number, 1954 9

■Cash-grain farms, number, 1954 9

Livestock farms, number, 1954 9

'General farms, number, 1954 9

Average size of farms, 1954 13

Farms operated by full owners, number, 1954 17

Farms operated by part owners, number, 1954 17

Farms operated by all tenants, numl^er, 1954 17

Most frequent method of renting farms, 1954 IS

Total cropland as a percent of all land in farms, 1954 19

Cropland harvested, acreage, 1954 23

Average value of land and buildings per acre, 1954 26

Tractors on farms, number, 1954 27

Corn pickers, number of farms reporting, 1954 27

Grain combines, number of farms reporting, 1954

Power feed grinders, number of farms reporting, 1954

Corn harvested for grain, acreage, 1954

Soybeans harvested for beans, acreage, 1954

Oats threshed, acreage, 1954

All wheat threshed, acreage, 1954

Alfalfa cut for hay, acreage, 1954

Clover or timothy cut for hay, acreage, 1954

Average yield of corn per acre, bushels, 1954

Farms reporting expenditures for commercial fertilizers as a

percent of all farms, 1954

Farms reporting expenditures for lime and liming materials

as a percent of all farms, 1954

Cattle sold, number of cattle and calves sold alive, 1954

Hogs sold, number of hogs and pigs sold alive, 1954

Chicken eggs sold, dozens, 1954

Turkeys raised, number, 1954

Expenditures for livestock and poultry purchased, dollars,

1949

Average value of farm products sold per acre of all land in

farms, 1954

TABLES

Table—
1. — Total quantities of specified items for commercial farms in the United States and in the Corn Belt, showing percentage of

United States total in the Corn Belt: 1954

2. — Comparison of totals for five Corn Belt States and the Corn Belt as used in the present study, with respect to specified items for

commercial farms: 1954

3. — Percent of commercial farms reporting specified uses of cropland and specified crops harvested, in the Corn Belt and com-
ponent regions : 1954

4. — Number of farms in the United States and in the Corn Belt, by broad economic class and type of farm: 1954

5. — Percent of farms in each broad economic class and type, for the United States and Corn Belt: 1954

6. — Number of all commercial farms, and number and percentage distribution of specified types of farms, in the United States and

specified States : 1954

7. — Number of farms in each region of the Corn Belt, and percentage distribution among regions, by broad economic class and

type of farm : 1954

8. — Percentage distribution of commercial farms, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954

9. — Number and percentage distribution of cash-grain farms, by economic class, in the United States and Corn Belt: 1954

10. — Number and percentage distribution of livestock other than dairy and poultry farms, by economic class, in the United States

and Corn Belt: 1954

2

Page
36
36
42
43

45
45
48
50
50
53
57

59
62

63
63
64
66

67

68

Page
27
28
38
39
39
39
40
40
42

45

48
53
54
54
54

61

65

Page
6

7

8
10
10

10

10

11
11

CONTENTS 3

Table— -Poce

11. — Specified items for commercial farms: Percentage distribution among principal types of farms, in the Corn Belt: 1954 12

12. — Number and percentage of commercial farms in specified acreage size groups, for the United States and Corn Belt regions: 1954. 12

13. — Percentage distribution of commercial farms among acreage size groups, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 13

14. — Number of commercial farms in each acreage size group, in the Corn Belt: 1954 14

15. — Percentage of commercial farms in each acreage size group, in the Corn Belt: 1954 14

16. — Percentage distribution of types and economic classes of farms in each acreage size group, in the Corn Belt: 1954 15

17. — Number and percentage of commercial farm operators, by residence and tenure status, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and

component regions : 1954 16

18. — Number and percentage of commercial farm operators, by residence and tenure status, by type and economic class of farm, in

the Corn Belt: 1954 16

19. — Acreage of all land in commercial farms and distribution of land among broad types or uses, in the Corn Belt and component

regions : 1954 18

20. — Percent of commercial farms reporting broad types or uses of land, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 18

21. — Land in commercial farms, by type and economic class, in the Corn Belt: 1954 19

22. — Cropland, woodland, and all other land as percentages of all land in commercial farms in the Corn Belt: 1954 19

23. — Total land in commercial farms, and distribution of acreage according to use, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component

regions : 1954 20

24. — Percent of commercial farms reporting land in specified uses in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 20

25. — Average acreage per farms reporting: All land in farms and farmland in specified uses, on commercial farms in the Corn

Belt and component regions : 1954 21

26. — Percentage distribution of farmland acreage according to use on commercial farms in the Corn Belt and component regions:

1954 21

27. — Percentage distribution of farmland acreage according to use on commercial farms in the Corn Belt: 1954 22

28. — Percentage distribution of farms and land in farms among economic classes of cash-grain and livestock farms in the Corn Belt :

1954 23

29. — Total capital investment, and composition of investment, on commercial farms in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954_ 24
30. — Value of capital investment per farm, and percentage composition, on principal types of farms in the Corn Belt and component

regions: 1954 25

31. — .\verage value of capital investment per commercial farm in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 25

32. — Average value and composition of capital investment per commercial farm in the Corn Belt: 1954 25

33. — Average value of land and buildings per farm, for commercial farms, by type and economic class, in the Corn Belt and com-
ponent regions: 1954 26

34. — Average value of land and buildings per acre, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954. 27

35. — Percent of commercial farms in each type reporting specified farm machines in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954_. 28

36. — Percent of commercial farms in each type, by economic class, reporting specified farm machines, in the Corn Belt: 1954 29

37, — Percent of commercial farms reporting, by type of work power and number of tractors, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and

component regions : 1954 29

38. — Percent of commercial farms reporting, by type of work power and number of tractors, by type and economic class of farm, in the

Corn Belt: 1954 30

39. — Estimated average value of total investment in machinery and equipment, per commercial farm, in the Corn Belt and com-
ponent regions : 1954 30

40. — Estimated value of total investment in machinery and equipment on commercial farms in the Corn Belt and component

regions : 1 954 30

41. — Percent of commercial farms in each type reporting specified facilities and equipment, in the Corn Belt and component regions:

1954 31

42. — Percent of commercial farms in each type, by economic class, reporting specified facilities and equipment, in the Corn Belt:

1954 31

43. — Number and percentage of commercial farm operators, by age, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954. 32

44. — Number and percentage of commercial farm operators, by age, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954. 32
45. — Number and percentage of commercial farm operators reporting as to other income and off-farm work, by type of farm, in the

Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 33

46. — Number and percentage of commercial farm operators reporting as to other income and off-farm work, by type and economic

class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 33

47. — Number and percentage of commercial farms, by kind of farm workers, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions,

in specified week: 1954 34

48. — Number and percentage of commercial farms, by kind of farm workers, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt, in

specified week : 1 954 34

49. — Labor force of farm workers, expressed in terms of average number of man-equivalents per farm, by t.vpe of farm, in the Corn

Belt and component regions: 1954 35

50. — Labor force of farm workers, expressed in terms of average number of man-equivalents per farm, by type and economic class ot

farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 35

51. — Percent of farms reporting specified crops, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 36

52. — Percent of farms reporting specified crops, by economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 37

53. — Percent of total cropland in specified crops, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 38

54. — Average acreage of principal crops per farm reporting, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 40

55. — Average acreage of principal crops per farm reporting, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 41

4 CONTENTS

Table— Page
56. — Quantity produced per farm reporting crop liarvested, for principal crops, by type of farm in the Corn Belt and component

regions : 1954 41

57. — Quantity produced per farm reporting for principal crops, by economic class of farm in the Corn Belt: 1954 42

58. — Average yield per acre harvested of principal crops, by type of farm in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 43

59. — Average yield per acre harvested of princiiial crops, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 43

60. — Quantity sold as a percentage of total production, for specified crops in the Corn Belt, by type of farm: 1954 43

61. — Percentage distribution of value among crops sold, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 44

62. — Percent of all commercial farms reporting expenditures for commercial fertilizer and use of commercial fertilizer on specified

crops, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 46

63. — Percent of all commercial farms reporting expenditures for commercial fertilizer and use of commercial fertilizer on specified

crops, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 47

64. — Use of commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material on commercial farms, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component

regions : 1954 47

65. — Use of commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material on commercial farms, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt:

1954 48

66. — Use of lime and liming material on commercial farms, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 49

67. — Use of lime and liming material on commercial farms, by type and economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 49

68. — Number of specified livestock on commercial farms, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 50

69. — Percent of commercial farms, by type, reporting specified kinds of livestock, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954_- 51

70. — Percent of farms in each type, reporting specified kinds of livestock, by economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 51

71. — Average number of specified livestock per farm reporting, for commercial farms by type, in the Corn Belt and component

regions : 1954 51

72. — Average number of specified livestock per farm reporting, by type of farm by economic class, in the Corn Belt: 1954 51

73. — Percent of farms reporting sales of specified livestock and livestock products, by principal types of farms, in the Corn Belt and

component regions : 1954 5.3

74. — Percent of commercial farms reporting specified livestock and livestock products sold, by type and economic class of farm, in the

Corn Belt: 1954 53

75. — Average value of specified livestock and livestock products sold per commercial farm reporting, in the Corn Belt: 1954 53

76. — Percentage composition of value of sales of specified livestock and livestock products on principal types of farms, in the Corn

Belt and component regions: 1954 55

77. — Percentage composition of total value of sales of specified livestock and livestock products on commercial farms, by economic

class, in the Corn Belt: 1954 55

78. — Value of sales of specified livestock and livestock products on commercial farms in the Corn Belt: 1954 56

79. — Value of whole milk and cream sold on principal types of commercial farms in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954.. 56
80. — Average value of farm products sold, and percentage composition, for principal types of farms in tlie Corn Belt and component

regions : 1954 57

81. — Average value of farm products sold, by economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 58

82.' — Percentage composition of value of farm products sold on commercial farms in the Corn Belt: 1954 68

83. — Percent of commercial farms reporting specified expenditures, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954- 59

84. — Percent of commercial farms reporting specified expenditures, in the Corn Belt: 1954 60

85. — Average expenditure per commercial farm reporting each specified expense in the Corn Belt: 1954 60

86. — Total specified expenditures on conmiercial farms in the Corn Belt: 1954 60

87. — Percentage composition of total specified expenditures on commercial farms, by economic class, in the Corn Belt: 1954 61

88. — Average of total specified expenditures per commercial farm in the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 61

89. — Estimated interest charge for capital investment per commercial farm, by major categories of investment, by type of farm, in

the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 62

90. — Estimated interest charge for capital investment per farm, by major categories of investment, by type and economic class of

farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 62

91. — Production of corn, soybeans, cattle, and hogs in relation to acreage of farmland, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and com-
ponent regions: 1954 63

92. — Production of corn, soybeans, cattle, and hogs in relation to acreage of farmland, by type and economic class of farm, in the

Corn Belt: 1954 64

93. — Specified resource inputs and value of farm products sold in relation to land acreage, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and

component regions : 1954 64

94.' — Specified resource inputs and value of farn\ products sold in relation to land acreage, by type and economic class of farm, in the

Corn Belt: 1954 65

95. — Specified resources used and value of farm products sold, per man-equivalent of labor, by type of farm, in the Corn Belt and

component regions : 1954 66

96. — Specified resources used and value of farm products sold, per man-equivalent of labor, by type and economic class of farm, in

the Corn Belt: 1954 66

97. — Value of farm products sold per thousand dollars capital investment and per dollar of specified expenses, by type of farm, in

the Corn Belt and component regions: 1954 67

98. — Value of farm products sold per thousand dollars of capital investment and per dollar of specified expenses, by type and

economic class of farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954 67

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

Edwin G. Strand

INTRODUCTION

Corn is the leading farm crop in the United States. It is the most
widely grown American crop — Ijeing produced to some extent in
every State. Its total acreage in the United States in 1954 was
78.1 million acres (fig. 1). This was 23.4 percent of the total
cropland harvested. Generally, about 85 to 90 percent of the
acreage is harvested for grain; the remainder is used for silage or
fodder. The average annual production in 1950-56 was 2.8 billion
bushels harvested for grain. This is a larger number of bushels
than the total production of wheat or any other grain crop. Most
of the corn (about 90 percent of the annual crop) is used for live-
stock feed. In recent years corn has accounted for about 60 per-
cent of the total pounds of concentrates fed to livestock in this
country. Other uses of corn are for starch, sirup, sugar, corn meal,
grits, alcohol and distilled spirits, breakfast foods, other processed
products, and direct consumption in farm liouseholds.

The major region of corn production is in the North Central
States, centering on Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana. The five States —
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri — are generally known
as the Corn Belt States. But (he boundaries of the principal
corn-producing region extend beyond the boundaries of the five-
State area, particularly to the north and west. Actually, in recent
years Minnesota has outranked Ohio and Missouri in bushels as
well as in acreage of corn harvested for grain, and Nebraska has
outranked Missouri in five of the last seven years. There has been
an expansion of corn production to the north and west during the
last two decades.

CORN FOR ALL PURPOSES

ACREAGE. 1954

Figure 1.

THE CORN BELT

The area of the Corn Belt as the term is used in the present report
was determined by grouping together the economic subregions in
which corn production was most concentrated and in which there
was a preponderance of cash-grain and livestock types of farms,
which are the characteristic types of farms in the Corn Belt.' The
location and boundaries of the Corn Belt are shown in figure 2.

The Corn Belt, as here outHned, is a somewhat larger region
than the five Corn Belt States and coincides rather closely with
the Corn Belt as outlined on the map of generalized types of farm-
ing in the United States (.10).^ The Corn Belt is bordered on the
north by the Lake States dairy region and on the south by the
principal region of general farming. It is bordered on the east by
dairy and general-farming regions. On the southwest it merges
into the winter-wheat region and on the northwest it tapers off
into the spring-wheat region.

The Corn Belt includes farming areas in 12 States, but only
Iowa is entirely within the area, and only small parts of Wisconsin,
Michigan, and Kentucky are included. It stretches across a
distance of about 1,000 miles from east to west and approximately
600 miles from south to north.

THE

CORN BELT

f

1

^^

■

rH_

(A/^

. r^n^

X 7 r

\

u

^i.S'

^i^

\

■ 48 V

y^

'H*

^P

y

^— zatK BELT BOUNMRl XZ2 NOBTMERN COfW BEa

STATE eaWOftfft 133 WESTERN CO«N BELT

CU EASTERN conn BELT ^2 SOUTHERN dOON BELT

I ; CEMTRit caw «LI

1 ccpwntoit a cohmeikc

Figure 2.

' Economic subregions are groups of State economic areas that arc generally similar as to economic features reflected in crop and livestock production and types of farming. State
economic areas are groups of counties that are relatively homogeneous as to agricultural characteristics. Many of the data obtained in the 1950 Census of Agriculture and in the 1954
Census of Agriculture were grouped and tabulated by State economic areas and by economic subregions.

2 Italic numbers in parentheses refer to literature cited on p. 68.

42.3024 — 57

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

The Corn Belt has fertile soils and a climate that is well suited to
corn production. The topography and soils are far from uniform
throughout the region. The annual precipitation varies consider-
ably from east to west and to a lesser extent from south to north.
There is also a difference from north to south of about 60 days in
the length of the frost-free growing season. But the soils in general,
and the prevailing moisture, the growing season, and other climatic
characteristics are such that the tolerance limits for growth and
development of the corn plant are not frequently or seriously
exceeded. The natural environment is such that relatively large
yields of corn are generally produced and this is generally the crop
that brings the highest return to the farmer. Consequently, within
the limits imposed by considerations of soil management, disease
and insect control, and labor distribution — which are reflected in
cropping sequences and crop rotations — corn generally is given the
highest priority in choice of cropland by farmers of this region.
Among the other principal crops grown in the Corn Belt, soybeans,
oats, and forage crops are of major importance.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE CORN BELT IN AMERICAN
AGRICULTURE

A large proportion of the total agricultural production in the
United States comes from Corn Belt farms (table 1). In 1954,
28.2 percent of the total value of all farm products sold by com-
mercial farms in the United States was accounted for by the Corn
Belt. The value of farm products sold is not as great on a per
square mile basis in the Corn Belt as it is in some other areas, but
the Corn Belt is the largest area of relatively high value of products
sold per unit of land (fig. 3).

Table L — Total Quantities of Specified Items for Com-
mercial Farms in the United States and in the Corn Belt,
Showing Percentage of United States Total in the Corn
Belt: 1954

Farms number, -

Land in farms acres-.

Total cropland acres. -

Cropland harvested acres. -

Value of land and buildings

millions of dollars..

Cash-grain farms number..

Livestock farms ' number..

Com harvested for grain ..acres..

bushels..
Oats threshed or combined. ..acres..

bushels..
Wheat threshed or combined acres..

bushels..
Soybeans harvested for beans ..acres..

bushels..

All cattle and calves.. number..

All hogs and pigs number.-

Chickcns 4 months old and over. ..number..

Chicken eggs sold.. dozens..

All sheep number. -

Tractors _ .number..

Motortrucks number.

Automobiles. _ _number.-

Grain combines number.

Cornpickers. number.

Pick-up hay balers number.

Field forage harvesters number.

Expenditures for hired labor dollars.

Expenditures for gasoline and other petro-
leum fuel and oil dollars.

Expend iturcs for commercial fertilizer dollars. .

Value of all farm products sold dollars..

Value of all crops sold dollars.

Value of livestock and livestock products
sold dollars.

United States

3, 327, 889

1, 032, 493. 362

431,684,954

321, 686, 617

85,728

637, 974
694, 888

63,394,112

2, 647, 823. 464

37, 312, 820

1.301,891,795

60, 682, 348

900,761,498

16, 189, 376

322, 324, 603

88, 843, 964

64, 963, 546

340, 361, 825

2, 663, 617, 214

30, 176, 438

4, 127, 764

2, 223, 443

3, 199, 713
950, 341
674, 182
431,944
197, 628

2, 214, 180, 127

1, 312, 642, 381
1,023,734,322

24, 298, 622, 950
11,955,045,301

12, 223, 361, 628

Com Belt i

Quantity

797, 269
170, 307, 389
121,764,844
104, 377, 594

26, 741

264, 646
326, 662

39, 358, 892

1,833,167,374

19, 343, 798

701,664.728

8, 283, 849

209, 310, 647

11,773,052

260, 452, 066

22, 907, 609

36, 663, 945

110,368,868

836, 540, 713

6, 423, 998

1, 329, 422
448, 746
912, 208
410, 200
477,416
149, 026
61,289

237, 678, 756

385,651,642
259,212,808

6,867,668.641
2, 479, 682, 916

4, 374, 939, 331

Percent of
United
States

24.0
16.6
28.2
32.6

40.2
47.0

62.1
71.9
51.8
53.9
16.4
23.2
72.7

25.8
66.7
32.4
31.4
18.0

32.2
20.2
28.6
43.2
70.8
34.5
31.0

10.7

29.4
25.3

28.2
20.7

■^jL^_^

VALUE OF ALL FARM PRODUCTS SOLD

[^^T'^Tp---

~~-— .—

DOLLARS 1954

r\

//V.

ir>^^

rxi/

/^S-J^* "7

r~~~.

.•Tr

\ / ^^'^"y'-'^-uJ

"-"?=

W\ 1

r~^

-/m

^ t~

%}A \ /

-

,

' %.

ijw \ r~~^ — ~~

— — _^

v' „--

-— -^^

^1* N 1

r^^

~^,^y

■^^

■4

UNITED STATES TOTAL

/ -X ^.

>\

$24,644, «77,087

^. i/^ 1 DOT • $ 2^0.000

v\

^ T ICOJjn ^MT MSIS)

M

OS»«.TW«,»t<™i.t.

) -"'axtiu Of mt CENSUS

Figure 3.

The concentration of value of crops sold in the Corn Belt is
not as great as the concentration of value of livestock and live-
stock products sold (figs. 4 and 5) because most of the cropland is
used for growing feed crops and most of the feed produced is fed
to livestock in the region. Commercial farms in the Corn Belt
had 66.7 percent of all the hogs and pigs and 25.8 percent of all
the cattle and calves on commercial farms in the United States
in 1954 (table 1).

Approximately two-thirds of the acreage of corn harvested for
grain on commercial farms in the United States in 1954 was in
the Corn Belt and the production on this acreage was 71.9 percent
of all the corn produced on commercial farms in the Nation. Corn
Belt farms also had 72.7 percent of the total acreage of soybeans

VALUE OF ALL CROPS SOLD

DOLLARS. 1954

IMTED STATES TOTAL
$12,221,625,069

i wwwTiicwT Of caniuKt

Figure 4.

1 The Corn Belt is comprised of the following 16 economic subregions: 47, 48, 61, 62,
63, 69, 70, 71, 72. 84. 85, 86, 87, 92, and 93.

2 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

WV... VALUE OF LIVESTOCK AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS OTHER THAN
^'^^-- DAIRY AND POULTRY SOLD

DOLLARS. 1954

Figure 5.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

harvested for beans on all commercial farms in the country and
produced 80.8 percent of the soybean crop.

Approximately half of the cash-grain farms and livestock farms
(other than dairy and poultry farms) in the United States in 195-1
were in the Corn Belt. The total number of commercial farms in
the Corn Belt was 797,259, or 24 percent of the United States
total. Most of the labor on these farms was that of the operator
and members of his family. Commercial farms in the Corn Belt
accounted for only 10.7 percent of the total expenditure for hired
labor on all commercial farms in the United States.

The Corn Belt as defined for this study and report contains a
larger area of farmland and more commercial farms than are
included in the five States usually referred to as the Corn Belt
States (table 2). The Corn Belt as here defined also includes a
larger proportion of the United States total production of prin-
cipal Corn Belt crops and livestock. This results from the fact
that the 15 economic subregious comprising the Corn Belt as
presently outlined contain a total area somewhat larger than the
area of the five Corn Belt States. Furthermore, the portions of
Missouri, Indiana, and Ohio included in the economic subregions
used here contain a larger proportion of commercial farms and of
commercial farm acreage than do the excluded portions of those
States. The economic subregions selected for inclusion in the
Corn Belt were those in which types of farms and kinds of crops
and livestock characteristic of the Corn Belt were relatively
most concentrated.

Table 2. — Comparison of Totals for Five Corn Belt States
AND THE Corn Belt as Used in the Present Study, With
Respect to Specified Items for Commercial Farms: 1954

Item

Percentage of United
States total accounted
for by—

5 Corn Belt
States '

The Com
Belt'

21.2
12.4
38.1
39.4

67.4
38.0
18.0
72.6

21.9
58.7

24.0

16.6

Number of casli-grain farms

49.2

47.0

Bushels of corn harvested for grain

71.9

63.9

23.2

80.8

Number of cattle and calves sold alive - . -

28.2

69.7

1 Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.

J Total of 15 economic subregions. See footnote to table 1.

a Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

REGIONS WITHIN THE CORN BELT

Because of the vast size of the Corn Belt and because of some
rather important differences in the natural features and conditions
of production from one part to another, the Corn Belt has been
divided into five parts, or regions, for the purpose of this analysis
and report (fig. 2).

Eastern Corn Belt. — The soils of mcst of the Eastern Corn Belt
were developed under forest conditions. They usually are acid,
with a rather thin organic top layer, and they are inherently less
productive than the prairie soils to the west. The southwestern
part of this region includes some hilly and relatively less produc-
tive land in addition to the alluvial soils of the Wabash and Ohio
River Valleys. The average annual precipitation ranges from 45
inches in the southwestern to .35 inches in the northern part of
the region. Commercial fertilizer and lime are used more exten-
sively than in any other part of the Corn Belt.

More than half the commercial farms in this region have less
than 140 acres of land. This region has been settled and farmed
longer than most of the rest of the Corn Belt. Corn is the leading
crop but occupies a smaller percentage of the cropland than in
areas to the west. Wheat is grown on a larger percenta^je of the
farms than in any other region of the Corn Belt. Soybeans for
beans are grown to the largest extent in the northeastern and
northwestern part.s of this region.

Central Corn Belt. — The topography of most of the Central
Corn Belt is level to slightly rolling. The most level portions
are in east-central Illinois and in central Iowa. These are the
areas where cash-grain farming is most concentrated. The
central portion of this long diagonal region contains the largest
proportion of rolling land, and in this area live.stock farms pre-
dominate.

The soils over most of this region were developed from prairie
vegetation and are deep, fertile, and rich in organic matter.
Average annual precipitation ranges from 40 inches in the ea.stern
end to 25 inches in the extreme western part, and it is usually well
distributed through the growing season. The principal crops are
corn, soybeans, and oats. Yields of crops are relatively high.

Northern Corn Belt. — In the Northern Corn Belt the topography
and rainfall vary considerably from east to west. In the eastern
part the rainfall is greater and the topography is rougher than in
the western part. Soil erosion is a relatively serious problem in the
eastern part, and some soils in this area have difficult drainage
problems. Forage production, and hence beef and dairy produc-
tion, are much more important in the eastern than in the western
part of the region. Cash-grain farms are relatively most numerous
in the western part where tlie land is more level and rainfall is more
limiting for forage production. The princii^al crops, in addition
to forage, are corn, oats, and soybeans.

The primary limiting factor determining the northern boundary
of the Corn Belt is the length of the growing season. Develop-
ment of hybrid corn adapted to a shorter growing season has
pushed the northern boundary of the Corn Belt northward during
the last 20 years.

Western Corn Belt. — The western boundary of the Corn Belt
is determined principally by the supply of moisture, and par-
ticularly by the amount of rainfall during the growing season.
Westward from the zone of 25 inches of average annual precipita-
tion, corn rapidly loses its dominant position in the cropping
system, and is replaced by grain sorghum and wheat. The Corn
Belt merges into the regions of wheat production and range live-
stock. Wheat is able to make better use of fall, winter, and spring
moisture, and coming to maturity in the hot and relatively dry
part of the summer, it has a relative advantage over corn at the
western border of the Corn Belt. In the western part of the
Western Corn Belt, because of the uncertainty of rainfall, farmers
tend to understock with livestock to avoid the hazard of insufficient
feed in dry years. Therefore, more corn is sold from this part of
the region than in the eastern half of the Western Corn Belt.

In the loessial or wind-blown soil areas bordering the Missouri
River most of the land is characteristically rolling, and a large
percentage can be used only for permanent pasture. To protect
the cropland from .soil erosion and to maintain organic matter in
the soil, relatively large acreages of grasses and legumes are grown.
Cattle feeding and hog production are important in this part of the
region.

Southern Corn Belt. — Land in the Southern Corn Belt is gener-
ally more rolling and most of the soils are less productive than in
the areas bordering it on the north, east, and west. This region
has large areas of silt loam soils that have heavy subsoils or clay-
pans, making for difficult soil drainage and interfering with root
development and growth of crops. The scarcity of good cropland
is reflected in the relatively large acreage of pasture and the

8

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

relatively small supply of concentrates. Beef cattle grazing is
therefore more important here than in the Central Corn Belt and
there is less emphasis on cattle fattening and on hog production.
The average annual precipitation is about equal to that in the
Eastern Corn Belt. The growing season in the southern part
of the region is longer than in most of the rest of the Corn Belt.

Table 3. — Percent of Commercial Farms Reporting Speci-
fied Uses of Cropland and Specified Crops Harvested, in
THE Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Item

Cropland harvested

Cropland used only for pasture...

Cropland not harvested and not

pastured- ._ -.

Corn for all purposes.

Corn harvested tor grain

Wheat threshed or combined

Oats threshed or combined

Barley threshed or combined

Rye threshed or combined

Soybeans for aU purposes

Soybeans harvested for beans —

Soybeans cut for hay

Red clover seed harvested

Com
Belt,
total

Percent
95.8
61.0

18.0

91.0
87.6
35.6
72.4
5.6

4.3

42.3

41.2

2.0

4.1

Eastern
Com
Belt

Percent
93.9
6L9

16.9

89.6
89.0
63.2
6L3
S.2

8.2
5L4
50.1
2.9
7.5

Central
Corn
Belt

Percent
96.9
67.7

9.7

94.8
94.3
13.9
85.7
1.4

1.9

66.2
65.8
0.9
3.6

North-
era
Corn
Belt

Percent
97.9
63.7

12.8

96.1
94.2

7.5
90.8

7.6

1.4

40.2

39.8

0.6

2.7

West-
em
Com
Belt

Percent
96.6
38.6

26.3

91.3
89.2
37.2
72.6
4.8

3.6

16.1

15.7

0.3

1.6

South-
em
Corn
Belt

Percent
94.8
44.6

22.0

85.2
72.6
45.4
67.6
10.0

6.6

49.9

46.8

5.4

4.7

PERCENT OF TOTAL LAND AREA IN FARMS, 1954

FlOURE 6.

Because of the quality of soil in much of the region, however,
average yields of crops are relatively low. The principal grain
crops are corn, soybeans, oats, and wheat.

A number of differences among the five regions within the Corn
Belt are reflected by the data on percent of farmers reporting
specified uses of cropland and specified crops harvested (table 3).
There are rather significant differences, for example, in the pro-
portion of farmers reporting cropland used only for pasture,
cropland not harvested and not pastured, wheat threshed or
combined, and soybeans harvested for beans.

In most of the Western and Northern Corn Belt, 90 percent or
more of the total land area is in farms (fig. 6). In the Eastern
and Southern Corn Belt there are many counties in which up to
one-third of the land is in nonfarm uses.

TYPES OF FARMING

The differences in types of farming that occur from farm to farm
as weU as between localities in the Corn Belt are explained basically
by differences in soils and topographic features. The kind and
degree of livestock production is determined in large part by the
production of forage on a farm. On farms with rich, black, level
soils, relatively little of the cropland is used for growing forage.
On such farms, where practically all of the land is plowable, where
there is relatively little soil erosion, and where yield response to
forages in crop rotations is not great, corn and soybeans make
up the largest proportion of the crops grown. Such farms are
generally either cash-grain farms, hog farms, or beef-fattening
farms. Cattle for fattening on these farms are generally calves
or young cattle bought from the western range region. On farms
where more of the land is used for pasture or hay, beef breeding
lierds are kept, but where little or no forage is available on the farm,
the cattle-feeding operation is generally based on the purchase
of young cattle for fattening.

Farms having rolling land and soils that show benefit from
forages in the rotation are likely to have some cattle production,
such as pasturing of young feeder cattle for a few months on
pasture and then fattening them for market. The beef enter-
prise is found frequently on farms along with hog production,
as the two enterprises are complementary to some extent.

Farms with a considerable acreage of easily erodible land which
is kept in pasture or hay meadow, are likely to keep roughage-
consuming Hvestock such as beef breeding herds or dairy cattle.
The farms with large and regular production of hay and pasture
are generally dairy farms. Some also raise beef cattle or sheep.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT
FARM ORGANIZATION IN THE CORN BELT

TYPE OF FARM

In the classification of farms by typo, farms that have a high
degree of uniformity as to kinds and combinations of crops and
livestock produced were grouped together. This grouping, or
classifying, was done on the basis of value of farm products sold.
Type of farm was determined on the basis of the proportion of
total sales of farm products accounted for by a particular product
or closely related group of products, such as dairy products,
livestock other than dairy and poultry products, or grain crops.

In order for a farm to be classified as a particular type, the sales
or expected sales of the particular product or group of products
had to represent 50 percent or more of the total value of products
sold. For example, farms on which the sale of grain (corn,
soybeans, small grains, sorghums, field beans, field peas, and
cowpeas) accounted for 50 percent or more of the total value of
farm products sold were classified as cash-grain farms.

The distribution of commercial farms and of cash-grain farms,
livestock farms, and general farms in the United States is shown
in figures 7, 8, 9, and 10.

The number of farms in each of the principal types found in the
Corn Belt and in the United States as a whole in 1954 are shown in
table 4. Of the 3,327,617 commercirl farms, a total of 797,259, or
24 percent, were in the Corn Belt. The percentage of commercial
farms accounted for by the Corn Belt is higher than the percentage
of all farms included in this region because the number of farms
other than commercial is relatively greater in parts of the United
States outside of the Corn Belt. Of aU the cash-grain farms in
the United States, 49.2 percent were in the Corn Belt. Outside
of this belt the principal regions of cash-grain farms were the

COMMERCIAL FARMS

NUMBER, 1954

Figure

f^

CASH -GRAIN FARMS

NUMBER. 195a

A

7-

/

^~~i~%^

\

jfXr^ ul

■^

^

' ' ^^A^^^--&-

vs

— ^^

1 ^

'\\\r

LWTEO STATES TCfTAL
537.638

^Vf"

DOT- 100 FA

ai MnSTH

U.T a COMItl

■^

-."W.-4Wt ■■■ BU.(W C '■< «»VS 1

Figure 8.

Great Plains and other wheat-producing regions. The Corn
Belt had 47 percent of all livestock farms (other than dairy and
poultry) in the Nation. The Corn Belt is by far the leading region
in frequency of occurrence of livestock farms. Outside of it
other regions where livestock farms are a dominant type are the
Great Plains and the general region between the Corn Belt and
the Cotton Belt. Although dairying is not a principal enterprise
e.xcept on a relatively few farms in this region, the Corn Belt
accounted for 11.8 percent of all the dairy farms in the United
States. Dairy farms predominate in the region to the north of
the belt. Spreading out from the region of the Lake States,
dairying is also of importance in border areas extending into the
Eastern Corn Belt and along its northern edge. Farms that
could not be classified into a more definite type because no product
or group of products accounted for as much as 50 percent of the
total value of farm products sold were classified as general farms.
The general farms here are mainly characterized by a combina-
tion of cash-grain and livestock production with both of these
enterprises of primary' importance. A number of general farnis
may be considered as a transitional type, that is, a group falling
between the cash-grain farms and the livestock farms. Many of
them might be counted as cash-grain farms in a particular year
and as livestock farms in another year, depending on crop condi-
tions or on relative prices of grains and of livestock. Between
1950 and 1954 cash-grain farms increased in number while livestock
farms decreased rather generally throughout the region. In 1950,
the number of livestock farms exceeded the number of cash-grain
farms in Ohio, Indiana, and Minnesota, but in 1954 the cash-grain
farms were considerably more numerous than the livestock farms
in these States.

F

^7r--

LIVESTOCK FARMS *

NUMBER. 1954

J>

/ .

N$

~S ^^^W

f

Ml^ki

■^TTf^

\J^_^

^ ^-— W^

"Tjy

UMTED STATES TOTAL '^

vr^ ■ ■ ^i^

^"^^^^^^KX

•OlMEfi TM

694,636

AN OAIRT AND POULTRT

\ f lOOT'lOO FARMS \ ^

us OC««T-

hT Of C0»«»LI

V lip 'rtJ>4->» ■"■'»

t(Ltu 0» I"*. CtKSUB

Figure 9.

GENERAL FARMS

NUMBER, «54

Figure 10.

10

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 4. — Number of Farms in the United States and in
THE Corn Belt, by Broad Economic Class and Type of Farm :
1954

Broad economic class and type of farm

All farms

Commercial farms, total '...

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms ^

Dairy farms

Poultry farms

General farms

Other field-crop farms..
Other commercial farms

Other farms, total _.

Part-time farms

Residential farms

Abnormal farms

United

States,

total

4, 783, 021

3, 327, 617

537,838
694, 636
548,763
154, 257
347, 466
367, 771
676, 886

1,455,404

574, 575

878, 136

2,693

Cora Belt

Total

927, 921

797, 259

264,546

326, 662

64,774

19, 204

113,335

3,212

5,526

130, 662

62, 017

68,205

440

Percent of
United
States

19.4

24.0
49.2
47.0
11.8
12.4
32.6
0.9
0.8

9.0
10.8

7.8
16.3

* The numbers of commercial farms in the United States, listed in this table, are
estimated from a sample of farms on the State economic area basis. Numbers of com-
mercial farms in the United States by economic class within types are estimated from
a sample of farms on the economic subreglon basis. These different methods of estima-
tion explain the slight differences in numbers of cash-grain farms and of livestock
larms shown for the United States in this table and tables 1, 9, and 10.

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

3 Cotton farms, vegetable farms, fruit-and-nut farms, and miscellaneous farms.

A main explanation for the shift in numbers of these two types
of farms in this period is provided by the inde.x numbers of prices
received by farmers. While the index number of prices received
for all farm products sold in the United States was practically the
same in 1954 as in 1949, the index number of prices received for all
crops in 1954 was 108 percent of that in 1949. Prices of feed
grains and hay in 1954 were 116 percent of the 1949 level. On the
other hand, the index number of prices received for meat animals
and for livestock and livestock products was 94 (1949=100).

In the Corn Belt, in 1954, 85.9 percent of all farms were classified
as commercial farms compared with 69.6 percent in the United
States (table 5). Cash-grain farms numbered 28.5 percent and
livestock farms 35.2 percent of all Corn Belt farms. Dairy farms
and poultry farms comprised 7 percent and 2.1 percent, respec-
tively, of the total. As with cash-grain farms and livestock farms,
the Corn Belt had a relatively greater concentration of general
farms than the United States as a whole. In the Corn Belt, as

Table 5. — Percent of Farms in Each Broad Economic Class
AND Type, for the United States and Corn Belt: 1954

Broad economic class and type of farm

United
States

Corn Belt

All farms

Percent
100.0

69.6
U.2
14.5
11.5
3.2
7.3
7.7
14.2

30.4
12.0
18.4
0.1

Percent
100.0

Commercial farms, total...

85.9

28.6

Livestock farms '...

35.2

7.0

Poultry farms

2.1

12.2

Other field-crop farms

0.3

0.6

Other farms, total..

14. 1

6.7

Residential farms

7 4

(Z)

Z 0.05 percent or less.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

2 Cotton farms, vegetable farms, fruit-and-nut farms, and miscellaneous farms.

outlined for the present study, the proportions of cash-grain and
livestock farms are higher than in most of the individual five Corn
Belt States. The percentage distribution of cash-grain, livestock,
and other types of farms in States of the North Central Region of
the country is shown in table 6.

Cash-grain farms account for 11.2 percent of all the farms in the
United States and 49.2 percent of these are in the Corn Belt. The
percentage of farms classified as cash-grain farms in the Corn Belt
as a whole was higher than the proportions shown for Iowa and

Table 6. — Number of All Commercial Farms, and Number
AND Percentage Distribution of Specified Types of Farms,
IN the United States and Specified States: 1954

state

United States..

Ohio

Indiana

Illinois

Iowa

Missouri

Minnesota

Wisconsin

Michigan

North Dakota...

South Dakota

Nebraska

Kansas

Kentucky

Commercial farms by type

Total
com-
mercial

3, 327, 617

123, 457
115, 182
147, 801
178,238
140,307

146. 527
135,064
98, 161

59,546
59,796
94,153
102, 526

122, 784

Cash-
grain

Live-
stock

Other
types

537, 838 694, 636 2, 095. 143

35,626: 28.714
39,395 36,496
69, 296 1 43,830
40, 097 104, 799
20,465 59.821

33, 956
3,904

21,441

38. 992|
18, 322

34. 613
54,174

4,932

28,040
10, 327
10, 400

7,740
28.081
42. 127
25, 410

59, 117
39, 291
34,675
33, 342
60,021

84,531
120,833
66,320

12,814
13, 393
17,413
22,942

16,090 101,762

Percentage distribution

Total
com-
mer-
cial
farms

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100-0

100.0
100.0

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0

Cash-
grain
farms

16.2

28.9
34.2

46.9
22.5
14.6

23.2
2.9
21.8

65.5
30.6
36.8
52.8

4.0

Live-
stock
farms '

Other
types

20.9

23.3
31.7

29.7;
68.8
42.6

19.1
7.6
10.6

13.0
47.0
44.7
24.8

13.1

63.0

47.9
34.1
23.5

18.7
42.8

67.7
89.5
67.6

21.6
22.4
18.5
22.4

82.9

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 7- — Number of Farms in Each Region of the Corn
Belt, and Percentage Distribution Among Regions, by
Broad Economic Class and Type of Farm: 1954

Broad economic class and
type of farm

Corn
Belt,
total

Eastera
Cora
Belt

Central
Com
Belt

North-
em
Corn
Belt

West-
em
Com
Belt

South-
era

Corn
Belt

Number of farms:

All farms

927,921

797, 2.19

264, 540

326, 662

64,774

19, 204

113,335

3,212

5,526

130,662

62,017

68, 205

440

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

221,145

177,280

68,300

51,480

18,145

6,698

27,934

2,423

2,300

43,865

22, 352

21,366

147

2.3.8
22.2
25.8
15.8
28.0
34.9
24.6
75.4
41.6

33.6
36.0
31.3
33.4

182, 559

167,845

69, 037

72,070

5, 661

2,882

17,354

72

769

14,714

6,970

7,655

89

19.7
21.1
26.1
22.1

8.7
15.0
15.3

2.2
13.9

11.3
11.2
11.2
20.2

114,627

108, .569

27, 469

40,608

17, 128

2,329

20,442

205

388

6,058

3,170

2, 805

83

12.4
13.6
10.4
12.4
26.4
12.1
18.0
6.4
7.0

4.6
5.1
4.1
18.9

205, 897

186,176

58, 874

91,. 367

7,744

2,538

24, 599

337

717

19, 721

9,161

10,470

90

22.2
23.4
22.3
28.0
12.0
13.2
21.7
10.5
13.0

15.1
14.8
1.5.4
20.5

203, 693

Commercial farms, total

157,389
40,866

Livestock farms '

71, 137

16,096

Poultry farms -

4,767

23,006

Other field-crop farms

Other commercial farms '..

175
1,352

46,304

Part-time farms

20,364

25,909

Abnormal farms .

31

Percentage distribution of farms :

22.0

Commercial farms, total

19.7
15.4

Livestock farms '

21.8

24.8

24.8

20.3

Other field-crop farms

Other commercial farms '..

6.4
24.5

36.4

Part-time farms

32.8

38.0

Abnormal farms

7.0

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

■ Cotton farms, vegetable farms, fruit-and-nut farms, and miscellaneous farms.

CASH'GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

11

Missouri but not as high as the proportions in Indiana and Illinois
where cash-grain farming is more densely concentrated. Livestock
farms constitute the largest single type of commercial farm in
this country as a whole. This group made up 14.5 percent of
the United States total of all farms. Of this number (694,636),
47 percent were in the Corn Belt (table 4). Livestock farms are
the most common type in the belt, accounting for 35.2 percent of
all the farms (table 5). This percentage for the total region is
larger than that in the individual States of Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois, but is exceeded by the proportions in the States of Iowa
and Missouri where livestock farms are relatively more prevalent
than cash-grain farms.

The number of farms of each principal type in the different
region.s of the Corn Belt are shown in table 7. In terms of total
number of commercial farms, the Western Corn Belt is the largest
of the five regions into which the Corn Belt has been divided for
the analysis on which this report is based. The order of rank of
the other regions on the basis of numbers of commercial farms is as
follows: Eastern, Central, Southern, and Northern Corn Belt.
Most of the cash-grain farms are in the central and eastern regions.
Livestock farms are the most concentrated in the western, central,
and southern regions. Dairy farms are most numerous in the
eastern and northern parts of the Corn Belt in the areas which
are, in effect, a continuation of the Nation's major dairy regions
of the Lake States and the Northeast. Most of the poultry
farms in the Corn Belt are found in the eastern and southern
parts of the region.

General farms are widely distributed throughout the Corn Belt
but are relatively least numerous in the Central Corn Belt where
farming tends to be more specialized (table 8). There are rela-

Table 8. — Percentage Distribution of Commerical Farms,
BY Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions:
1954

Type of farm

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestoct farms i

Dairy farms- - _

Poultry farms

General farms

Other field-crop farms

Other commercial farms 2

Com
Belt,
total

100.0
33.2
41.0
8.1
2.4
14.2
0.4
0.7

Eastern
Com
Belt

100.0

38.5

29.0

10.2

3.8

15.8

1.4

1.3

Central
Com
Belt

100.0
41.1
42.9
3.4
1.7
10.3
(Z)
0.5

North-
em
Corn
Belt

100.0
25.3
37.4
16.8
2.1
18.8
0.2
0.4

West-
em

Corn
Belt

100.0
31.6
49.0
4.2
1.4
13.2
0.2
0.4

South-
ern
Cora
Belt

100.0
26.0
45.2
10.2
3.0
14.6
0.1
0.9

Z 0.05 percent or less.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

' Cotton farms, vegetable farms, fruit-and-nut farms, and miscellaneous farms.

tively few farms of other types such as vegetable farms, fruit-and-
nut farms, and horticultural-specialty farms. The few cotton
farms are found in the southern part of Illinois and in southeastern
Missouri. All of the.se minor types together accounted for less
than 1 percent of all farms in the Corn Belt. In general, farming
is more diversified in the southern and eastern parts of the belt
than in other parts. This results mainly from the greater varia-
tion in topography and soil conditions in the eastern and southern
portions.

Most of the other farms (noncommercial) are also found in the
eastern and southern parts. Residential farms made up 12.7 per-
cent of all farms in the Southern Corn Belt, but only 2.4 percent in
the Northern Corn Belt. For the other regions of the Corn Belt
the proportion of residential farms was between these two figures.
Part-time farms made up 10 percent of all farms in both the
Eastern and Southern Corn Belt. Part-time and residential
farms are operated principally by families who have other occupa-
tions or sources of income or by retired farmers or other retired
or semiretired persons.

ECONOMIC CLASS OF FARM

In this report, much of the analysis relates to economic classes
of farms. The criteria used in determining economic class of farm
are given in various reports of the 1954 Census of Agriculture.

Criteria for the economic classes of farms are as follows:

Criteria

Class

Value of farm products
sold

Other

COM.MERCIAL
FA R.MS

Class I

$25,000 or more...

$10,000 to $24,999

$5,000 to $9,999

$2,500 to $4,999

$1,200 to $2,499

$250 to $1,199

None.

Class II

Class III

None.

Class IV

Class V

None.

Class VI

Less than 100 days of off-farm work
by operator, and income of oper-
ator and members of his family
from nonfarm sources less than
value of all farm products sold.

lOOdaysor more of oil-farm work by

OTHER FAR.MS
Part-time

$250 to $1,199

Residential

operator or income of farm oper-
ator and members of his family
from nonfarm sources greater
tlian value of all farm products
sold.

Not a criterion

farms, grazmg associations, com-
munity-project farms, etc.

The distribution of cash-grain and livestock farms by economic
class in the different regions of the Corn Belt are shown in tables
9 and 10. The largest economic class in terms of numbers of
farms included in the Corn Belt as a whole is Class III. These
are farms with a value of sales of agricultural products, in 1954,
amounting to $5,000 and up to $9,999. This group makes up
34.1 percent of all cash-grain farms in the Corn Belt and is fairly
typical of the family-sized farms in this region. Also numerous
are farms in Economic Classes II and IV. These farms are similar
to the Class III farms, except that the Class II farms are some-
what larger, having total value of agricultural products sold from
$10,000 to $25,000, and the Class IV farms are smaller, having
sales ranging from $2,500 up to $4,999. These three groups ac-
count for 81 percent of all the cash-grain farms in the Corn Belt.

Table 9. — Number and Percentage Distribution of CasH'
Grain Farms, by Economic Class, in the United States and
Corn Belt: 1954

Item and economic
class of farm

United
States

Corn Belt

Total

East-
ern

Cen-
tral

North-
ern

West-
ern

South-
ern

Number of farms:
Cash-t^rnin farms, total

537,974
21,995
110..W7
160,337
129,042
82. 789
33.214

100.0
4.1

20.6
29.8
24.0
15.4
6.2

264,546
6,496
62.004
90. 110
62.045
33,944
9,947

100.0
2.5
23.4
34.1
23.5
12.8
3.8

68,300
1,613
14,060
20,448
17,363
11,965
2,851

100.0
2.4
20.6
29.9
25.4
17.5
4.2

69,037
3,221
26,210
24, 920
10.151
3,520
1,015

100.0
4.7
38.0
36.1
14.7
6.1
1.5

27,469
406
6,704
11,302
6,011
2,391
655

100.0

1.5

24.4

41.1

21.9

8.7

2.4

58,874
867
10,808
22,252
16,496
6,718
1,733

100.0
1.5
18.4
.37.8
28.0
11.4
2.9

40,866
389

11

4,222

III

IV

V

VI

Percentage distribution
of farms :
Ciish-grain farms, total

Class I..-

11..

Ill . .

11,188
12,024
9, 3.M
3,693

100.0

1.0

10.3

27.4

IV

29.4

V

22.9

VI -.

9.0

12

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Class III farms are the largest group in the Eastern, Northern,
and Western Corn Belt, but in the Central Corn Belt Class II
farms are most numerous and in the Southern Corn Belt the
largest group is Class IV. This is true for both cash-grain and
livestock types of farms. The smallest farms, those in Economic
Classes V and VI, comprise 16.6 percent of all cash-grain farms
and 18 percent of all livestock farms in the Corn Belt, compared
with 21.6 percent of the cash-grain farms and 34.3 percent of the
livestock farms in the United States as a whole. Within the
Corn Belt these two low-income classes of farms account for the
largest percentages of all commercial farms in the eastern and
southern parts of the region.

Table 10. — Number and Percentage Distribution of Live'
STOCK Other Than Dairy and Poultry Farms, by Economic
Class, in the United States and Corn Belt: 1954

Item and economic
class of farm

Number of farms :
Total livestock other
than dairy and

poultry

Class I

II

III

IV

V

VI

Percentage distribution
of farms :
Total livestock other
than dairy and

poultry

Class I

II

III

IV

V

VI

United
States

694,888
39, 835
121,287
152,413
143,072
1.37,490
100, 791

100.0
6.7
17.5
21.9
20.6
19.8
14.5

Corn Belt

Total

326, 662
22, 708
83, 655
94, 638
66. 978
40, 000
18,883

100.0
7.0
25.6
28.9
20.6
12.2
5.8

Ea,st-
ern

51,480
3,463
12,916
13,414
10, 469
7,782
3,436

100.0
6.7
25.1
26.1
20.3
16.1
6.7

Cen-
tral

72, 070
8,091
26, 355
20, 693
10, 331
4,785
1,815

100.0
11.2
36.6
28.7
14.3
0.6
2.5

North-
ern

40. OOS
2,604
11,925
14, 803
7,900
2,496
880

100.0

6.4

29.4

36. 5

19.6

6.1

2.2

West-
ern

91.367
6,739
22,920
28,060
19, 725
9,861
4,072

100.0
7.4
25.1
30.7
21.6
10.8
4.5

South-
ern

71,137
1,811
9,439
17,668
18, 653
16,086
8,680

100.0
2.5
13.3
24.7
26.1
21.2
12.2

Table 11. — Specified Items for Commerclal Farms: Percent-
age Distribution Among Principal Types of Farms, in the
Corn Belt: 1954

Item

All com-
mercial
farms

Farms number..

All land in farms.. acres..

Total cropland acres..

Total woodland acres. .

Pasture other than cropland or woodland
acres..

Other land '. acres. .

Total pasture acres..

Cropland harvested acres. .

Com harvested for grain... bushels..

Soybeans harvested for beans bushels..

Horses and mules number..

All cattle and calves number..

Cows, including heifers that have calved

number..

Milk cows numlter..

All hogs and pigs number..

Chickens 4 months old and over number..

All sheep number..

Ewes number..

Value of all farm products sold .dollars,.

Value of all crops sold dollars..

Value of all livestock and livestock products
sold... dollars—

Percent
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0

100.0

Cash-
grain
farms

PcTceiU
33.2
35.1
38.9
27.0

21.3
35.5

22.1
40.5
41.1
66.9

21.0
10.4

21.9
20.4
13.8
25.8
19.7
22.5

30.3
63.6

Live-
stock
farms '

Percent
41.0
44.3
41.0
46.7

69.4
41.6

56.6
39.7
41.7
20.3

62.1
69.0

60.6
34.5
69.2
41.0
64.5
58.9

49.6
18.1

67.4

Other
commer-
cial
farms -

Percenl
25.8
20.6

20. 1
26.3

19.3
23.0

21.4
19.8
17.2
12.8

26.9

21. 6

27. 6
45.1
17.0
33.2
15.8
18.6

20.2
18.3

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

i Dairy farms, poultry farms, general farms, other field-crop farms, cotton farms,
vegetable farms, truit-and-nut farms, and miscellaneous farms.
3 House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

The percentage distribution of farms, of cropland, and of other
land in farms among cash-grain farms, livestock farms, and other
commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 is shown in table 11.
Also shown in this table are the percentage distributions of pro-
duction of .specified crops, numbers of livestock, and value of
products sold among these groups of farms.

SIZE OF FARM

The great bulk of the farms in the Corn Belt have between 70
and 500 acres of land (table 12). Farms in this range of acreage
comprised 84 jiercent of all commercial farms in the belt. About
11 percent of the farms are smaller than 70 acres and less than 5
percent are larger than 500 acres. In the United States as a whole

9 percent of the farms are units of 500 acres or more, but 29 per-
cent have less than 70 acres of land.

The average size of all farms in the United States in 1954 was
242 acres. In most of the counties in the eastern half of the
country the average size was less than 200 acres (fig. 11). In the
western half of the country there were large areas where the
average size was 2,500 acres or over. In the majority of counties
in the Corn Belt the average size of farm was between 100 and 200
acres.

The average size of commercial farms in the United States was
310 acres. The average for the United States, of course, includes
the large farms and ranches of the western United States as well as
smaU farms in the eastern part of the country. Two out of every

10 commercial farms in the Corn Belt were approximate!}' quarter-
section units, or in the range of 140 to 179 acres (table 13). Four
farms out of every 10 had from 180 to 499 acres of land. The
average size of all commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was
214 acres.

Small farms are relatively most numerous in the eastern part of
the Corn Belt and large farms in the western part. In the Eastern
Corn Belt, more than half of the commercial farms are smaller
than 140 acres, but in the Western Corn Belt such farms make up
only a fifth of the total. On the other hand, farms of 260 acres or
larger comprise only a seventh of the total in the Eastern Corn
Belt but account for more than a third of the total in the Western

Table 12. — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farms
IN Specified Acreage Size Groups, for the United States
AND Corn Belt Regions : 1954

Size group

Number of farms ;

Total all sizes

Under 30 acres..
30 to 69 acres. . .
70 to 139 acres..
140 to 179 acres.

180 to 259 acres.
260 to 499 acres.
500 to 999 acres.
1 ,000 acres and
over

Percentage of farms ;

Total all sizes

Under 30 acres.
30 to 69 acres...
70 to 139 acres..
140 to 179 acres.

180 to 259 acres.
260 to 499 acres.
500 to 999 acres.
1 ,000 acres and
over

United
States

3, 327, 889
490, 798
483, 281
760, 816
403, 032

422, 131
451,921
182, 560

127, 361

100.0
14.9
14.5
22.9
12.1

12.7
13.6
6.6

3.8

Corn Belt

Total

797, 259
35, 301
66, 000
179, 264
167, 208

170. 717
161,925
31,664

6,190

100.0

4.4

6.9

22.5

19.7

21.4
20.3
4.0

Eastern

177, 280
14, 082
26,440
57, 934
25, 628

29, 086
2!,4ia
3,281

100.0
7.9
14.4

32.7
14.5

16.4
12.1
1.9

0.2

Central

167, 845

6, 696

7,656

34, 608

41,322

41, 032

32, 593

3,862

100.0

3.9

4.6

20.6

24.6

24.4
19.4
2.3

North-
ern

108, 569
3,070
4,126
23, 765
25,860

26, 431

22,011

3,016

300

100.0
2.8
3.8
21.9
23.8

24.3
20.3
2.8

West-
ern

186, 176

5,973

0. 757

24, 813

38,661

39, 877
61. 586
14, 275

4,234

100.0
3.2
3.6
13.3
20.8

21.4

27.7
7.7

South-
em

157, 389

6,680

11,021

38, 254

25,737

34,291

34, 272

7,220

100.0

3.5

7.0

24.3

16.4

21.8

21.8

4.6

0.6

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

13

AVERAGE SIZE OF FARMS. 1954

(COUNTY UNIT BASIS)

LEGEND

ACRES
I i UNDER 50 ^§^ 500 TO 999

I • l 60 TO 99 ^S IDOO TO 2.499

^Z3i00TCi99 BB aSOO AND OVER

JSgsf 200 TO 499
• no farms

us DCPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Table 13,

Figure 11.

-Percentage Distribution of Commercial Farms Among Acreage Size Groups, in the Corn Belt and Component

Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms ',

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms '.

Central Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms '.

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms '.

Western Cora Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms '.

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms i.

Acreage size group

All sizes

Under 30
acres

30 to 69
acres

70 to 139
acres

140 to 179
acres

180 to 269
acres

260 to 499
acres

600 to 999
acres

1,000 acres
and over

Percent
100.0
100.0
100.0

Percent
4,4
1.3
4,0

Percent
6,9
6,4
5,9

Percent
22,5
21,2
21,0

Percent
19,7
19 3
20,3

Percent
21.4

22.6
21.8

Percent
20.3
24,0
20.9

Percent
4.0
4,5
4,8

Percent
0.8
0.7
1.2

100.0
100.0
100,0

7.9
2.5
8,3

14.4
14,3
13,3

32 7

33 2
30,6

14,6
14,9
14,7

16.4
18,0
M7. 1

12,1
14,5
13 6

1.9
2.4
2,3

0.2
0.3

0.3

100,0
100,0
100,0

3,9
1,1
3 7

4,6
3,6

4,7

20.6
18,6
21,1

24,6
23,7
25.3

24,4
26,6
24.4

19,4
23,4
18.3

2.3
2.9
2.3

0.2
0.2
0.2

100,0
100,0
100,0

2,8
1,2
2,4

3,8
3 7
3,2

21,9
17,6
22,0

23,8
22,3
24,5

24.3
24.0
24.2

20.3
27,0
20,2

2.8
3,7
3,1

0.3
0.4
0.4

100,0
100,0
100,0

3 2
0,7
3 2

3 6
2,2
3,8

13 3
11.7
13,7

20.8
19,6
20,9

21.4
21.9
21,3

27,7
33,1
25.8

7,7
8.9
8.1

2.3
1.8
3.1

100,0
100,0
100.0

3 5
1,0
3.2

7.0
S.6
6.2

24,3
21,8
23,0

16.4
16.6
16.1

21,8
23.8
21.9

21.8
25.8
23.0

4.6
5.0

6,8

0.6
0.6
0.9

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

423024 — 57

14

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Corn Belt. In the Central and Northern Corn Belt approximately
a half of the farms are in the range of 140 to 260 acres, with nearly
a fourth of the farms larger than 260 acres and the remaining
approximate one-fourth of the farms smaller than 140 acres.

For the Corn Belt, in 1954, the average size of cash-grain farms
was 226 acres and the average size of livestock farms was 231
acres. For the United States as a whole the average acreages for
these types were 380 acres and 731 acres, respectively. The
considerably larger average sizes of these types for the United
States results from the inclusion of large wheat farms of the Great
Plains and the Northwest in the cash-grain group and the inclusion
of the large western ranches in the livestock group. The relatively
moderate average sizes of these two types of farms in the Corn
Belt are rather striking in comparison with the averages for the
United States. Of interest also is the close similarity in average
size of cash-grain farms and livestock farms in the Corn Belt.

The similarity in size of these two types of farms in terms of
acreage is portrayed by the data in table 13. The similarity in
distribution of acreage size groups in the two ty])es is strongly
consistent in all the regions of the Corn Belt. The only minor
difference apparent is that a slightly larger proportion of the live-
stock farms than of the cash-grain farms is comjiosed of farms
under 30 acres in size, but the actual number of farms of either
type in this small size group is relatively few (table 14).

The distribution of farms in each economic class among the
specified acreage size groups is shown for cash-grain farms and
livestock farms in tables 14 and 15. The acreage size groupings
are the same as those of the foregoing tables. The 140 to 179 acre
group is centered around and includes all the quarter-section
(160 acres) farms, which were the t\'pical homestead size. The
gradual trend to larger acreages per farm is reflected in the fact
that 46.5 percent of the commercial farms are larger than the
quarter-section unit, while only 33.8 percent of the farms are
smaller than 140 acres. It also reflects the fact that forces inducing
farmers to enlarge their farms have been greater or more prevalent
than the forces tending toward dividing the farmland among the
heirs of successive generations as has been the case in many of the
older countries of the world.

The progress of mechanization which has brought about the
possibility of one operator handling an increasing acreage of crop-
land with less labor is the most influential factor making for farm
enlargement, but it is significant also that there has been no great
increase in the number of farms of 500 acres and over. This group
is still a small percentage of the total. The typical farm in the
Corn Belt is the family-size farm, although its acreage is now
generally larger than it was in homestead j^ears or even only a
generation ago.

Table 14. — Number of Commercial Farms in Each Acreage Size Group, in the Corn Belt; 1954

Number of farms by acreage size group

Type and economic class of farm

AU sizes

Under 30
acres

30 to 69
acres

70 to 139
acres

140 to 179
acres

180 to 259
acres

260 to 499
acres

600 to 999
acres

1,000 acres
and over

797, 269

264. 646
6.496
62. 004
90, 110
62,046
33,944
9,947

326, 662
22, 708
83, 555
94,538
66, 978
40,000
18,883

35, 301
3,650

55,000
16, 815

179, 264

66,164
20
825
14, 472
23,877
13, 785
3,186

68,762
603

7.183
20.421
21.110
13, 670

5,875

157. 208

50. 961

45

6,445

24, 466

13, 970
5,125

910

66, 260

1.793

17.951

24. 242

14. 491
5,942
1,841

170, 717

59,800
125
19. 476
25.620
11. 105
2,995
480

71. 261
4.309
25. 556
23,594
11,824
4,557
1,421

161. 925

63.650

2.966

29. 110

22. 071

7,611

1,527

266

68,320

10,563

25, 489

19, 067

9,627

2,961

723

31,654

11,940

2.687

6,385

2,886

837

130

16

15, 670
4,078
5,373
3,775
1,828
631
85

6,190

Cash-grain farms:

Total . .

1,766

Class I...

653

II

16

305

4,470

9,015

3,010

19,424
78
355
1,756
5,320
7.370
4,646

749

III...

10

116

1,350

2,076

13,068

123

295

820

2,590

4,880

4,360

280

IV

60

V

17

VI..

7

Livestock farms: '

Total

3,497

Class I...

1, 261

II

1,353

III...

873

IV

288

V...

89

VI...

33

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 15. — Percentage of Commercial Farms in Each Acreage Size Group, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Acreage size group

Type and economic class of farm

AU sizes

Under 30
acres

30 to 69
acres

70 to 139
acres

140 to 179
acres

180 to 269
acres

260 to 499
acres

600 to 999
acres

1,000 acres
and over

Percent
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

Percent
4.4

1.3

Percent
6.9

6.4

Percent
22.6

21.2
0.3
1.3
16,1
38.6
40,6
32.0

21.0
2.2
8.6
21.6
31.6
34.2
31.1

Percent
19.7

19.3
0.7
10.4
27.1
22.6
15.1
9.1

20 3
7.9
21.6
26.6
21.6
14.9
9.7

Percent
21.4

22.6

1.9

31.4

28.4

17.9

8.8

4.8

21.8
19.0
30.6
25.0
17.7
11.4
7.6

Percent
20 3

24.0
45.7
46.9
24.6
12.3
4.5
2.7

20 9
46.6
30.5
20.2
14.2
7.4
3.8

Percent
4.0

4.5
41.4
8.7
3.2
1.3
0.4
0.2

4.8
18.0
6.4
4.0
2.7
1.3
0.6

Percent
0.8

Cash-grain farms:

Total..

0.7

Class I...

10.1

II

(Z)

0.3

7.2

26.6

30 3

5.9
0.3
0.4
1.9
7.9
18.4
24.1

1.2

Ill

(Z)
0.2
4.0
20.9

4.0
0.6
0.4
0.9
3.9
12.2
23.1

0.3

IV

0 1

v...

0 1

VI

0 1

Livestoclt farms: '

Total

1.2

Class I

5 6

II

1.6

III

0.9

TV

0.4

V

0.2

VI

0.2

Z Less than 0.05 percent.

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

15

Table 16. — Percentage Distribution of Types and Economic Classes of Farms in Each Acreage Size Group, in the Corn Belt:

1954

Acreage size group

Typo and economic class of farm

All sizes

Under 30
acres

30 to 69
acres

70 to 139
acres

140 to 179
acres

180 to 259
acres

260 to 499
acres

500 to 999
acres

1,000 acres
and over

Percent
100.0

33.2
0.8
7.8

11.3
7.8
4.3
1.2

41.0
2.8
10.5
11.9
8.4
5.0
2.4

Percent
100.0

10.1

Percent
100.0

30.6

Percent
100. 0

31.3

(Z)
0.5
8.1
13.3

7.7
1.8

38.4
0.3
4.0
11.4
11.8
7.6
3.3

Percent
100.0

32.4
(Z)
4.1
15.6
8.9
3.3
0.6

42.1
1.1
11.4
15.4
9.2
3.8
1.2

Percent
100.0

35.0
0, 1
11.4
15.0
6.5
1.8
0.3

41.7
2.6
16.0
13.8
6.9
2.7
0.8

Percent
100.0

39.2
1.8
18.0
13.6
4.7
0.9
0.2

42,2
6.5
15.7
11.8
6.9
1.8
0.4

Percent
100.0

37.7
8.5
17.0
9.1
2.6
0.4
(Z)

49.5
12.9
17.0
11.9
5.8
1.7
0.^

Percent
ion. 0

Cash.graln farms:

Total -

Class I

28.5
10.5

11 -.

■" (Zf"
0.3
3.8
5.9

37.0
0.3
0.8
2.3
7.3
13.8
124

(Z)'
0.6
8.1
IB. 4
5.5

3,';. 3
0.1
0.6
3.2
9.7

13.4
8.3

12.1

Ill

IV ...

4.5
l.U

V -.- -

0.3

VI

0.1

Livestock farms: '

Total

63.0

Class I... -

II -

III

IV

20.4
21.9
14.1

4.7

V

1.4

VI

0.5

Z 0.05 percent or less.

' Livestock other than dairy ami poultry farms.

A larger proportion of the Classes I, II, and III farms of the
cash-grain type are in the 260 acres or over acreage groups than is
true for Classes I, II, and III livestock farms. Also, a larger
proportion of the cash-grain farms in Economic Classes IV, V,
and VI are in the acreage sizes under 140 acre.s than is true for the
livestock farms. This indicates that livestock production on the
land has the effect of increasing the farm incomes from given
acreages. In other words, in spite of the differences that may
exist in the quality of land on cash-grain farms as compared with
livestock farms, the cash-grain farms generally require larger
acreages than livestock farms in this region to produce the same
levels of value of products sold.

The distribution of economic classes of farms within acreage
size groups is shown for cash-grain and livestock farms in table 16.
Economic class is positively correlated with acreage size among
both cash-grain and livestock farms. As the acreage of land in
the farm is increased, the proportion of higher income economic
classes of farms in these acreage sizes is increased. Among farms
of less than 140 acres there are significantly fewer Classes I, II,
and III cash-grain farms than there are livestock farms. Rela-
tively few of the farms of large acreage are in the low income eco-
nomic classes (Classes IV, V, and VI). However, there are
enough exceptions to the positive correlation of economic class
with acreage to indicate that a relatively large acreage is not
enough alone to guarantee a large farm income. On the other
hand, the occurrence of a significant number of Economic Classes
II and III farms among farms of less than 140 acres indicates that
a larger than average acreage of land is not always necessary for
a moderately high level of farm sales if production can be increased
by application of other inputs.

RESIDENCE AND TENURE OF FARM OPERATORS

Residence. — Practically all farmers in the Corn Belt live on the
farms they operate. In the 1954 Census about 99 percent of the
commercial farm operators gave information as to their residence.
Only 4.9 percent of these reported their residence as not on the
farm they operated (table 17). About 92 percent of all cash-
grain farmers and about 96 percent of all livestock farmers in the
Corn Belt had their homes on the farms they operated.

The proportion of operators not residing on their farms was
highest among cash-grain farmers, ranging from 6.5 percent in
the Eastern Corn Belt to 10.1 percent in the Western Corn Belt.
The proportion of livestock farm operators not residing on their
farms ranged from 2.9 percent in the Northern Corn Belt to 4.5
percent in the Southern Corn Belt.

Most farmers prefer to live on the farm they operate and find
it advantageous from the economic standpoint. This is especially
true for farmers who have livestock. As pointed out above,
most of the cash-grain farms, as well as the livestock farms, have
some livestock. On most of these farms, livestock of one or more
kinds are on hand throughout the year. Livestock require at-
tention every day, or practically every day, especially during the
winter months and during periods such as at farrowing, calving,
and lambing time. During the pasture season, beef cattle and
sheep on pasture often need relatively little attention, but usually
during this season there is work with other livestock, for example,
milk cows, pigs, and chickens, or cattle or hogs being fattened,
if such livestock are present, in addition to work on crops.

On farms where all crops are sold and no livestock are kept,
there is little or no work on the farm during the winter months.
Operators of such farms sometimes find it desirable or advan-
tageous to reside with their families in a nearby village or town.
Some operators, usually beginning farmers or single men, live
on other farms, generally with relatives, near the farms they
operate.

Residence on the farm operated was most common on Economic
Class II and Class 111 farms of both cash-grain and livestock
types (table 18). About 94 percent of the Class II cash-grain
farm operators and 97 percent of the Class II and Class III
livestock farm operators lived on their farms. The proportion of
operators not residing on the farm operated was greatest among
Class V and Class VI cash-grain farms (11.9 percent and 10.5
percent). Among livestock farms, Class I farms had the largest
percentage of operators not residing on the farm operated (6.1
percent) .

Tenure. — In 1954 approximately two-thirds of the commercial
farms in the Corn Belt were operated by owners and part owners,
about one-thii'd were operated by tenants, and less than 1 percent
were operated by managers. Full owners own all the land they
operate. Part owners operate land that they own and also
additional land that they rent from others. Managers operate
farms for others and are paid a wage or salary for their services.
Tenants rent from others or work on shares for others, all the
land they operate.

Tenancy is generally greater among cash-grain farm operators
than among livestock farm operators. This was true in every
region of the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 17). That year, in the
Corn Belt as a whole, 40.6 percent of the cash-grain farm operators
and 29.4 percent of the livestock farm operators were tenants,

16

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 17- — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farm Operators, by Residence and Tenure Status, by Type of Farm, in

THE Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

All farm
operators

Operators reporting
as to residence

Percentage distribution of operators
reporting residence

Operators by tenure status

Region and type of farm

Total op-
erators
reporting

Percent

of all

farm

operators

Total op-
erators
reporting

Residing
on farm
operated

Not re-
siding
on farm
operated

Owners,

part
owners,

and
managers

Tenants

Total

Percent

ofaU
operators

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms _.

797, 269
264, 646
326, 662

177, 280
68,300
51, 480

167, 845
69,037
72, 070

108, 569
27,469
40, 608

186, 176
58,874
91,367

167, 389
40,866
71, 137

787, 169
260, 679
322, 993

174, 680
67, 112
60,835

166, 473
67,949
71, 185

107,458
27, 131
40,264

183,903
58,103
90,311

156, 755
40, 384
70,398

98.7
98.6
98.9

98.5
98.3
98.7

98.6
98.4
98.8

99.0
98.8
99.2

98.8
98.7
98.8

99.0
98.8
99.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0
100.0

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

96.1
91.9
96.2

96.6
93.6
96.2

96.1
92.4
96.9

96.9
91.5
97.1

94.1
89.9
96.7

95.2
91.9

95.5

4.9
8.1
3.8

4.5
6.6
3.8

4.9
7.6
3.1

4.1
8.5
2.9

6.9
10.1
4.3

4.8
8.1
4.5

633, 860
167, 130
230, 648

132, 892
49,080
38,676

91,809
31,628
44,292

70,563
17, 146
27,339

114,396
30,980
61, 143

124,200
28,396
69, 199

263,399
107, 416
96, 114

44,388
19,220
12,905

76,036
37,609
27,778

38,006
10,323
13, 269

71,780
27,894
30,224

33, 189
12, 470
11,938

33.0

40.6

Livestocic farms ' - .. -

29.4

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

25.0

Casli-grain farms

28.1

25.1

Central Cora Belt:

All commercial farms - . -

46.3

54.3

Livestoclc farms '

38.6

Northem Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

35.0

37.6

Livestock farms ' -

32.7

Western Cora Belt:

38.6

Casti-grain farms . . .

47.4

33.1

Soutbern Cora Belt:

21 1

Cash-grain farms

30.6

16.8

' Llvestocli other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 18. — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farm Operators, by Residence and Tenure Status, by Type and Economic

Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

:l ■ ■[

All farm
operators

Operators reporting
as to residence

Percentage distribution of operators
reporting residence

Operators by tenure status

Type and economic class of farm

Total op-
erators
reporting

Percent

of all

farm

operators

Total op-
erators
reporting

Residing
on farm
operated

Not re-
siding
on farm
operated

Owners,

part
owners,

and
managers

Tenants

Total

Percent

of all
operators

All commercial farms

797, 259

264,546
6,496
62,004
90, 110
62,045
33,944
9,947

326, 662
22, 708
83, 666
94,638
66, 978
40,000
18,883

787, 169

260, 679
6,389
61,162
89, 003
61, 176
33, 223
9,727

322, 993
22, 489
82. 758
93. 638
66,211
39,370
18,627

98.7

98.5
9S.4
98.6
98.8
98.6
97.9
97.8

98.9
99.0
99.0
99.0
98.9
98.4
98.1

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100. 0

95.1

91.9
91.5
94.3
93.2
90.1
88.1
89.6

96.2
93.9
96.6
96.8
96.1
95.6
95.5

4.9

8.1
8.6
5.7
6.8
9.9
11.9
10.5

3.8
6.1
3.4
3.2
3.9
4.4
4.5

533, 860

157. 130
3,828
29. 675
49, 180
40,764
26. 601
8,082

230,648
13, 743
48. 345
64, 038
52, 876
34,564
16, 982

263,399

107, 416

2,668

32 329

40, 930

21,281

8,343

1,866

96, 114

8,966

35, 210

30, 500

14, 102

6,436

1,901

33.0

Cash-grain farms:

Total

40.6

Class I.

41.1

11

52.1

Ill

46.4

IV

34.3

V

24.6

VI

18.7

Livestock farms: '

Total

29.4

Class I

39.5

II

42.1

Ill

32.3

IV

21. 1

V

13.6

VI

10.1

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The proportion of tenancy was greatest among cash-grain fanners
in the Central Corn Belt (54.3 percent), and smallest among
livestock farmers in the Southern Corn Belt (16.8 percent).

For both cash-grain and livestock farms, the percentage of
tenancy in 1954 was significantly greater among the Economic
Classes I, II, and III farms than among the Economic Classes
IV, V, and VI farms (table 18). However, among cash-grain
farms, a larger percentage of the Class II and Class III farms
than of the Class I farms were tenant-operated. On livestock
farms, also, the percentage of tenancy on Class II farms was
somewhat greater than that on Class I farms. The proportion
of operators who were tenants was smallest among the Class VI

livestock farms (10.1 percent), and greatest among the Cla.ss II
cash-grain farms (52.1 percent).

The distribution of farms operated by full owners, part owners,
and tenants in the United States in 1954 is shown in figures 12,
13, and 14. Farms operated by tenants are relatively most
numerous in the South, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great Plains.
Within the Corn Belt, the proportion of all farms operated by
tenants is greatest in the central and western regions. In the
Corn Belt as a whole, there were approximately a third as many
part owners as full owners operating commercial farms in 1954.

Some tenant farmers manage their farms independently, while
other tenants are closely supervised by their landlords. Some

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

17

FARMS OPERATED BY FULL OMCRS

NUMBER. 1954

FlI.lRK 12.

FARMS OPERATED BY PART OWNERS

NUMBER. 1954

Figure 13.

tenants provide all operating inputs or expenses; on other rented
farms operating expenses are shared by the tenant and landlord.
A large proportion of the tenants in the Corn Belt are related to
their landlords. In 1954, from 20 to 50 percent of the tenants
throughout most of the Corn Belt were related to their landlords.
In most of the counties in the Corn Belt in 1950, tenant operators
had been on their farms for an average of 5 to 9 years.

FARMS OPERATED BY ALL TENANTS

NUMBER. 1954

Figure 14.

The most common types of leases or methods of renting farm-
land in the Corn Belt are share-cash, livestock-share, crop-share,
and cash. Tenants operating under share-cash rental agreements
pay a part of the rent as a share of the crops or livestock products
and also pay a part of the rent in cash. Livestock-share tenants
pay a specified share of the hvestock or livestock products as rent.
They may or may not also pay a share of the crops. Livestock-
share leases are much used on farms where the tenant wants to
raise livestock but is unable to finance a full livestock program.
Crop-share tenants pay a specified share of the crops as rent.
Under the crop-share rent method, crop risks are shared with
the landlord. This method of renting is often attractive to tenants
who have relatively little capital. Cash tenants pay a cash
rental, such as $10 an acre or $1,000 for use of the whole farm.
The cash-rent method is best suited to tenants who are well
supplied with livestock, equipment, and working capital. The
average cash rent per acre paid by cash tenants on commercial
farms in Indiana, lUinois, and Iowa in 1954 was $8.34, $10.50,
and $9.80, respectively.

The most frequent method of renting farms in the United States
in 1954 is shown in figure 15. The share-cash method was most
prevalent in the Central and Western Corn Belt, while the share
(mainly livestock share) agreement was the principal method in
the Eastern Corn Belt. In the Northern and Southern Corn
Belt, share-cash and share methods of rental were both quite
common. There were relatively few cash tenants on Corn Belt
farms, and most of them were in the Central and Northern regions.

18

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

MOST FREQUENT METHOD OF RENTING FARMS. 1954

(COUNTY UNIT BASIS)

LEGEND

I I CASH ^a SHARE

tgffifi-l SHARE-CASH ^H croppers"-
* INCLUDES COUNTIES WITH NO TENANTS OR

WITH ONLY OTHER aND UNSPECIFIED TENANTS
11 CROPPERS SHOWN SEPARATELY ONLY FOR THE

SOUTH AND 7 COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI

US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

BUREAU OF THE CENSUS

Figure 15.

TYPE OF LAND

There were 170,307,389 acres of land in commercial farms in
the Corn Belt in 1954. This was 16.5 percent of all the land in
commercial farms in the United States. In the Corn Belt as a
whole, 71.5 percent of the land in commercial farms was cropland
(table 19). The percentage of farmland that was cropland was
greatest in the Central Corn Belt (82.4 percent), and smallest in
the Southern Corn Belt (60.4 percent). Only 7.3 percent of the
land in commercial farms in the Corn Belt was woodland. The

Table 19. — Acreage of All Land in Commercial Farms and
Distribution of Land Among Broad Types or Uses, in the
Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Pasture

.\I1 land in

Wood-

other tlian

All otiier

Region

larm.s

Cropland '

land 2

cropland
or wood-
land

land '

Acres :

Corn Bflt, total

170. 307. 389

121, 754, 844

12, 431, 256

26, 652, 363

9, 468, 926

Eastern Corn Belt

27, 289. 899

21, 269, 820

2, 843, 843

1, 470, 262

1, 705, 968

Central Corn Belt

33, 369, 798

27, 495, 167

1, 827, 655

2, 309, 351

1, 737, 635

Nortliem Corn Belt..,

22, 396, 741

16, 858, 271

1, 549, 604

2, 378, 999

1, 609, 867

Western Corn Belt

.53, 216, 015

35,661,412

1, 315, 027

13, 760, 078

2, 579, 498

Southern Corn Belt...

34, 034, 936

20, 570, 178

4, 895, 127

6, 733, 673

1, 835, 958

Percent of farmland :

Corn Belt, total

100. 0

71.6

7.3

IR. 6

5.6

Eastern Corn Belt

100.0

77.9

10.4

5.4

6.3

Central Corn Belt

100. 0

82.4

5.5

6.9

,5.2

Northern Corn Belt...

100. 0

75.3

6.9

10.6

7.2

Western Corn Belt

100.0

66.8

2.5

25.9

4.8

Southern Corn Belt. . .

100.0

60.4

14.4

19.8

5.4

' Total cropland. Includes cropland harvested, cropland used only for pasture, and
cropland neitlier harvested nor pastured.

2 Total woodland. Includes wowiland pastured and woodland not pastured.

3 House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

percentage of woodland was greatest in the Southern Corn Belt
(14.4 percent); it was smallest in the Western Corn Belt (2.5
percent). Pastureland other than cropland and woodland pas-
ture made up 15.6 percent of the farmland in the total Corn
Belt. Approximately a fourth of the farmland in the Western
Corn Belt was pasture other than cropland or woodland, but in
the Eastern Corn Belt this type accounted for only 5.4 percent of
the total. The proportion of farmland in house lots, roads,
wasteland, etc., was 5.6 percent for all commercial farms in the
Corn Belt and this proportion did not vary greatly between
regions.

Practically all commercial farms in the Corn Belt reported
cropland in 1954 (table 20). The percentage of farms reporting

Table 20. — Percent of Commercial Farms Reporting Broad
Types or Uses of Land, in the Corn Belt and Component
Regions: 1954

Region

Land in
farms

Crop-
land '

Wood-
land"

Pasture
other than
cropland
or wood-
land

.\ll other
land '

Corn Belt, total ._

Percent
101). 0
100. 0
lOO.O

100.0
100.0
100.0

Percent
97.0
95.9
97.7

98.4
97.2
90.3

Percent
38.4
62.2
22.7

33.6
19.7
64.0

Percent
50.8
32.8
40.1

63.0
66.4
62.0

Percent
97.2

Eastern Corn Belt

97.0

Central Corn Belt.

97.0

Northern Corn Belt

98.3
97.2

Southern Corn Belt

97.2

1 Total cropland. Includes cropland harvested, cropland used oiUy for pasture, and
cropland neither harvested nor pastured.

2 Total woodland. Includes woodland pastured and woodland not pastured.

3 House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

CASH'GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

19

T.ABLE 21. — Land in Commercial Farms, by Type and Eco-
nomic Class, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Typo and economic class of farm

All land in
farms

Crop-
land '

Wood-
land *

All other
land»

All commercial farms

Cash-grain f;irms:
Total

Acres
170,307,389

59, 793. 487
4, 029. 649
20,000,721

20, 759. 401
10, 346, 191

3, 834, 460
823, 065

75, 415, 319
10, 720, 958
24, 072, 221

21, 553. 027
12, 127, 604

5. 16S. 716
1. 772, 793

Acres
121, 754, 844

47,384,086
3.417,299
16, 708, 22S

16. 447. 281
7. 663, 480
2, 638, 948

508, 850

49, 863, 148
7, 499, 063

17, 256, 884
14,349.032

7. 283. 590

2, 697, 375

777, 204

Acres
12, 431, 256

3, 356. 218
178, 688
823, 857

1,084,800
738, 060
413, 248
117, 665

5, 803, 992

490,753

1, 394, 081

1, 626. 529

1, 214, 294

709, 495

369, 840

-4cr«s
36, 121. 289

9, 053, 183

Class:

IV.

433, 662

2, 468, 636

3, 227, 320
1, 944. 651

V

VI

782. 254
196, 650

Livestock farms:*
Total

19, 748, 179

Class I

2, 731, 142

II

6, 421, 256

III -

IV

6, 578, 466
3. 629, 720

V

VI

1, 761, 846
625, 749

' Total cropland. Includes cropland harvested, cropland used only for pasture, and
cropland neither harvested nor pastured.
3 Total woodland. Includes woodland pastured and woodland not pastured.
3 All farmland other than cropland and woodland.
* Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

cropland ranged from 95.9 percent in the Eastern Corn Belt to
98.4 percent in the Northern Corn Belt. In the Corn Belt as a
whole, somewhat more than a third of the commercial farms
reported woodland and approximately a half reported pasture
other than cropland and woodland. The percentage of farms
reporting land of these 2 types varied considerably between
regions m the Corn Belt.

The total acreages of land and of the various types of land in
each economic class of cash-grain and livestock farms in the Corn
Belt are .shown in table 21. Classes II, III, and IV farms liad the
bulk of the acreage of all types of farmland in the Corn Belt.

Table 22. — Cropland, Woodland, and All Other Land as
Percentages of All Land in Commercial Farms in the
Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

All land in
farms

Crop-
land 1

Wood-
land >

All other
lands

All commercial farms

Percent
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

Percent
71.5

79.2
84.8
83.5
79.2
74.1
68.8
61.8

66.1
69.9
71.7
66.6
60.1
62.2
43.8

Percent
7.3

5.6
4.4
4.1
5.2
7.1
10.8
14.3

7.7
4.6
5.8
7.5
10.0
13.7
20.9

Percent
21 2

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Class I.

II

12 3

in

rv

18 8

V

20.4

VI . . .

23 9

Livestock farms: <
Total

26.2

Cla,ss I

25.5

II

22.5

Ill

25 9

IV

29.9

V . ...

34 1

VI

35 3

• Total cropland. Includes cropland harvested, cropland used only for pasture, and
cropland neither harvested nor pastured.

2 Total woodland. Includes woodland pastured and woodland not pastured.

3 All farmland other than cropland and woodland.

* Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The proportion of farmland that was cropland was greater on
the higher economic classes of farms than on the lower economic
classes (table 22). On Class I cash-grain farms, 84.8 percent of
the farmland was cropland. On Class VI cash-grain farms, 61.8
percent of the acreage was cropland, and on Class VI livestock
farms, only 43.8 percent. The largest proportion of farmland in
woodland was found on the lower economic cla.sses of farms.
The proportion in woodland was more than 10 percent on the
Class V and Class VI f;irms of both cash-grain and livestock types.
All land other than cropland and woodland was also a higher

TOTAL CROPLAND** AS A PERCENT OF ALL LAND IN FARMS, 1954

(COUNTY UNIT BASIS)

LEGEND

PERCENT

I I UNDER 10 !■..:■/! 40 TO 59

f" i 10 TO 19 ^^ 60 TO 79

\..:^.i 20 TO 39 ^B 60 AND OVER

* NO FARMS
« * CROPLAND HARVESTED. CROPLAND USED ONLY FOR PASTURE
AND CROPLAND NOT HARVESTED AND NOT PASTURED
US OEPAHThltNT Of COMMERCE

Figure 16.

20

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

proportion of total farmland on the lower economic classes of
farms.

The percent that total cropland was of all land in farms, on a
county unit basis in the United States in 1954, is shown in figure
16. As an average for the United States, 39.7 percent of all the
land in farms was cropland. The average for the United States
is lowered by the inclusion of large areas in the West, where less
than 10 percent of the farmland is cropland. The Corn Belt
includes the biggest part of the large area in the North Central

States where 60 percent or more of the farmland is cropland.
The Central Corn Belt includes a large proportion of the area
where SO percent or more of the area is cropland.

LAND USE

The total acreage of land in commercial farms and the distribu-
tion of land according to use by type of farm in the Corn Belt and
component regions in 1954 is shown in table 23. In the Eastern

Table 23. — Total Land in Commercial Farms, and Distribution of Acreage According to Use, by Type of Farm, in the Corn

Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Acreage of farmland according to use (thousand acres)

Region and type of farm

Total land
in farms

Cropland

Woodland

Other
pasture '

Harvested

Used only
for pasture

Not har-
vested and
not pas-
tured

Pastured

Not pas-
tured

All
other
land 2

Total Corn Belt:

170, 307
59, 793
75,416

27,290
11,618
8,395

33,370
14, 942
14,233

22, 397
6,329
8,518

63, 216
17,394
27, 761

34,036
9,612
16, 508

104,378
42, 224
41,428

17,834
8,299
6,102

24,487
11,939
9,619

15, 009
4,860
6,404

30, 624
11, 309
14, 492

16, 424
5,816
6,811

12,966
3,005
7,046

2,794

766

1,167

2,656

853

1,448

1,559
266
725

2,782

572

1,802

3,176

5,59

1,904

4,411
2,156
1,389

642
345
133

363
186
117

290
118
79

2,165

1,167

696

970
339
364

8,871
2,007
4,632

1,699
655
635

1,601
448
826

1,244
110
669

928
243
603

3,499

650

1,998

3,560
1,349
1,272

1,145
628
289

327
151
135

306
51
126

387
168
167

1,396
461
656

26, 652
5,687
16, 820

1,470
439
566

2.309

645

1,328

2,379

415

1,065

13, 760
3,047
8,849

6,734
1,140
4,022

9,469

Cash-grain farms .. --

3,366

3,929

Eastern Com Belt:

1,706

695

Livestock farms 3

603

Central Corn Belt:

1,738

719

761

Northern Corn Belt:

1,610

609

660

Western Com Belt:

2,679

897

1,252

Southern Cora Belt:

1,836

645

863

' Not cropland and not woodland. ' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

2 House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

Table 24. — Percent of Commercial Farms Reporting Land in Specified Uses in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Cropland

Woodland

Other
pasture '

All
other
land'

Region and type of farm

Harvested

Used only
for pasture

Not har-
vested and
not pas-
tured

Pastured

Not pas-
tured

Any pas-
ture*

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms - -

Percent
96.8
100.0
94.4

93.9
100.0
90.3

96.9
100.0
95.8

97.9
100.0
97.6

96.6
100.0
95.2

94.8
100.0
93.3

Percent
51.0
44.1
66.0

61.9
51.2
71.8

67.7
52.4
64.1

63.7
40.2
62.1

38.6
31.7
44.0

44.6
38.6
48.3

Percent
18.0
23.0
14.1

16.9
20.8
12 7

9.7
11.6
7.9

12.8
17.9
10.0

26.3
39.3
18.4

22.0
26.0
18.0

Percent
27.6
21.2
30.0

41.2
34.6
48.6

18.4
13.9
23.4

25.5
12.8
28.7

12.6
10.7
13.1

41.2
32.2
46.5

Percent
16.8
18.2
14.1

30.2
33.8
25.6

6.8
6.6
7.1

14.1

10.7
14.5

9.6
10.8
8.9

23.0
27.7
19.4

Percent
60.8
43.5
65.8

32.8
28.7
37.0

40.1
34.3
46.2

53.6
46.8
54.1

66.4
64.2
67.3

62.0
62.5
66.2

Percent
97.2
96.1
98.0

97.0
96.3
97.5

97.0
95.8
98.1

98.3
97.7
98.8

97.2
95.9
98.0

97.2
96.7
97.7

Percent
90.4

82.9

95.8

Eastern Cora Belt:

85.4

Cash-grain farms -

77.6

93.8

Central Com Bolt:

89.0

83,1

94.7

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

91.4

80.4

95.6

Westera Com Belt:

92.7

87.6

Livestock farms *

96.6

Southern Cora Belt:

93.9

Cash-grain farms ..

86.7

Livestock farms *

97.6

' Not cropland and not woodland.
2 House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

' Cropland pastured, woodland pastured, or any other land pastured.
< Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

21

and Central Corn Belt, larger total acreages of land and of crop-
land harvested are in cash-grain farms than in livestock farms.
In the Northern, Western, and Southern Corn Belt, livestock
farms include a larger total area and have more of the cropland
than do cash-grain farms. There is more land used only for
pasture in the Southern Corn Belt than in any of the other regions.
The Western Corn Belt has the largest acreage of cropland not
harvested and not pastured as well as the largest acreage of
pasture that is neither cropland nor woodland.

The percentage of farms reporting land in specified uses in 1954
in the Corn Belt and component regions is shown in table 24.
All cash-grain farms reported cropland harvested. The percent
of livestock farms reporting cropland harvested was greatest in
the Northern Corn Belt. Woodland pastured was reported by a
larger percentage of the commercial farms in the Eastern Corn
Belt than in any other region. From 77.6 to 97.6 percent of the
farms in the various groups had pasture of some kind.

Table 25. — Average Acreage Per Farm Reporting: All Land in Farms and Farmland in Specified Uses, on Commercial Farms

IN THE Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms_
Livestocii farms 3,

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
I/ivestock farms 3.

Central Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-prain farms.
Livestock farms 3.

Northern Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock f:irms 3

Western Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Casli-grain farms.
Livestock farms 3.

Southern Cora Belt:
All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms 3,

All land
in farms

Acres
214
226
231

154
170
163

199
216
197

206
230
210

286
295
304

216
233
232

Cropland

Harvested

Acres
137
160
134

107
122
110

151
173
139

141
177
136

171

192
167

110
142
103

Used only
for pasture

Not har-
vested and
not pastured

Acres

Woodland

Pastured

49
47

/]

Not
pastured

Other
pasture '

111
81

144

All
other
land 2

12
13
12

10
11
10

11
11
11

15
19
14

14
16
14

12
14
12

' Not cropland and not woodland.
> House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 26. — Percentage Distribution of Farmland Acreage According to Use on Commercial Farms in the Corn Belt and

Component Regions: 1954

Percentage distribution of land in farms

Region and type of farm

Total
land in
farms

Cropland

Woodland

Other
pasture '

Harvested

Used only
for pasture

Not har-
vested and
not pastured

Pastm-ed

Not
pastured

other
land 3

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms

100.0
100.0
100. Q

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
lOOO
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

61.3
70.6
54.9

65.3
71.4
60.8

73.4
79.9
67.6

67.0
76.8
63.4

67.5
65 0
62.2

48.3
61.2
41.3

7.6
6.0
9.3

10.2
6.5
13.9

8.0
6.7
10.2

7.0
4.2
8.6

6.2
3.3
6.6

9.3

6.9
11.6

2.6
3.6
1.8

2.4
3,0
1.6

1.1
1.2

0.8

1.3

1.9
0.9

4.0
6.7
2.6

2.9
3.6
2 2

6.2
3.4
6.0

6.2

4.8
7.6

4.5
3.0
6.8

6.6
1.7
6.7

1.7
1.4
1.8

10.3
6.8
12.1

2.1
2.3
1.7

4.2
4.6
3.4

1.0
1.0
0.9

1.4

0.8
1.5

0.7
0.9
0.6

4.1
4.8
3.4

16.6
9.6
21.0

5.4
3.8
6.7

6.9
4.3
9.3

10.6
6.6
12.4

25.9
17.5
31.9

19.8
12.0
24.4

5 5

6 6

Livestock farms 3

6 2

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

6 3.

Livestock farms 3

6 0'

Centr.al Corn Belt:

6 2'

Cash-grain farms

4 8

6 3

Northern Cora Belt:

7 2

Cash-grain farms .

8 0

6 6.

Western Corn Belt:

4 8

Cash-grain farms

6 2

4 6,

Southern Corn Belt-

6 4-

Cash-grain farms

6 7

6.2

' Not cropland and not woodland.
2 House lots, roads, wasteland, etc,

423024—57 5

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

22

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Data on the average acreage of land in various uses per farm
reporting are of interest because they provide a better picture of
the scale of operations than do averages based on all farms. For
example, the acreage of cropland harvested per farm reporting
among livestock farms ranged from 103 acres in the Southern
Corn Belt up to 167 acres in the Western Corn Belt (table 25).
Also, for example, the average acreage of pasture other than crop-
land and woodland was 144 acres for the 67.3 percent of the
livestock farmers in the Western Corn Belt who reported this use
of land compared with 30 acres per farm reportmg for the 37
percent of the livestock farmers in the Eastern Corn Belt.

Distribution of all the farmland in each type group of farms in
the Corn Belt and component regions is shown in terms of per-
centages in table 26. For the Corn Belt as a whole, 61.3 percent

of all land in commercial farms was cropland harvested, but this
percentage ranged from 41.3 percent on livestock farms in the
Southern Corn Belt to 79.9 percent on cash-grain farms in the
Central Corn Belt. The percent of cropland used only for pasture
also varied considerably between cash-grain and livestock farms
as well as between regions. The same is true for other pasture.
When the distribution of land in farms is viewed for economic
classes of farms, it is seen that the percent of cropland harvested
is a substantially larger percentage of all the farmland on the
upper than on the lower economic classes of farms (table 27).
On the other hand, woodland pasture and other pasture are larger
percentages of the farmland on the lower income economic classes
of farms.

Table 27. — Percentage Distribution of Farmland Acreage According to Use on Commercial Farms in the Corn Belt: 1954

Percentage distribution of land in farms

Type and economic class of farm

Total land
in farms

Cropland

Woodland

Other
pasture '

Harvested

Used only
for pasture

Not
harvested
and not
pastured

Pastured

Not
pastured

All
Other
land J

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

61.3

70.6
77.3
75.5
70.8
64.8
67.4
47.6

64.9
59.3
61.2
65.9
48.0
38.2
27.7

7.6

6.0
4.7
6.0
4.9
6.0
6.7
7.1

9.3
9.3
9.1
8.9
9.6
11.0
12.1

2.6

3.6
2.9
3.0
3.6
4.2
5.7
7.2

1.8
1.3
1.4
1.8
2.6
3.0
4.1

5.2

3.4
2.7
2.6
3.2
4.3
6.0
7.8

6.0
3.4
4.6
5.9
7.8
10.6
15.7

2.1

2.3
1.7
1.6
2.0
2.9
4.7
6.5

1.7
1.2
1.2
1.6
2.2
3.2
6.2

15.6

9.6
6.3
7.4
9.9
12.3
12.9
15.8

21.0
21.4
17.8
20.6
24.1
27.4
27.7

5.6

Cash-grain farms:

Total

6.6

Class I

4.4

n

5.0

in -

5.6

IV

6.5

V

7.5

VI

8.1

Livestock farms: '

Total -

6.2

ClassI

4.1

11

4.7

III

5.4

IV

5.9

V

6.7

VI

7.6

' Not cropland and not woodland,
s House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

* Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

23

The distribution of farms, of all land in farms, and of land in
specified uses among economic classes of cash-grain and livestock
farms is shown in table 28. Again, in this comparison the large
proportion of land resources that is in Class III farms and in
Class II farms and Class IV farms stands out. These economic classes
are the most typical among both cash-grain and livestock farms
in the Corn Belt. Class I farms use a larger proportion of the
land resources among livestock farms than among cash-grain
farms. The percentage of land in Class VI farms is relatively
small. But the Class VI farms have a larger percentage of the
relatively less productive land than they have of cropland
harvested.

The distribution of acreage of cropland harvested in the United
States in 1954 is shown in figure 17. The largest area of dense
concentration of cropland harvested includes the Corn Belt and
areas adjacent to it on the north, west, and northwest.

CROPLAND HARVESTED

ACREAGE 1954

Figure 17.

Table 28. — Percentage Distribution of Farms and Land in Farms Among Economic Classes of Cash-Grain and Livestock

F,^RMs IN THE Corn Belt: 1954

Percentage distribution of land in specitiod uses

Type and economic class of farm

Number
of farms

All land
in farms

Cropland

Woodland

Other
pasture '

•

Harvested

Used only
for pasture

Not

harvested

and not

pastured

Pastured

Not
pastured

All
other
land"

Cash-^ain farms;
Total . .

100.0
2.5
23.4
34.1
23.5
12.8
3.8

100.0
7.0
25.6
28.9
20.5
12.2
5.8

100.0

6.7

33.4

34.7

17.3

6.4

1.4

100.0
14.2
31.9
28.6
16.1
6.9
2.4

100.0

7.4

35.8

34.8

15.9

5.2

0.9

100.0
15.4
35.6
29.1
14.1
4.8
1.2

100.0

6.2

33.4

33.9

17.3

7.3

1.9

100.0
14.2
31.0
27.2
16.6
8.1
3.0

100.0
5.4
27.8
33.6
20.2
10.2
2.7

100.0
9.9
24.5
27.4
21.6
11.3
6.2

100.0
5.4
24.8
33.1
22.0
11.5
3.2

100.0
8.1
24.6
28.3
20.8
12.1
6.1

100.0
5.2
24.1
31.2
22.0
13.5
4.0

100.0
9.8
21.8
27.0
21.4
12.8
7.2

100.0
4.6
26.0
36.1
22.4
8.7
2.3

100.0
14.5
27.0
27.9
18.4
8.9
3.1

100 0

Class I

5.3

II -

III

29.6
34.8

IV

19.9

V

8.6

VI

Livestock farms; 3

Total

2.0

100.0

Class I -

II

11.1

29.1

III

29.5

IV . .

18.1

V

8.8

VI

3.4

1 Not cropland and not woodland.
3 House lots, roads, wasteland, etc.

> Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

24

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

CAPITAL INVESTMENT ON FARMS

TOTAL INVESTMENT

Farming in the Corn Belt requires a large investment of capital
in land, buildings, machinery, equipment, and livestock. In a
study of farm organization and production it is, therefore, desirable
to make at least a brief analysis of the nature and structure of
the farm capital investment.

For the purpose of this study, total capital investment was
considered under three broad categories — land and buildings,
machinery and equipment, and livestock. The total value of
land and buildings was computed for the Corn Belt and regions,
as well as per farm, by applying the average value per acre obtained
in the Census for each economic subregion to the total acreage in
farms for each respective subregion. The value of livestock
used in this study is an inventory value computed by applying
average values per head of horses and mules, cattle, calves, hogs
and pigs, and chickens, to the respective numbers of these livestock
reported on farms at the time of the 1954 Census enumeration.
The average values per head were based on estimates for counties
or groups of counties made by the Agricultural Estimates Division
of the Agricultural Marketing Service.

Data on value of machinery were considerably loss complete
than those for land and livestock. The number of farms reporting
was obtained in the 1954 Census for the following items of machin-
ery, equipment, and facilities: Tractors, motortrucks, cornpickers,
grain combines, pickup hay balers, field forage harvesters, power
feed grinders, milking machines, electric pig brooders, auto-
mobiles, electricity, telephones, television sets, piped running
water, and home freezers. Data on numbers were also obtained
for the following: Tractors, motortrucks, automobiles, corn-
pickers, grain combines, pickup hay balers, and field forage
harvesters.

The first step in estimating the value of machinery and equip-
ment on farms in the Corn Belt was to obtain an average value for
each of 9 specified machines — for tractors, motortrucks, auto-
mobiles, cornpickers, grain combines, pickup hay balers, field
forage harvesters, power feed grinders, and milking machines.
These average values per machine were estimated on the basis
of information from various sources. On the basis of studies by
the U. S. Department of Agriculture and agricultural colleges it
was estimated that the total value represented by these 9 ma-
chinery items on farms would generally account for about two-
thirds of the total value of machinery and equipment on the farm.
Hence, to obtain the estimated total value of machinery and equip-
ment on commercial farms, a factor of 150 (150 percent) was ap-
plied to the estimated total value of the 9 machines on aU com-
mercial farms. But in order to obtain these total-value figures for
each economic class of cash-grain and livestock farms, a different
factor was applied for each economic class. This was done in
order to allow for differences in size and in age of machines on the
different economic classes of farms. The adjustment factors used
for each economic class were as follows: Class I, 185; Class II, 165;
Class III, 150; Class IV, 142; Class V, 135; and Class VI, 130.
The value of machinery and equipment was thus obtained for each
economic class of farm, for the cash-grain farms and livestock
farms, in regions of the Corn Belt.

The total capital investment on all commercial farms in the
Corn Belt was estimated to be 35.2 billion dollars (table 29).
About three-fourths of this figure, or 26.7 billion dollars, repre-
sented the investment in land and buildings. Machinery and
equipment accounted for 4.8 billion dollars and livestock for 3.6
billion dollars. The distribution of total investment between
cash-grain and livestock farms is affected, of course, by the relative
numbers of these types in various regions.

Table 29. — Totai, Capital Investment, and Composition
OF Investment, on Commercial Farms in the Corn Belt
and Component Regions: 1954

Total

capital

investment

Composition of investment

Region and type of farm

Land and
buildings

Machinery

and
equipment

Livestock

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Casb-grain farms

1, mo dollars
35, 154, 008
12. 898, 526
15, 349, 876

7. 224. 803
2, 908, 474
2,390,279

10, 597, 499
4, 982, 457
4, 419, 840

4, 424, 609
1, 125, 425

1, 844, 400

8, 362, 861

2, 576, 945
4, 619, 322

4, 544, 246
1, 305, 225
2,175,975

1,000 dollars
26, 740, 670
10, 668, 169
11,025,004

5, 623, 622

2, 369, 632
1, 787, 058

8, 54.5, 164
4, 286, 974

3, 288, 324

3, 132, 956
867, 697

1, 243, 406

6, 208, 210

2, 044, 287

3, 212, 270

3, 230, 617

999, 568

1, 493, 946

1,000 dollars
4, 772, 390

1, 693, 157

2, 062, 172

1, 048, 209
422, 074
328, 959

1, 124, 087
496, 130
626, 764

695, 590
1 82, 244
279, 501

1, 127, 503
367, 950
584, 702

777, 001
224, 759
342, 186

1,000 dollars

3,641,048

637, 210

2, 262, 700

Eastern Com Belt:

All coramerctal farms

552,972
116, 768

Livestock farms i

274, 262

Central Com Bolt:

All commercial farms

928,248

199, 353

Livestocli farms *

604, 762

Northern Com Belt:

596, 063

Cash-grain farms

75, 484

321, 493

Western Com Belt;

All commercial farms . .

1,027,138

164, 707

Livestock farms '

722, 350

Southern Com Belt:

636, 627

80, 898

339, 843

^ Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

There is some indication that the value of land and buildings on
cash-grain farms generally runs higher than that on livestock farms.
For example, in the Central Corn Belt, cash-grain farms are 41
percent of all commercial farms and have a total value of 4.3 billion
dollars of land and buildings, whereas livestock farms, being 43
percent of all commercial farms, have a value of 3.3 billion dollars
in land and buildings.

The investment in machinery and equipment is greater than the
investment in livestock on all the cash-grain farms as a group in
every region. The value of machinery and equipment was larger
than the investment in livestock on livestock farms in the Eastern
and Southern Corn Belt. However, on livestock farms in the
Central, Northern, and Western Corn Belt, the investment in
livestock exceeds the investment in machinery and equipment.

A clearer picture of the size and composition of capital invests
ment on farms can be obtained by looking at the averages per farm
(table 30). The average investment per farm for all commercial
farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was estimated at $44,094. Of this
amount, 76 percent was the estimated value of land and buildings,
13.6 percent was machinery ana equipment, and 10.4 percent was
livestock. The investment per farm on both cash-grain and live-
stock farms was greater than the average for all commercial farms.
It was pointed out above that the all-commercial farm category
includes a number of dairy farms, poultry farms, general farms,
and other miscellaneous types, in addition to the cash-grain and
livestock farms. Land and buildings consistently accounted for
a larger percentage of the total capital investment on cash-grain
farms than on livestock farms, reflecting the larger actual invest-
ment in land and the smaller actual investment in livestock on
cash-grain farms. In general, livestock farms would have a greater
actual value of investment in buildings than farms of the cash-grain
type. The highest percentage of investment in land and buildings
is found on cash-grain farms in the Central Corn Belt where this
category accounts for 86 percent of the total average capital invest-
ment per farm. The lowest percentage accounted for by land and

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

25

Table 30. — Value of Capital Investment Per Farm, and
Percentage Composition, on Principal Types of Farms in
the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Capital

investment

per farm

(dollars)

Percentage composition of
investment

Region and type of farai

Land and
buildings

Machinery

and
equipment

Livestock

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms..

44, 094
48, 758
46, 991

40, 754
42,584
46, 432

63,138
72. 171
61, 327

40.764
40, 971
45, 421

44. 919
43, 771
49,463

28,873
31, 940
30,688

76.1
81.9
71.8

77.8
81.5
74.8

80.6
86.0
74.4

70.8
77.1
67.4

74.2
79.3
71.1

71.1
76.6
68.7

13.6
13.1
13.4

14.6
14.6
13.8

10.6
10.0
11.9

16.7
16.2
15.2

13.6
14.3
12.9

17.1
17.2
16.7

10.4

4.9

Livestoclc farms '

14.7

Eastem Com Belt:

All commercial farms

7.7

Cash-grain farms

4.0

11.6

Central Cora Belt:

8.8

Casli-grain farms .. .

4.0

13.7

Northem Com Belt:

13.6

Casli-firain farms

6.7

17.4

Western Com Belt:

12.3

Cash-grain farms

6.4

Livestoclv farms i.

16.0

Southern Corn Belt:

11.8

Cash-grain farms . .

6.2

15.6

1 Livestock other than dah-y and poultry farms.

buildings is on livestock farms in the Northern and Southern Corn
Belt. Livestock farms consistently had a larger percentage of
their capital value in livestock than did cash-grain farms. The
percentage invested in machinery did not differ greatly between
cash-grain and livestock farms.

There are wide differences in the size of the total capital invest-
ment among economic classes of farms (table 31). The average
investment on Economic Class I farms of the cash-grain type was
$171,558. The comparable figure for Economic Class VI farms
was $11,761. On livestock farms Economic Class I farms had an
average investment of $121,131 and Class VI farms, at the other
extreme, had an average value of $11,523. From these examples
it is easy to realize the great differences in capital invested on the
different economic classes of farms. The data in table 31 reveal
the insufficiency of an average figure for all commercial farms
which, in this case, was $44,094. The investment per farm on
cash-grain farms was almost invariablj' higher than the invests

Table 31. — Average Value of Capital Investment Per
Commercial Farm in the Corn Belt and Component
Regions: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Com
Belt,
total

Eastern
Corn
Belt

Central
Com
Belt

North-
em
Com
Belt

Western
Com
Belt

South-
em
Com
Belt

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Dollars
44, 094

48, 758
171, 558
81,362
46,604
28,896
18,298
11,761

46, 991
121, 131
67, 681
42, 937
28,632
18, 456
11,623

Dollars
40,764

42, 684
152, 774

74, 852

43, 696
27, 184

17, 582
11,477

46, 432
134, 284
69, 275
42, 327
26, 763

18. 103
11, 190

Dollars
63,138

72, 171
196, 133

95,015
56, 446
35,234
21,363
14, 333

61, 327
125, 440

73, 035
48. 347
33, 397
21, 657
13, 715

Dollars
40, 764

40. 971
136,318
63,487
39. 166
25. 746
17,036
11,288

46,421
106, 274
59, 634
39, 060
28, 084
17,477
12,650

Dollars

44, 919

43, 771
144.055
72, 418

45, 475

30, 425
19,816

12, 696

49, 463
116,646
68, 004

46, 687

31, 529
21, 266

13, 857

Dollars
28,873

31, 940

Class I

144, 050

II

69, 565

III

39, 951

IV

25 495

V::: .:::::::::::::

17,293

VI

10, 918

Livestock farms: '
Total

30,688

Class I...-

II....

114, 794
69, 084

Ill

35 903

rv

24, 192

V . .

16,968

VI

9,995

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

raent per farm on livestock farms for farms in Economic Classes I,
II, and III. There was not much difference in the average invest-
ment per farm on cash-grain farms and livestock farms of Economic
Classes IV, V, and VI. In value of capital investment per farm
as shown in this table, the Central Corn Belt stands out. In this
region the average value of investment per farm is higher than that
in an}' other region for every economic class. The Southern and
Northern Corn Belt regions generally have the lowest investment
per farm, class by class.

LAND AND BUILDINGS

The average investment in land and buildings, machinery and
equipment, and livestock, as well as the total per farm, is shown for
each of the economic classes of farms of the cash-grain and livestock
types in table 32. On cash-grain farms, the investment in land and
buildings and in machinery and equipment per farm is higher than
it is for all commercial farms. On livestock farms the investment
in each of these 3 categories is larger than the average for all com-
mercial farms.

The percentage distribution of total capital investment shows
that the investment in land and buildings is a greater propor-
tion of the total on the larger farms. In other words, the per-
centage of the investment represented by land and buildings de-
creases from 87.4 percent for Class I cash-grain farms to 75.1

Table 32. — Average Value and Composition of Capital Investment Per Commercial Farm in the Corn Belt: 1954

Total
capital invest-
ment per farm
(dollars)

Composition of investment

Percentage of total capital investment

Type and economic class of farm

Land and
buildings
(dollars)

Machinery and

equipment

(dollars)

Livestock
(doUars)

Land and
buUdings

Machinery and
equipment

Livestock

44,094

48, 758
171,558
81,362
46,604
28,896
18, 298
11, 761

46, 991
121,131
67, 581
42, 937
28,632
18, 456
11,623

33, 541

39,949
149, 908
68,608
37, 572
22, 415
13, 768
8,838

33, 751
88,430
49,639
30, 447
19, 696
12, 662
7,922

5,986

6,400
15, 025
9,019
6,482
4,901
3,659
2,404

6,313
12, 774
8,482
6,198
4,606
3,256
2,050

4,667

2,409
6,625
3,735
2,650
1,580
871
519

6,929
19, 927
9,460
6,292
4,331
2,638
1,561

76.1

81.9
87.4
84.3
80.6
77.6
76.2
76.1

7L8
73.0
73.6
70.9
68.8
68.1
68.7

13.6

13.1
8.8
11.1
13.9
17.0
20.0
20 4

13 4
10 5
12 6
14.4
16. 1
17.6
17.8

10.4

Cash-grain farms:

Total

4.9

Class I.

3.9

II . . .

4.6

Ill

6.6

IV

5.6

V

4.8

VI

4.4

Livestock farms: '

Total.

14.7

Class I

16.6

II

14.0

Ill—

14.7

IV

16.1

V

14.4

VI

13.6

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

26

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

percent for Class VI cash-grain farms, and from 73 percent on
Class I livestock farms to 68.7 percent on Class VI livestock farms.
The percentage of the total investment accounted for by machinery
and equipment increases as size of farm decreases.

The principal explanation of this is that the machinery and
equipment investment per acre tends to be greater on the smaller
farms. Farms need a certain minimum quantity of machinery and
equipment, below which it is difficult to go, even though the acre-
age in the farm is relatively small. The percentage of investment
represented by livestock tends to be stable from one economic
class of farm to another. This comes about chiefly because it is
easier to adjust numbers of livestock or livestock production to a
proper balance with acreage available than it is to adjust the invest-
ment in machinery and equipment.

The average value of investment per farm in land and buildings
is shown for the Corn Belt and component regions, by economic
class, in table 33. The contrast in value of land and buildings
per farm, between economic classes, is evident in all regions.
For the total Corn Belt, the range is from approximately $150,000
per farm on Economic Class I cash-grain farms down to less than
$9,000 per farm on Economic Class VI farms of this type. The
contrast is similar, although not as extreme, on livestock farms.
The investment in land and buildings is greatest for Class I cash-
grain farms in the Central Corn Belt and the least for Class VI
livestock farms in the Southern Corn Belt. Between these two
extremes in land-and-buildings investment per farm, practically
every level is represented by farms in various economic classes in
the different regions. The investment in land and buildings is
higher on cash-grain farms than on livestock farms in the Central,
Northern, and Southern Corn Belt. In the Eastern and Western
Corn Belt the value of land and buildings per farm is only slightly
higher on livestock farms than on cash-grain farms.

Table 33. — Average Value of Land and Buildings Per
Farm, for Commercial Farms, by Type and Economic
Class, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

All commercial farms.

Cash-gratn farms:

Total

Class I

II

III

IV

V

VI

Livestock farms: •

Total...

Class I-

II.

Ill

IV.

V.

VI...

Corn

Eastern

Central

North-

Western

Belt,

Corn

Com

Corn
Belt

Com

total

Belt

Belt

Belt

Dollars

Dollars

Dollars

Dollars

Dollars

33, 641

31, 722

50. 911

28,857

33, 346

39, 949

34, 694

62,097

31, .588

34,723

149, 908

130, 676

176,339

114,803

121, 809

68,608

62, 686

82, 620

60,074

59, 097

37, 672

35, 221

47, 651

29, 791

36,884

22,415

21,334

28, 947

19, 075

23, 318

13, 768

13,357

17, 089

12, 484

14, 868

8,838

8,899

11,401

8,016

9,626

33,761

34, 714

46, 627

30, 620

35, 168

88,430

102, 294

94, 305

73, 360

81, 736

49. 639

52.646

64, 996

40, 915

49,543

30, 447

31,340

35, 398

26,923

32, 490

19. 696

19, 216

23, 791

18, 226

21, 701

12. 662

12, 879

15, 388

10, 997

14, 460

7,922

8,072

9,860

8,476

9,568

South-
em

Cora
Belt

Dollars
20, 626

24,460
118,344
56, 081
30,641
18, 892
12,682
7,910

21,001
82, 270
41, 820
24, 483
16, 177
10, 629
6,630

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The average value of land and buildings per acre in 1954 is shown
graphically in figure 18. A large area of land, averaging $200 per
acre or more in value, runs through the Corn Belt. The area of
this high-value-per-acre land is especially solid in the Central Corn
Belt. Other regions with such high values are found mainly in
the irrigated areas of the West, and in areas near large cities, and
in den.sely populated areas of the northeastern United States.

Figure 18.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

27

The average value per acre of land on all commercial farms in
the Corn Belt in 1954 was $157. In the Central Corn Belt the
average was $256 per acre and in the Southern Corn Belt it was
$95 (table 34). The average values per acre shown in the table
again point out the generally higher values of land on cash-grain
farms than on livestock farms in the Central, Western, and South-
ern Corn Belt. The land values per acre are generally higher on
cash-grain farms than the average for all commercial farms. In
contrast with the values on Economic Classes I, II, and III farms,
are the relatively low values per acre on Class V and Class VI
farms, especially in the Southern, Western, and Northern Corn
Belt.

Table 34. — Average Value of Land and Buildings Per Acre,
BY Type and Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt
and Component Regions : 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Com
Belt.

total

Eastern
Cora
Belt

Central
Corn
Belt

North-
ern
Corn
Belt

Westera
Cora
Belt

South-
ern
Cora
Belt

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms;

Total --

Dollars
157

177
242
213
163
134
122
107

146
187
172
134
109
97
84

Dollars
206

204
215
219
199
191
179
164

213
234
228
202
186
181
162

Dollars
256

287
336
304
263
230
203
201

231
266
242
206
183
191
192

Dollars
140

137
191
158
129
111
108
109

146
208
166
129
110
97
98

Dollars
117

118
133
130
117
105
98
92

116
132
132
110
93
83
87

Dollars
95

105

ClassI-

140

II

131

III

107

IV -

93

V

87

VI.

76

Livestock farms: '

Total -

90

ClassI

119

II.

110

III

92

IV

79

V

71

VI

69

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

LIVESTOCK

The importance of livestock in Corn Belt farming is reflected
by the 3.6 billion dollars inventory value of livestock, shown in
table 29 above. Almost a third of this livestock value is in the
Western Corn Belt and about a fourth is in the Central Corn Belt.
The average value of livestock investment per farm, on commercial
farms in the Corn Belt, is about .?4,600, but the average for live-
stock farms is nearly $7,000. The range among economic classes
of livestock farms is from about $1,500 on Class VI farms to almost
$20,000 on Class I farms. Livestock production is discussed
more fully in a following section.

MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT

The percentage of farms reporting each of the items of machinery
and equipment is shown by type of farm and by regions in the
Corn Belt in table 35. Approximately 90 percent of the farms
in all parts of the Corn Belt reported having tractors. On cash-
grain farms, the proportion was over 90 percent in all regions, and
it was over 90 percent on livestock farms also e.xcept in the South-
ern and Eastern Corn Belt. The distribution of tractors in the
United States is shown in figure 19. The Corn Belt is the largest
region of heavy concentration of tractors on farms.

The cornpicker was the next most frequently reported item of
machinery. Cornpickers were reported by a somewhat greater
percentage of the cash-grain farms than of the livestock farms.
However, the difference is not large and is to be expected because
of the great importance of the corn crop on livestock as well as
on cash-grain farms. The location of farms reporting corn-
pickers in the United States is shown in figure 20. The pattern
of heaviest concentration practically coincides with the Corn
Belt as the term is used in this study.

TRACTORS ON FARMS

NUMBER. 1954

Figure 19.

CORN PICKERS

NUMBER OF FARMS REPORTING. 1954

Figure 20.

GRAIN COMBINES

NUMBER OF FARMS REPORTING. 1954

Figure 21.

One out of every two commercial farms reported having grain
combines. The figure was 60.4 percent for cash-grain farms and
47.2 percent for livestock farms in the Corn Belt as a whole.
The greatest concentration of farms reporting grain combines as
well as cornpickers was in the Central Corn Belt. Grain combines
were found least frequently in the Southern Corn Belt, but even
there they were reported on 43.8 percent of the commercial farms.
The distribution of grain combines on farms in the United States
is shown in figure 21. The Corn Belt and the wheat-producing
region of the Great Plains have the heaviest concentration.
Farms having combines are especially numerous in a broad belt
extending from northwestern Ohio through Indiana, Illinois, and
Iowa.

28

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 35. — Percent of Commercial Farms in Each Type Reporting Specified Farm Machines in the Corn Belt and Component

Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Tractors

Motor-
trucks

Corn-
pickers

Grain
combines

Piclnip
hay balers

Field for-
age har-
vesters

Power feed
grinders

MUking
machines

Electric
pig brood-
ers

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms i.

Eastern Corn Belt:

AH commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms i.

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms •.

Northern Com Belt:
All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms '.

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms i

Southern Corn Belt:
AH commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms •

Percent
89.8
93.1
89.9

88.2
91.9
87.6

Percent
51.1
62.5
62.5

49.2
49.1
65.0

Percent
68.8
66.1
60.3

54.8
60.6
67.8

Percent
60.3
CO. 4
47.2

48.8
66.6
47.2

Percent
18.6
14.3
22.1

18 2
14,6
21.2

Percent
7.6
4.3
9.8

5.3
3.2
6.5

Percent
38.0
29.3
45.9

22,0
16,4
28,8

Percent
24.4
16.3
19.0

28.9
19.8
20.3

Percent
8.0
4.7
11.2

6.9
3.7
11.5

92.7
94.2
93.0

9L8
94.2
94.2

91.7
93.8
91.6

86.1
9L6
83.8

63.3
63.7
56.0

53.0
61.4
63.9

63.4
56.8
63.6

47.1
51.9
46.8

71.1

74.7
7L2

63.6
66 6
68.6

64.0
67.2
65.4

40.8
62.5
39.7

68.0
65.2
65.8

60.0
60.4
49.1

50 4
59.4
47.1

43.8
60.1
37.7

20.4
14.6
26.8

23.4
15.4
28.3

16,8
12.6
18,3

17.0
16.1
19.3

7.6
3.8
11.2

11.5
6.9
14.2

8.4
4.9
10.7

6.5
4.6
7.1

42.8
32.7
62.3

41.8
30,8
50.1

47.3
38 0
53,2

37.1
31.6
40.0

23.7
17.6
21.9

48 2
27.4
44,3

16.1
11.3
13.7

13,4
7.9
7.5

10.1
6.6
13.7

10.4
4.8
13.1

7.8
4.3
10.6

6.7
3.6
7.9

' Livestock other than dah-y and poultry farms.

Motortrucks were reported by about half the farmer.^, and
were fairly evenly distributed among types of farms throughout
the Corn Belt.

Pickup hay balers were reported on almost a fifth of all the farms.
These machines save a great deal of labor in the harvesting and
handling of hay.

Field forage harvesters were reported on nearly 8 percent of all
commercial farms. This type of machine, which picks up and
chops hay or other forage, is relatively new. It fits into the
mechanization scheme and has been introduced on many farms,
especially on livestock farms in the Northern, Central, and Western
Corn Belt.

Power feed grinders were reported on a relatively large percent-
age of the farms, especially among the livestock farms. This
refiects the heavy use of homegrown feeds in the Corn Belt. It
is pointed out in a later section of this report that use of purchased
mixed feeds on these farms is also great. The distribution of
power feed grinders on farms in the United States is shown in
figure 22. The Corn Belt has the heaviest concentration of these
machines. They are most densely concentrated in northwestern
Illinois, eastern and western Iowa, and eastern Nebraska.

Electric pig brooders are of many sizes and types. It is difficult
therefore to obtain an average value per unit for this equipment.
They were reported on 8 percent of the commercial farms in the
Corn Belt. They were reported by almost 14 percent of the
livestock farmers in the Central Corn Belt.

Milking machines were reported on 24.4 percent of all the com-
mercial farms, but on only 16.3 percent of the cash-grain farms
and 19 percent of the livestock farms. Milking machines were
most frequently reported in the Northern Corn Belt, which
borders on the dairy country of Minnesota and Wisconsin. In
the Northern Corn Belt, milking machines were reported on 44.3
percent of the livestock farms and on 27.4 percent of the cash-
grain farms.

For the Corn Belt as a whole, tractors, cornpickers, and grain
combines were reported on larger percentages of the cash-grain
farms than of the livestock farms. On the other hand, larger
percentages of the livestock farms reported having pickuij hay
balers, field forage harvesters, power feed grinders, milking
machines, and electric pig brooders. Motortrucks were reported
by an equal proportion of the farmers on cash-grain and livestock
farms.

POWER FEED GRINDERS

NUMBER OF FARMS REPORTING 1954

\-.,r<f^

UNTTED STATES TOTAL
707. 088

i pefMTMDiT OF ccamct

aoKtij c* It cocus

Figure 22.

Tractors were reported on 96 to 98 percent of all Economic
Classes I, II, and III farms in the Corn Belt. Among the Classes
IV, V, and VI farms the percentage of farmers having tractors
was smaller (table 36). Only two-thirds of the Economic Class
VI cash-grain farms and only half of the Economic Class VI
livestock farms reported tractors.

For every one of the specified farm machines, the percentage of
farms reporting the.se machines declines consistently from a
relatively high figure on Economic Class I farms to a relatively
low figure on Economic Class VI farms. For example, among the
cash-grain farms, about 93 percent of the Class I farms had grain
combines, but only 30 percent of the Class V farms and 15 percent
of the Class VI farms had these machines. Similarly, for example,
among livestock farms, pickup hay balers were reported on 44
percent of the Class I farms, on 23 percent of the Class III farms,
and on only 3 percent of the Class VI farms.

The only exception to the rule that the percentage of farms
reporting specified machines declines as we look from Class I
to Class VI farms, is in the instance of milking machines. In
this case, the percentage of farms reporting is smaller for Class I
farms of both the cash-grain and livestock types than it is for the
Class II and Class III farms. Apparently, the explanation is
the relatively small percentage of Class I cash-grain and livestock
farms that have dairy herds.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

29

Table 36. — Percent of Commercial Farms in Each Type, by Economic Class, Reporting Specified Farm Machines, in the Corn

Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of larm

Tractors

Motor-
trucks

Corn-
pickers

Grain
combines

Pickup
hay balers

Field for-
age har-
vesters

Power feed
grinders

Milking
machines

Electric
pig brood-
ers

Percent
89.8

93.1
98.1
97.4
96.0
92 7
85.6
66.2

89.9
97.6
97.0
96 7
89.8
75.8
50 0

Percent
61.1

62.5
89.7
70.7
63.8
42.6
35.2
23.6

62 5
80 9
65.8
52 0
43.7
36.8
26.3

Percent
68.8

65.1
94.6
86.3
73.2
54.4
33,4
16 0

60.3
86.9
80.7
68.9
48.2
26 6
11. 0

Percent
50 3

60.4
92 6
82.6
67.3
48,8
29.9
16.4

47,2
76,2
68,6
52-3
33,2
16,4
7.1

Percent
18.6

14,3
36 7
22 8
16 3
9.2
4.8
3.3

22,1
44,2
33,3
22.6
14.2
6.9
3.3

Percent
7.6

4.3

16.1

7.8

4.2

2.2

.9

.9

9.8
36.8
16 8
7.7
3.6
1.6
.9

Percent
38.0

29.3
47,9
40.2
32 5
23.2
14.7
8.1

46 9
70,1
59.8
50 9
37, 1
22 7
10 9

Percent
24.4

16,3
17.3
25.7
19.9
10.1
4.7
1.9

19.0
17.4
26 9
25.3
14.5
6.0
2.1

Percent
8.0

Cash-grala farms:

Total

4.7

Class I

14.2

II

8.8

HI

4.6

rv

2.2

V

1.3

VI

1.0

Livestock farms: •

Total -

n.2

Class!

22 7

II

17.9

Ill

10.9

IV

6.3

V

4.0

VI

LI

• Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Farmers who do not have their own machines for handling
grain and hay depend on hiring such machines on a custom-work
basis, or tliey depend on e.xoliange work, or they use less mechan-
ized methods that require more labor.

The intensity of mechanization on Corn Belt farms is indicated
by the percentage of farms that report various types and combina-
tions of types of work power (table 37). Tractors were reported
on approximately 90 percent of all commercial farms in the Corn
Belt. Sixty-seven percent of the farms had tractors but no horses
or mules. Only 3.1 percent of the commercial farms reported
horses and/or mules and no tractor. Horses or mules were found
on a substantial number of farms, however, as 22.2 percent of all
commercial farms reported having one or more tractors and horses
or mules. On 7.4 percent of the farms, no tractor, horses, or mules
were reported. The region with the largest percentage of farms
reporting no tractor or animal power was the Eastern Corn Belt,
where 10.6 percent of the farms thus reported. Farmers who do
not have their own tractors or horses or mules generally have

their fieldwork done by custom operators, or neighbors, or they
rent power units. On relatively very few farms the land is all in
hay or jjasture, and no land is plowed or cultivated. Farms of
this type require little or no mechanical power.

The high degree of mechanization, as indicated by the use of
tractor.s, is general throughout the Corn Belt on cash-grain and
livestock farms and on other commercial types. It is most in-
tensive in the Central, Northern, and Western Corn Belt. The
Southern Corn Belt has the largest percentage of farms using
horses or mules and no tractor. In that region, 7 percent of the
commercial farms reported horse or mule power only, and 30
percent reported horses and/or mules in addition to tractors.
For the Corn Belt as a whole, about as many farms reported
2 tractors as reported 1 tractor. Only 13.5 percent of the farms
had 3 tractors or more. In the Central and Northern Corn Belt,
more than 50 percent of the farmers reported 2 tractors, while
from 28 to 34 percent (approximately) reported only 1 tractor.
In the Southern and Eastern Corn Belt more farms reported

Table 37. — Percent of Commercial' Farms Reporting, by Type of Work Power and Number of Tractors,' by Type of Farm,

IN THE Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Percentage distribution of farms reporthag—

Farms re-
portmg
tractors,
as a per-
cent of all
commercial
farms

Percentage distribution of farms reporting—

Region and type of farm

No tractor,

horses, or

mules

Horses

and/or

mules and

no tractor

Tractor
and horses
or mules

Tractor
and no

horses or
mules

Any trac-
tors

1 tractor

2 tractors

3 or more
tractors

Total Com Belt:

7.4
6.9
6.7

10.6
7. 7
11.2

6.3
5.2
5.5

5.0
6.2
4.0

6 8
4.9
5.4

8.3

5.9
8.2

3.1
1.3
3.9

2.6
1.1
2.8

1.5
0.9
1.8

1.7

0.7
2.0

2.8
1.5
3.3

7.1
2.7

8.7

22 2
16.0
27.4

12 3
9.6
15.1

17.1
13.2
21.2

23.0
15.4

25.9

28,9
22.2
34.0

30.1
22 5
34.9

67.3

76.8
62.0

74.5
81.0
70.9

75.1
80.7
71.5

70.3
78.7
68.1

02 5
71.4
67.3

64.5
08.9
48.2

89.6
92 8
89.4

86.8
91.2
86.1

92 2
93.9
92 7

93.3
94.1
93.9

91.4
93.7
91.4

84.6
91.6
83.1

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

43.4
40.9
41.9

48.1
46.6
45.9

29.3
28.4
27.8

33.6
31.2
32.1

42 9
44.2
39.6

62 4
56.0
64.3

43.1
43.9
43.9

39.7
40.6
40.6

61.5
50.9
62 8

50.8
50.1
51.2

44.2
42 6
46.2

30.0
34.8
28.4

13.6

Cash-grain farms..

15.2

14.2

Eastern Com Belt:

12 2

Cash-grain farms . ....

12 8

Livestock farms ^

13.6

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

19.2

Cash-grain farms _ _.

Livestock farms ^ .

20.7
19.4

Northern Corn Belt:

16 7

Cash-grain farms.. ....

18.7

Livestock farms 2

16.7

Western Corn Belt:

12.9

Cash-grain farms.. _ .

13.2

Livestock farms ^

14.3

Southern Corn Belt:
.\J1 commercial farms

7.6

10.2

Livestock farms 2

7.3

1 Farms reporting tractors, other than garden tractors.

2 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

30

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 38. — Percent of Commercial Farms Reporting, by Type of Work Power and Number of Tractors,' by Type and Economic

Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt : 1954

Percentage distribution of farms reporting —

Farms re-
porting
tractors,
as a per-
cent of all
commercial
farms

Percentage distribution of farms reporting —

Type and economic class of farm

No tractor,

horses, or

mules

Horses

and/or

mules and

no tractor

Tractor
and horses
or mules

Tractor
and no

horses or
mules

Any trac-
tors

1 tractor

2 tractors

3 or more
tractors

7.4

5.9
1.9
2.4
3.7
6.4
12.4
24.6

6.7
1.7
2.3
3.0
6.7
16.1
31.7

3.1

1.3
0.3
0.4
0.5
1.2
2.8
11.4

3.9
0.9
0.7
1.5
4.1
9.7
19.9

22.2

16.0
22.2
16.2
15.5
16.2
15.8
13.2

27.4
36.1
26.7
27.4
30.0
25.0
17.5

67.3

76.8
75.6
81.0
80.3
76.2
69.0
50.9

62.0
62.3
70.3
68.1
59.2
49.2
30.9

89.6

92.8
97.8
97.3
95.8
92.4
84.8
64.2

89.4
97.4
96.9
95.5
89.2
74.2
48.4

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
lOO.O
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

43.4

40.9
2.3
12.6
35.1
59.8
78.0
87.4

41.9
6.2
18.6
40.4
63.0
79.8
88.3

43.1

43.9
19.3
56.4
53.3
35.1
19.4
11.2

43.9
39.2
59.3
50.6
32.5
18.4
10.9

13.5

Cash-grain farms:

Total

15.2

Class I .

78.4

II

31.0

Ill

11.6

IV

5.1

V -

2.6

VI

L4

Livestock farms; ^

Total

14.2

Class I.. ... .

64.6

II

22.1

III

9.0

IV

4.5

V

1.8

VI

0.8

J Farms reporting tractors, other than garden tractors.
' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

1 tractor than reported 2 tractors. Farms having 3 or more tractors
were relatively most numerous in the Central and Northern Corn
Belt.

Use of tractors is more universal among the larger than among
the smaller farms (table 38). About 97 to 98 percent of the
Economic Class I and Class II farms, of the cash-grain and
livestock types, reported tractors; among the Class V and Class VI
farms the proportions ranged from about 48 to 85 percent. The
largest proportion of farmers having tractors but no horses or
mules were on Class II and Class III farms, on both cash-grain
and livestock types. The larger farms also usually had both
tractors and horses or mules more frequently than did the smaller
farms. Among the livestock farms in each economic class, there
were larger percentages of farms having both tractors and horses
or mules than there were among cash-grain farms in the respec-
tive economic classes. Farms having horses or mules and no
tractors were relatively uncommon among all economic classes,
but the proportion was about 11 percent of the Class VI cash-grain
farms and about 20 percent of the Class VI livestock farms. The
proportion of farms reporting 1 tractor, 2 tractors, or 3 or more
tractors was strongly correlated with size of farm. The small
farms were generally in the 1-tractor group and the larger farms
were in the 2-tractor or 3-or-more-tractor groups.

The average value of total investment in machinery and equip-
ment per farm was more than $15,000 on Economic Class I cash-
grain farms (table 39), but it was consistently less on the smaller
sized economic classes, ranging down to $2,40-1 on cash-grain farms
of Economic Class VI. The investment in machinery and equip-
ment per farm averaged highest on commercial farms in the Cen-
tral Corn Belt, but on the basis of economic class groups it was
highest on the Class I cash-grain farms in the Southern Corn Belt
and lowest on Class VI livestock farms in that region.

The total investment in machinery and equipment (not including
household equipment) on all commercial farms in the Corn Belt
was estimated at 4.8 billion dollars (table 40). The Western,
Central, and Eastern Corn Belt regions each accounted for over a
billion dollars of this total. The bulk of the capital investment
usually is found on Class II and Class III farms, although these
are not always the groups with the most numerous farms (tables
9 and 10). The total value of capital investment on Class V and
Class VI farms in the Corn Belt is relatively small, but in the case
of cash-grain farms it is more than the total investment on the large
Class I farms in all regions except the Central Corn Belt, and in
the case of livestock farms it is greater than the capital value on
Class I farms in the Southern Corn Belt.

Table 39. — Estimated Average Value of Total Investment
IN Machinery and Equipment, Per Commercial Farm, in
THE Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Com
Belt,
total

East-
em
Com
Belt

Cen-
tral
Com
Belt

North-
era
Com
Belt

West-
em
Corn
Belt

South-
era
Com
Belt

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total

Dollars
5,986

6,400
15, 026
9.019
6.482
4.901
3.669
2,404

6,313
12, 774
8,482
6,198
4,606
3,256
2,050

Dollars
6,913

6,180
15, 674
9,233
6, 550
4,802
3.630
2,185

6,390
14, 655
8,909
6,270
4,470
3,278
1,968

Dollars
6,697

7,186
14,432
8,800
6, 262
4,741
3,483
2,618

7,309
12, 516
8,464
6,339
4,890
3,491
2,228

Dollars
6,407

6,635
16, 147
9,216
6,546
4,924
3,741
2,730

6.884
12. 608
8.719
6.349
4.868
3.335
2.268

Dollars
6,056

6,250
14, 898
8.899
6.529
5.075
3.786
2,563

6,399
12,016
8,195
6,260
4,857
3,533
2,370

Dollars
4,937

5,500

Class I

II

17,408
9,654

III

6,694

IV

4,931

V

3,649

VI

2,413

Livestock farms: '

Total

4,810

Class I

13, 392

II

8,352

III

5,748

rv

4,146

V

2,976

VI

1,877

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 40. — Estimated Value of Total Investment in Ma-
chinery AND Equipment on Commercial Farms in the Corn
Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Type and economic class
of farm

Cora
Beit,
total

Eastern
Corn
Belt

Central
Cora
Belt

North-
ern
Cora
Belt

Western
Corn
Belt

South-
era
Cora
Belt

All commercial farms..

Cash-grain farms:

Total

t.ooo

dollars
4, 772, 390

1, 693, 157

97, 004
669, 197
684, 138
304, 113
124, 194

23,910

2, 062, 172
290, 079
708, 749
585, 904
308, 496
130, 235

38, 700

1,000

dollars

1, 048, 209

422, 074
26,281
129,816
133, 936

83, 377
43, 435

0,230

328, 959
50, 752
115,069

84, 101
46, 801
25, 609

6,728

1,000

dollars

1,124,087

496, 130
46, 486
230, 658
166, 051
48, 121
12, 269
2,555

626, 764
101, 270
223, 060
131, 173
50, 515
16, 703
4,044

1,000
dollars
695, 690

182,244

6,160

61, 785

73, 978

29, 600

8,944

1,788

279, 661
32,831
103, 968
93, 986
38, 456
8,324
1,996

1,000

dollars

1, 127, 503

367, 950
12,917
96, 179

145, 275

83, 721

26, 434

4,424

684, 702
80, 974
187,819
175, 662
95, 797
34, 799
9,652

1.000
dollars
777, 001

224, 759

ClassI

6,772

II

m

40, 759
74, 898

IV

59, 294

V

34,123

VI.-

Livestock farms: ■

Total

8,913
342, 186

Class I

24, 253

II

78, 833

Ill

100, 982

IV

76, 927

V

44, 901

VI

16,290

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

31

HORSES AND MULES

Data on the number and distribution of horses and mules on
Corn Belt farms are given in tables 68 to 72 along with data on
other livestock. Horses and mules are important as work power,
and so should be mentioned briefly at this point.

The number of horses and mules on farms in the North Central
States has shown a decline in every Census year since 1920. The
total number on farms in the North Central States in 1954 was
only about 9 percent of the number in 1920.

In 1954 there were 451,000 horses and mules on commercial
farms in the Corn Belt. Only 1 farm out of 4 reported horses
or mules that year. Horses and mules were found most frequently
on farms in the Southern Corn Belt, where they were reported on
37.2 percent of all the commercial farms and on 43.6 percent of
the livestock farms. They were found relatively least frequently
(on only 10.7 percent of the farms) among cash-grain farms in the
Eastern Corn Belt. The average number of horses and mules
on the farms reporting was 2 in every region, on cash-grain and
livestock farms as well as on all commercial farms. The average
number per farm reporting was also 2 for each of the economic
classes of farms except Class I farms where the average number
was 3.

AUTOMOBILES AND HOME FACILITIES

Upwards of 90 percent of the commercial farms in the Corn
Belt as a whole had automobiles (table 41). The proportion of
farmers reporting automobiles varied somewhat between the
regions, being as high as 94 percent in the Central and Northern
Corn Belt and as low as 83 percent in the Southern Corn Belt.
There was practically no difference between cash-grain and live-
stock farms in the same region as to possession of automobiles.

Practically all commercial farms in the Corn Belt have the use
of electric current. Electricity was reported by about 97 percent
of the farms in 1954 (table 41). The great increase in use of
electricity on these farms is an event of the last 10 years. In
1945, only 56.8 percent of the farms in the 5 Corn Belt States
had the use of electricity (S). In 1945, 59 percent of the farms
in Iowa had electricity; in 1955 the proportion was 97.6 percent.

Telephones were reported on about 78 percent of the com-
mercial farms. The proportion having telephones ranged from
87 percent in the Central Corn Belt to 69 percent in the Southern
Corn Belt.

Television sets were reported on 1 out of every 2 cash-grain
and live-stock farms and on only slightly fewer of the other com-
mercial farms. The proportion was highest in the Eastern Corn
Belt and lowest in the Northern and Southern Corn Belt. Having
or not having a TV set depends upon being within range of a TV
broadcasting station as well as upon having the income available
for buying the receiving set.

About two-thirds of the farms in the Corn Belt had piped
running water in 1954. The proportion was highest on livestock
farms in the Eastern Corn Belt (82.5 percent) and was lowest
on cash-grain farms in the Southern Corn Belt (47.7 percent).
Piped running water was more common on livestock farms than on
cash-grain farms. Running water is an especial convenience and
labor-saver in connection with livestock production.

Home freezers were reported on about 45 percent of the farms
in the Corn Belt as a whole. Generally, they were found some-
what more frequently on livestock farms in the Eastern Corn Belt
and were least common on commercial farms other than cash-
grain or livestock in the Southern Corn Belt.

In the case of automobiles and facilities such as electricity,
telephone, TV set, and piped running water, as in the case of farm
machinery and equipment, there was a positive correlation be-
tween the percentage of farms reporting and size (economic class)
of farm (table 42). For example, electricity was reported on 99.1
percent of the Class I cash-grain farms and on 84.3 percent of the
Class VI cash-grain farms. Piped running water was reported on
94.8 percent of the Class I livestock farms but on only 36.9
percent of the Class VI farms of this type.

Table 41. — Percent of Commercial Farms in Each Type
Reporting Specified Facilities and Equipment, in the Corn
Belt AND Component Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Auto-
mobile

Elec-
tricity

Tele-
phone

Televi-
sion set

Piped

running

water

Home
freezer

Percent

Percent

Percent

Percent

Percent

Percent

Total Com Bolt:

AU commercial farms...

90.5

96.7

78.2

48.7

66.7

44.9

Cash-grain farms...

91.4

95.6

73.8

50.5

03.4

43.8

Livestock farms i.-.

91.0

97.4

82.4

60.6

70.6

46.5

Eastern Corn Belt:

AU commercial farms...

90.0

97.7

76.9

62.7

78.8

64.3

Cash-grain farms

91.2

97.6

73.4

64.1

76.0

61.6

Livestock farms '.,_

90.2

98.2

81.6

65.8

82.5

68.8

Central Com Belt:

All commercial farms. . .

94.0

97.6

87.3

56.6

72.8

52.1

Cash-grain farms

94.2

96.8

84.1

56.3

68.8

61.7

Livestock farms '._.

94.8

98.6

90.8

60.0

78.3

53.5

Northern Cora Belt:

All commercial farms...

94.1

96.5

79.1

37.7

M.6

46.1

Cash-grain farms

94.2

94.1

69.9

35.8

55.0

41.6

Livestock farms '...

94.4

97.5

S4.8

41.5

"1.3

49.2

Westem Cora Belt:

All commercial farms. . .

92.2

95.8

78.2

44.0

65.2

37.7

Cash-grain farms...

92.2

93.3

72.3

41.4

67.3

32.2

Livestock farms i...

92.8

97.1

82.0

47.9

71.9

42.2

Southern Cora Belt:

All commercial farms...

82.6

95.6

69.3

37.9

49.5

34.1

Cash-grain farms...

83.9

94.5

62.0

40 9

47.7

36.0

Livestock farms '._.

83.4

96.0

73.8

38.9

52.1

34.3

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 42. — Percent of Commercial Farms in Each Type,
BY Economic Class, Reporting Specified Facilities and
Equipment, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class
of farm

Auto-
mobile

Elec-
tricity

Tele-
phone

Televi-
sion set

Piped

nmning

water

Home
freezer

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Percent
90.5

91.4
98.1
97.2
94.0
89.4
82 5
69.9

91.0
98.3
96.8
93.9
88.7
82.2
68.7

Percent
96.7

95.6
99.1
98.7
97.2
94.4
90.5
84.3

97.4
99.5
99.2
98.4
97.0
95.0
88.0

Percent
78.2

73.8
90.3
86.8
77.3
66.6
59,7
50.2

82.4
95.7
91.3
84.7
77.3
69.9
60.5

Percent
48.7

50.6
74.8
63.4
50.8
43.3
40.9
27.6

50.6
72.7
62.6
50.8
42.0
39.0
25.0

Percent
66.7

63.4
90.6
79.9
64.9
54.0
48.8
37.0

70.6
94.8
86.8
73.1
60.3
52.1
36.9

Percent
44.9

43.8

Class I

74.1

II

60.7

Ill

45.0

IV

34.5

v

28.6

VI

19.3

Livestock farms: '

Total

46.6

Class I

70.2

II.

59.6

III

47.3

IV

37.1

v

31.8

VI .

19.7

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

32

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION
FARM LABOR

CHARACTERISTICS OF OPERATORS

The average age of farm operators in the North Central States
in 1954 was 49 years. This is only slightly older (about two-tenths
of a year) than it was in 1945. In the United States as a whole,
however, the average age of farm operators in 1954 was about a
year older than in 1945. In the South the average age was almost
2 years older than in 1945.

Information on average age and age composition of operators
gives some indication of the age of retirement and of the rate of
replacement of older operators by younger men. From 1945 to
1954 in the North Central States, the decrease in number of opera-
tors under 25 years old was relatively greater than the decrease in
number of farms. The proportion of operators 25 to 34 years of
age in 1954 was practically the same as in 1945, while the pro-
portion 35 to 44 years of age increased. The proportion of opera-
tors in the 45- to 64-year group declined, but the proportion in the
65-years-old and over group increased. This indicates that
relatively few young men (under 25 years) had been entering
farming during the decade, but that, on the other hand, farmers of
25 to 44 years of age had stayed in farming to a relatively greater
extent than the older age groups. Apparently, the farms or farm
lands freed by the operators of age 45 and over who retired or
departed from farming were taken up by the younger group.
However, farmers reaching age 65 who continued to operate farms,
were a somewhat larger proportion of the total number of farmers
than in 1945.

Among the factors that in recent years have deterred young men
from becoming farm operators are, on the one hand, the relatively
attractive opportunities and incomes in nonfarm work and, on the
other hand, the relatively large amount of capital that is required
to equip and operate a farm. The large capital required also tends
to restrain a young man from going into farming until he has ac-
cumulated more capital or obtained a stronger financial backing
than was necessary a generation ago.

Reports on age were obtained in the 1954 Census from prac-
tically all farm operators. Nearly half of all the commercial farm
operators in the Corn Belt were 35 to 54 years old in 1954. The
largest 10-year-span age group was the 35- to 44-year group, but
operators in the 45- to 54-year group were almost as numerous.
Relatively few operators were under 25 years of age and the total
number under 35 years was less than the number who were 35 to
44 or 45 to 54 years old. About a fifth of the operators were 55
to 64 years old and about a seventh were 65 years old or over (table
43). Older operators were relatively most numerous in the South-
ern and Eastern Corn Belt, while the Northern Corn Belt had the
largest proportion of younger operators. In general, there was a
relatively larger proportion of younger operators on cash-grain
farms than on livestock farms. It is usually easier to get started
in cash-grain farming than in livestock farming. Less capital is
needed for the total investment in machinery and livestock and,
although the land requirement is large, the land often may be
rented.

Class II farms had the largest percentage of operators under the
age of 35 (table 44). On Classes I, II, and III farms, from about
19 percent to 24 percent of the operators were under 35 years,
while on Classes IV, V, and VI farms, this age group accounted for
only 4 percent to 19 percent of all the operators. For both cash-
grain and livestock farms, as we go from the large to the smaller
sizes of farms, we find a larger proportion of the operators in the
older age groups. Nearly 39 percent of the Class VI cash-grain
farms and almost 47 percent of the Class VI livestock farms were
operated by farmers 65 years old or over.

Table 43. — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farm
Operators, by Age, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and
Component Regions: 1954

Operators

Percentage distrihution of operators

reporting age

reporting age

Region and type of farm

Percent

Total

Age

Age

Age

Age 65

Total

of all
oper-

ators
report-
ing

imder
35

35 to

64

56 to
64

years
and

ators

years

years

years

over

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms. __

787, 218

98.7

100.0

18.6

47.7

20.1

13.7

Cash-grain farms

260. 982

98.7

100.0

20.8

47.8

19.2

12.2

Livestock farms i

322, 886

98.8

100.0

17.6

48.1

20.6

13.8

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

174, 535

98.5

100.0

16.2

44.8

21.6

17.5

Cash-grain farms

67, 159

98.3

100.0

18.6

46.9

20.3

15.2

Livestock farms i

50, 684

98.6

100.0

14.9

44.8

22.2

18.1

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

165, 707

98.7

100.0

20.6

49.5

18.5

11.4

Cash-grain farms

68, 126

98.7

100. 0

21.1

48.6

19.1

11.2

Livestock farms '

71, 263

98.9

100.0

20.3

50.9

17.9

10.9

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

107, 667

99.1

100.0

21.6

50.9

17.8

9.7

Cash-grain farms

27, 205

99.0

100.0

21.6

48.8

19.0

10.7

Livestock farms '

40, 290

99.2

100.0

21.3

60.7

18.4

9.6

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

184, 218

98.9

100.0

20.7

48.7

19.4

n.2

Cash-grain farms

68, 306

99.0

100.0

23.4

48.6

18.0

10.0

Livestock farms •

90, 392

98.9

100.0

19.3

49.3

20.1

U.3

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

155, 201

98.6

100.0

14.2

45.2

22.8

17.8

Cash-grain farms

40, 185

98.3

100.0

19.7

47.6

19.6

13.2

Livestock farms '

70, 257

98.8

100.0

12.1

44.3

24.1

19.6

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 44. — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farm
Operators, by Age, by Type and Economic Class of Farm,
IN THE Corn Belt: 1954

Operators
reportmg age

Percentage distribution of operators
reporting age

Type and economic class of
farm

Total

Percent
of all
oper-
ators

Total
oper-
ators
report-
ing

Age

under

35

years

Age
35 to

64
years

Age
66 to

64
years

Age 65
years
and
over

All commercial farms..

Cash-grain farms:

Total

787, 218

260, 982
6,414
61, 308
89, 259
61. 178
33. 187
9,636

322, 886
22, 413
82,644
93, 789
66, 189
39, 349
18, 502

98.7

98.7
98.7
98.9
99.1
98.6
97.8
96.9

98.8
98.7
98.9
99.2
98.8
98.4
98.0

100.0

100.0
100.0
100. 0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

18.6

20.8
19.6
24.3
22.5
18.9
16.7
10.0

17.5
22.9
24.1
18.9
13.6
10.1
4.1

47.7

47.8
59.9
55,2
50.3
42.7
40.5
26.4

48.1
65.9
64.8
61.9
44.8
37.8
22.0

20.1

19.2
14.7
14.7
18.2
23.0
22.7
24.8

20.6
15.2
15.4
20.0
24.8
26.0
27.2

13.7
12.2

Class I .

6.8

II

6.8

Ill

9.0

rv

15.4

V

20.1

VI

38.8

Livestock farms: ^

Total

13.8

Class I

6.0

II

6.7

III

9.2

IV

16.8

V

26.1

VI

46.7

' Livestock other than dau-y and poultry farms.

Less than 8 percent of the commercial farm families in the Corn
Belt had incomes from other sources exceeding the value of all
farm products sold (table 45). This emphasizes the importance of
the farm business and farm incomes to the vast majority of farm
families in the Corn Belt. The proportion of farm families with
other incomes larger than the value of farm products sold was
smallest in the Central and Northern Corn Belt. It was largest in
the Ea,stern Corn Belt; there about 14 percent of the operators

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

33

reported nonfarm incomes to themselves and members of their
families greater than the value of farm products sold. Opportu-
nities for nonfarm earnings are generally greatest in the Eastern
Corn Belt because there are more cities and industrial establish-
ments there than in other parts of the Corn Belt. A larger per-
centage of cash-grain farmers than of livestock farmers had a
relatively large income from nonfarm sources, reflecting tlie greater
amount of time available for nonfarm activities by cash-grain
farmers at some seasons of the year.

Somewhat more than two-thirds of the farm operators in the
Corn Belt who gave information as to off-farm work reported none
at all. Off-farm work includes work on farms other than the oper-

ator's own farm as well as jobs in industrial plants and in nonfarm
occupations. The proportion of operators not doing any off-farm
work was largest in the Western Corn Belt and smallest in the
Eastern Corn Belt. Most of the operators who did some off-the-
farm work worked less than 100 days at such activities. The group
of operators who spent the most time at off-farm work was among
tlie cash-grain farmers in the Eastern Corn Belt. About 18 per-
cent of these worked 200 or more days off their farms in 1954.

The economic classes of farms with the largest percentages of
farms reporting other income exceeding the value of farm products
sold were Classes IV and V (table 46). The relatively low farm
incomes on these farms make outside sources of income more urgent

Table 45. — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farm Operators Reporting as to Other Income and Off-Farm Work, by
Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Operators with other
income exceeding value
of farm products sold '

Operators reporting as
to off-farm work

Percentage distribution of operators reporting as
work

;o off-farm

Region and type of farm

Operators
reporting

Percent

ofaU
operators

Total
operators
reporting

Percent

of all
operators

Total
operators
reporting

Not
working
off farm

Working off farm —

lto99
days

100 to 199

days

200 days
or more

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms --

60, 409
23.056
21,584

25, 456
11,411
6,881

7,392
2.991
2,969

3,898
1,282
1,260

8,742
2,798
4,061

14, 921
4,574
6,410

7.6
8.7
6.6

14.4
16.7
13.4

4.4
4,3
4.1

3.6
4.7
3.1

4.7
4.8
4.4

9.5
11.2
9.0

769. 593
254, 731
316, 900

169, 203
66,239
49,096

161, 359
65, 978
69, 590

105, 224
26, 653
39, 335

181, 090

87, 308

88, 808

152, 657
39, 553
69, 071

96 5
96,3
96 7

95.5
95,6
95.4

96.1
95.6
96.6

96.9
97.0
96.9

97.3
97.3
97.2

97.0
96.8
97.1

100.0
100 0
100,0

100.0
100,0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100,0
100,0
100.0

100,0
100,0
100,0

100,0
100.0
100.0

67.9
63 5
71,5

60,0
55 1
63.6

71.0
68.4
73,5

71,8
67.5
73.6

72 0
67.8
75.4

66 0
60,2
68.9

21,5
23 3
20,0

19 3
20,3
18.2

22, 1
23 6
20.8

22,6
24.3
22.1

21.5
24.7
18.9

22,4
25.2
20.5

3.4
4.4
2.5

5.4
6 2
4,5

2 4
3,0
1.8

2.0

3 2
1.3

2 4

3 3
1.8

4,3

6,9
3,6

7.2

8.8

Livestock farms ^ .

6.0

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms ._

15.3

18.4

Livestock farms 2

13.7

Central Corn Belt:

4.6

5 0

Livestock farms ^ ,

3.9

Northern Cora Belt:

3,6

Cash-^ain farms..

6,0

Livestock farms ^

3,0

Western Corn Belt:

4.1

Cash-grain farms . ..

4,2

Livestock farms ^

3,9

Southern Corn Belt:

7.3

Cash-grain farms .

8,7

7.0

1 Farm operators with other mcome of family exceeding value of farm products sold.

2 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 46. — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farm Operators Reporting as to Other Income and Off-Farm Work,

BY Type and Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Operators with other
income exceeding value
of farm products sold '

Operators reporting as
to oH-farm work

Percentage distribution

of operators reporting as
work

to off-farm

Type and economic class of farm

Operators
reporting

Percent

of all
operators

Total
operators
reportmg

Percent

of all
operators

Total
operators
reportmg

Not
working
off farm

Working off farm —

1 to99
days

100 to 199
days

200 days
or more

All commercial farms _.

60, 409

23,056

107

911

3.498

8,044

10, 496

7.6

8.7
1.6
1.5
3.9
13,0
30.9

769, 593

264, 731
6,233
59, 658
87, 030
69, 849
32, 754
9,207

315, 900

22, 044
80, .S.S6
91. 409
64. 764
38, 754
17, 983

96 5

96.3
96.0
96 2
96 6
96 5
96.5
92.6

96 7

97 1
96 8
96,8
96,7
96 9
95.2

100,0

100,0
100.0
100,0
100,0
100 0
100,0
100,0

100.0
100.0
100,0
100,0
100 0
100,0
lOO.O

67.9

63,5

72.7
70,5
66,6
59, 1
46,0
74.0

71.6
77 3
74.4
74, 1
68,1
66.9
81.7

21.6

23.3

22.6
26.3
2,5.0
21,7
17.3
26.0

20.0
19.2
22.4
20,6
18.9
16 3
18.3

3.4

4.4
1.6
1.9
3.7
6,3
8,9

7.2

Cash-grain farms:

Total

8.8

Glass I

3.1

II _ _

2.3

III .

4.8

IV

12.9

V

27.8

VI

Livestock farms: 3

Total

21, 684

442

1,215

2,669

6,714

10, 544

6.6
1.9
1,5
2,8
10,0
26,4

2,6
1.2
1.2
2 1
3,9
6,1

6,0

Class I

2 3

II-

2 0

III

3.2

rv...

9.1

v

20.7

VI

* Farm operators with other income of family exceedhig value of farm products sold.

* Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

34

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

than on the larger farms. Class VI farms have the lowest farm
incomes (value of products sold) of all the economic classes of
farms. But, by definition, these farms do not include any farms
on which other sources of income exceeded the value of farm
products sold nor any farms on which the operator worked 100 or
more days at off-farm work. The proportion of operators not doing
any off-farm work declines consistently as we go from Class I to
Class V farms of both the cash-grain and livestock types. The
percentage of farm operators working 100 or more days off the
farm also increases as the size of farm decreases, exclusive of the
Class VI farms. Approximately 28 percent of the Class V cash-
grain farm operators and 21 percent of the Class V livestock farm
operators worked 200 days or more off their farms in 1954.

It is rather significant that even among the larger economic
classes of livestock farms, which ordinarily require some labor
throughout the year, about 23 to 26 percent of the operators found
time for some off-farm work. This may indicate that many oper-
ators of small farms could spend more time in such work than
they now do, if the employment were available. From the stand-
point of work on his own farm, the role of mechanization in freeing
the farmer from long hours of manual labor is a decided factor in
making more off-farm work possible.

SIZE AND COMPOSITION OF LABOR FORCE

Family-operated farms are the prevailing and predominant kind
in the Corn Belt. Upwards of 95 percent of the commercial farms
in most of the belt reported some family or hired workers during
the specified week of the 1954 Census (table 47). Farms reporting
hired labor were only half as numerous as were farms reporting
operator and family labor onl}'. From 39 percent to 51 percent

Table 47- — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farms,
BY Kind of Farm Workers, by Type of Farm, in the Corn
Belt and Component Regions, in Specified Week: 1954 '

Farms report-
ing family
and/or hired
workers

Percentage distribution of farms
reporting—

Region and type of farm

Farms
report-
ing

Per-
cent
of all
farms

Family
and/or
hired

workers

Oper-
ator
only

Unpaid

family

workers

only

Oper-
ator
and
family
workers
only

Hired
work-
ers 3

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3 _.

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livcstocic farms 3 _.

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Casli-grain farms

Livestock farms 3

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms.

Livestock farms 3

Western Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3 _ _

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-gram farms

Livestock farms'

761, 668
247, 924
315, 891

165, 476
62. 727
48, 540

161,171
65, 109
70,230

105, 042
25, 879
39, 778

178, 902
55, 618
88, 736

151,077
38, 591
68,607

95.5
93.7
96.7

93.3
91.8
94.3

96.0
94.3
97.4

96.8
94.2
98.0

96.1
94.5
97.1

96.0
94.4
96.4

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

46.8
50.8
46.1

49.3
53.5
48.9

45.8
48.7
43.7

39.3
45.8
39.0

46.1
50.0
45.0

51.0
64.6
52.1

1.2
1.2
1.1

1.5
1.4
1.3

1.1
1.1
1.1

1.2
1.2
0.9

1.1
1.0
1.0

1.2
1.3
1.1

34.1
30.0
33.0

30.4
27.5
27.1

29.8
25.8
31.0

40.0
34.3
38.2

37.0
35.2
35.5

35.4
30.9
32.8

17.9
18.0
19.8

18.8
17.6
22.7

23.3
24.4
24.2

19.6
18.6
21.9

15.8
13.8
18.5

12.5
13.2
13.9

' The specified week for which information on farm labor was obtained in the 1954
Census was as follows for the States included or partly Included in the Corn Belt:
September 26-Oct .her 2 for Mmnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, and Kentucky; October 24-30 lor Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri.

' Total of farms reporting hired workers and family workers and farms reporting
hired workers only.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

of the farms in tlie different regions of the Corn Belt reported oper-
ators only, with no family or hired workers. This percentage was
highest in the Southern Corn Belt and lowest in the Northern Corn
Belt. It was higher on cash-grain farms than on livestock farms.
Operator and family workers only, with no hired workers, were
reported on 34 percent of the farms. Only 18 percent of all the
commercial farms reported hired workers, but this percentage
ranged from about 24 percent on cash-grain farms in the Central
Corn Belt down to 13 percent on cash-grain farms in the Southern
Corn Belt.

The number of farms reporting expenditures for hired labor is
greater than the number of farms reporting hired workers in the
specified week of September or October. This is so because ex-
penditures were reported for labor even if the labor were used for
a very short time. The average number of hired workers during
the specified week was approximately the same as the average
number for the year in the Corn Belt States.

The proportion of farms reporting different kinds and combina-
tions of farmworkers is related to economic class or size of farm
(table 48). For example, only 13.2 percent of the Class I cash-
grain farms reported operator labor only, but 70.5 percent of these
farms reported hired workers. At the other extreme, 77. 1 percent
of Class VI cash-grain farms reported operator labor only, whUe
only 2.8 percent reported hired workers. The largest percentages
of farms reporting operator and family workers only were found in
Classes II, III, and IV among both cash-grain and livestock
farms. These are, in general, the most typical sizes and types
of farms in the Corn Belt.

In order to make an estimate of the total quantity of labor on
the various types and sizes of farms it is necessary to use a com-
mon denominator for the different kinds of labor. All labor
reported was therefore converted to man-equivalents. A man-
equivalent is taken to be an average full-time mature worker, or
the equivalent of a man working full time for a year.

The total number of farm operators is the same as the number
of farms. In converting the number of operators to man-equiva-
lents, adjustments were made for the estimated man-years of work

Table 48. — Number and Percentage of Commercial Farms,
by Kind of Farm Workers, by Type and Economic Class
of Farm, in the Corn Belt, in Specified Week: 1954 '

Farms report-
ing family
and/or hired
workers

Percentage distribution of farms
reporting—

Type and economic class of
farm

Farms

report-

mg

Per-
cent
of aU
farms

Family
and/or
hired

workers

Oper-
ator
only

Unpaid

family

workers

only

Oper-
ator
and
family
workers
only

Hired
work-
ers '

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total

761, 668

247, 924
6,381
60, 101
85, 871
57, 170
29,997
8,404

315, 891
22, 481
82.089
92, 167
64,321
37,621
17, 212

95.5

93.7
98.2
96.9
95.3
92.1
88.4
84.5

96.7
99.0
98.2
97.5
96.0
94.1
91.2

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0

100.0

46.8

50.8
13.2
37.0
49.9
58.7
66.9
77.1

46.1
18.7
36.8
45.6
61.4
62.2
73.7

1.2

1.2
0.5
1.0
1.1
1.4
1.6
1.2

1.1
0.6
0.7
1.1
1.2
1.7
1.4

34.1

30.0
15.8
29.7
33.9
30.4
25.3
18.9

33.0
17.5
32.8
37.7
36.8
29.8
21.7

17.9
18.0

Class I

70.6

II.

32.4

ni

15.1

IV..

9.6

V

6.2

VI.

2.8

Livestock farms: '

Total

19.8

Class I

63.3

II.

29.7

Ill

15.6

IV.

10.6

V

6.3

VI.

3.2

1 The specified week for which information on farm labor was obtained in the 1954
Census was as follows for the States included or partly included in the Corn Belt:
September 26-October 2 for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, South Dakota, Nebraska,
Kansas, and Kentucky; October 24-30 for Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and Missouri.

2 Total of farms reporting hired workers and family workers and farms reporting hired
workers only.

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

35

off the farm and for work done by operators 65 years old and over.
A farm operator was counted as a full man-equivalent unless he
was 05 years old or over or unless he did some off-farm work in
1954. Farm operators 65 years of age and over were counted as
0.5 man-equivalent. Operators reporting specified amounts of
off-farm work were converted to man-equivalents as follows:

Days work off the farm Man-equivalent

1 to 99 days 0. 85

100 to 199 days . 50

200 days or more .15

Unpaid familj' workers, according to the Census, were members
of the operator's family who did 15 or more hours of work on the
farm during the week of September 26 to October 2 or during the
week of October 24 to October 30, without receiving cash wages
(see table 47, footnote 1). Each unpaid family worker reported
by the Census was counted as 0.5 man-cciuivalcnt in the present
study. This adjustment to man-equivalents takes into account
the usually large proportion of women, children, and elderly
persons in the unpaid family labor force.

The number of man-equivalents of hired workers was computed
from the expenditure for hired wages reported in the Census. A
composite average annual wage rate was determined for each
economic subregion. In the Corn Belt the wage rates ranged
from about SI, 600 to S2,200. The total expenditure for hired
labor in each subregion was divided by the estimated average
annual wage rate in the subregion to obtain the man-equivalent
number of hired workers.

The average quantity of all labor per commercial farm in the
Corn Belt in 1954 was 1.3 man-equivalents. This amounts to
the same as one man working full time at farmwork for a year
and a second man working for about a third of the year. Most
of the labor used was that of the farm operator (table 49). The
labor of operators amounted to an average of 0.8 of a man-equiva-
lent per farm, while the labor of unpaid family workers and of
hired workers averaged 0.3 and 0.2 man-equivalents, respectively.

On the average, farm operators accounted for about two-thirds
of all the labor resources on commercial farms in the Corn Belt in
1954. Unpaid members of the operator's family accounted for
about a fourth, and hired workers for about a sixth of the work.
The average quantity of total labor used per farm did not differ
greatly between regions and types of farms in the Corn Belt. But
it was highest on livestock farms in the Northern Corn Belt and
lowest on cash-grain farms in the Eastern Corn Belt. Hired labor
did not average more than 0.2 man-equivalent per farm in any
region of the Corn Belt.

Large farms had more labor of all kinds than did small farms.
The average quantity of total labor per commercial farm ranged
from 2.4 man-equivalents on Class I cash-grain farms down to
0.8 man-equivalent on Class V and Class VI cash-grain farms and
livestock farms (table 50). Classes IV, V, and VI farms had
less operator labor as well as less unpaid family and hired labor
per farm than that on Classes I, II, and III farms. Only on the
large Class I farms did hired labor account for as much as half
the labor used. On Class I cash-grain farms, hired labor averaged
1.2 man-equivalents per farm. On Classes IV, V, and VI farms,
the quantity of hired labor was very small.

The factor 0.5 as a man-equivalent for unpaid family labor may
be somewhat low. This may be especially true on farms where
work is relatively light or highly mechanized. For jobs that are
done by machine, a boy or girl or an elderly person can often ac-
complish practically as much as a man in the prime of life. The
younger person generally requires more supervision than a ma-
ture person who is experienced. But many of the jobs on the
farm are routine or mechanized, for example, feeding livestock,
other livestock chores, milking cows, driving a tractor for plowing
or cultivating, or hauling produce to market by automobile or

truck. It is believed, therefore, that the computed man-equiva-
lent of unpaid family labor used in this study is rather conserva-
tive and that family labor is relatively even more important com-
pared with hired labor than indicated by the data in tables 49
and 50. However, even if factors as much as a third larger had
been used for unpaid family labor and for operators of age 65 and
over, the estimated total labor per farm would have been increased
by less than 0.2 of a man-equivalent. From the standpoint of
labor used, it is clear that the typical farm in the Corn Belt is the
familv-sized farm.

Table 49. — L.abor Force of Farm Workers E.xpressed in
Terms of Average Number of M.-^n-Equivalents Per
Farm, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Component
Regions: 1954

Average number of man-equivalents per farm

Region and type of farm

Total
labor

Operator
labor

Unpaid
family
labor

Hired
labor

Total Corn Belt:

1.3
1.2
1.3

1.2
1.0
1.1

1.3
1.2
1.3

1.4
1.2
1.6

1.3
1.2
1.3

1.2
1.1
1.2

0.8
0.8
0.8

0.7
0.7
0.7

0.8
0.8
0.8

0.8
0.8
0.9

0.8
0.8
0.8

0.8
0.8
0.8

0.3
0.3
0.3

0.3
0.2
0.2

0.3
0.2
0.3

0.4
0.3
0.4

0.3
0.3
0.3

0.3
0.2
0.3

0.2
0.1
0.2

0.2
0.1
0.2

0.2

Cash-grain farms

Eastern Com Belt:

Cash-grain farms

Central Corn Belt:

0.2

0.2
0.1
0.2

0 2

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms..

Cash-grain farms

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

0.2

0.1
0.1
0 1

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms ..

Cash-grain farms

Livestocic farms '...

> Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 50. — Labor Force of Farm Workers, E.xpressed in
Terms of Average Number of Man-Equivalents Per Farm,
BY Type and Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt:
1954

Average number of man-equivalents per farm

Type and economic class of farm

Total
labor

Operator
labor

Unpaid
family
labor

Hired
labor

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total.

1.3

1.2
2.4
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.8

1.3
2.3
1.6
1.3
1.2
0.8
0.8

0.8

0.8
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.7

0.8
0.9
0.9
0.9
0.8
0.6
0.7

0.3

0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.2
0.1

0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.3
0.2
0.1

0.2
0 1

Class I

11...

0 2

Ill

IV

(Z)
(Z)
(Z)

0.2
1 1

V .

VI

Livestock farms: '

Total

Class I

II

Ill ...

0 1

IV

V

(Z)

VI

CZ)

Z 0.05 percent or less.

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

36

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

CROP PRODUCTION

CROPS GROWN

Soils and climate of the Corn Belt are favorable for the produc-
tion of a wide variety of crops. With the exception of cotton,
tobacco, citrus fruits, and other crops which require a milder
climate and a longer growing season, almost any temperate-zone
crop can be grown successfully here. The principal crops that
have been adopted by the farmers are corn, soybeans, oats, wheat,
barley, rye, and a wide variety of hay and pasture crops. These
crops have generally shown the relatively greatest advantage in
terms of contribution of farm income.

On almost every farm at least 2 or 3 kinds of crops are produced
every year. The combination of crops, or the principal crops,
grown on a farm vary somewhat from one part of the Corn Belt
to another. On some farms, there are fields where corn is grown
for several years in succession without alternating with other
crops; but most farmers try to follow some system of crop
sequence or crop rotation in which a number of crops will be
grown successively on the land over a series of years. Some of
the typical cropping systems or crop rotations are the following:
Corn, oats, meadow; corn, corn, oats, meadow; corn, corn, oats
(with sweetclover) ; corn, soybeans, oats, meadow; corn, soybeans,
wheat, meadow; corn, soybeans, wheat or oats. The meadow
crop is used for pasture or hay. In frequent cases the meadow
crop (which may be clover, alfalfa, or combinations of clovers
and grasses) will occupy the land for 2 or 3 years. Sweetclover
seeded with oats or with other small grain is grown prima-
rily for plowing under for soil improvement.

Farms reporting specified crops. — Corn is the most widely
grown crop in the Corn Belt. It was reported on 91 percent of all
the commercial farms in 1954. About 92 percent of the corn
acreage for all purposes was harvested for grain. The remainder
was harvested for silage or fodder, or was hogged down or grazed.
The acreages harvested for silage or fodder were generally largest
relative to the total corn acreage near the fringes of the Corn Belt.
For example, along the northern fringe, where dairy farms are
relatively numerous, the percentage of the crop harvested for silage
is relatively high.

Corn harvested for grain was reported on 87.6 percent of all the
commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 51). The crop
was produced for grain on 95.2 percent of the cash-grain farms
and on 85.8 percent of the livestock farms. The proportion of
farmers producing corn for grain was highest on cash-grain farms
in the Central Corn Belt (98.9 percent), and lowest on livestock
farms in the Southern Corn Belt (71.5 percent).

Soybeans have become a major crop in the Corn Belt during
the last 20 years. The expansion of this crop has been tremendous
(4, 8). Soybeans for beans now rank second only to corn in total
value of production among crops in the Corn Belt. Soybeans
harvested for beans were reported on 41.2 percent of all the com-
mercial farms and on 65.5 percent of the cash-grain farms in 1954.
In the Central Corn Belt, the area of heaviest concentration, 82.2
percent of the cash-grain farmers grew soybeans. They were
grown by a considerably larger proportion of the cash-grain
farmers than of the livestock farmers in all regions of the Corn
Belt. This reflects' the fact that soybeans are rather strictly a
cash crop; practically the entire quantity is sold by the farmers.
The Western Corn Belt had the smallest percentage of farmers
reporting soybeans for beans. This part of the Corn Belt includes
the western fringe of the area to which soybeans are adapted.
The crop was reported on only 22.7 percent of the cash-grain farms
and 12.4 percent of the livestock farms in this region. Only 2
percent of all the commercial farms reported soybeans cut for hay.
The proportion was highest in the Southern Corn Belt and lowest
in the Western Corn Belt.

Oats were harvested for grain on about 3 out of every 4 com-
mercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954. Oats are the most popu-
lar small grain used as a companion crop (sometimes referred to
as nurse crop) for new seedings of clover, alfalfa, or of other
legumes and grasses grown for forage or soil improvement. The
oat crop is harvested in late June or early July, leaving the young
legume and grass plants to grow and develop for later use as
forage or for plowing under. In the Northern Corn Belt, oats
for grain (threshed or combined) were reported by almost as many
farmers as reported corn for grain. In other regions of the Corn
Belt also oats were a leading crop, being found on 2 to 3 out of
every 4 farms.

Table 51. — Percent of Farms Reporting Specified Crops, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions:1954

Region and type of farm

Corn har-
vested for
grain

Soybeans
harvested
for beans

Wheat

threshed

orcombined

Oats
threshed or
combined

Barley
threshed or
combined

Rye
threshed or
combined

Soybeans

cut tor

hay

Red clover
seed har-
vested

Irish
potatoes
harvested

Vegetables

harvested

for sale

Land hi

fruit or-

chards.etc'

Total Corn Belt:

Percent
87.6
95.2
85.8

89.0
97.3
85.2

94.3
98.9
93 0

94.2
96.5
94.4

89.2
95.0

87.7

72.6
84.5
71.5

Percent
41.2
65.5
26.8

50. 1
74.7
35.7

65.8
82.2
34.2

39.8
72.1
25.2

16.7
22.7
12.4

46,8
79.1
32. 1

Percent
35. C
60. 1
24.9

63.2
73,1
57.9

13.9
23.9
6.6

7, 6
13,5
4.6

37.2
69.5
23. 1

45.4
66.8
33.5

Percent
72.4
72.2
74.8

61.3
62.1
61.3

85 7
85.6
88.5

90.8
90.6
92.0

72.6
71.0
75.3

57.6
56.0
60 0

Percent
6.6
5 4
5.2

5.2
3.9

7.2

1.4
1.6
1.6

7.6
13.2
5.4

4.8
6.1
4.6

lao

9.6

8 4

Percent
4.3
5 1
3.8

8.2
9.3

8.4

1.9
2.4
1.4

1.4
2.8
0.9

3.6
3.4
3.6

6.6
7.0
4.9

Percent
2.0
1.8
1.4

2.9
2.3
2.6

0.9
1.1
0.6

0,6
0,3
0.4

0 3
0-2
0.3

6.4
5.4
3.6

Percent
4.1
4.8
3 5

7.5
9.0
5.5

3.6
3.6
3.8

2.7
2.6
3.0

1.6
1.5
1.9

4.7
6.4
3.9

Percent
200
16.0
21.4

13.1
10-6
12.6

12.6
9.1
14-7

18 0
14.2
17.1

23.2
19.4
24.4

33.0
26.5
33.1

Percent
2.1
2.1
1.0

3.8
3.1

1.8

2.5
2.6
1.3

3 2
3.6

1.7

0,6
0.5
0.3

1.0
0.8
0-4

Percent
5.2

Cash-grain farms

3.6

5.6

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commi rcial farms.

4.3

3 1

Livestoclv farms 2. _

3.6

Central Corn Belt:

5.2

Casli-grain farms

4.0

Livestock farms '

5.7

Northern Corn Belt:

2.9

Cash-grain farms

2.1

3.1

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms.

4.8

Casli-grain farms _

3.6

6.1

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms __

8.4

4.8

8.8

' Land in bearing and nonbearing fruit orcbards, groves, vineyards, and planted nut trees. ^ Livestock otber than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

37

Wheat was produced on slightly more than a third of all the
commercial farms in the Corn Belt. Most of this is winter wheat.
Soft red winter wheat is the kind most generally grown in the
Eastern and Southern Corn Belt and hard red winter wheat is
grown mainly in the Central and Western Corn Belt. The range
in percentage of farms reporting wheat was from 4.6 percent of
the livestock farms in the Northern Corn Belt to 73.1 percent of
the cash-grain farms in the Eastern Corn Belt. Wheat was a
relatively unimportant small grain in comparison with oats in the
Northern Corn Belt, but in the Eastern Corn Belt wheat was
produced on more farms than was oats. The Northern Corn
Belt is not well adapted to production of winter wheat, because
of frequent losses from winter killing. On the other hand, this
area is not as well adapted to spring wheat as the area to the
northwest of the Corn Belt.

Barley was grown on relatively few farms, especially in the
Central Corn Belt. In the Northern Corn Belt, which is the part
best adapted to production of malting barley, 13.2 percent of the
cash-grain farmers reported growing barley in 1954.

Rye was grown for grain on only 4.3 percent of the commercial
farms and mainly in the eastern, southern, and western portions
of the Corn Belt. On some additional farms rye was grown as
a winter cover crop or for fall and spring pasture.

Flax was an important cash crop in the extreme northwestern
part of the Corn Belt, particularly in Economic Subregion 87, in
Minnesota and South Dakota. In this part of the Northern Corn
Belt, flax,seed threshed or combined was reported in 1954 on more
than half the farms in about a dozen counties.

Only 4.1 percent of the commercial farmers in the Corn Belt
leported red clover seed harvested in 1954. The number of Corn
Belt farmers producing red clover seed has declined as competition
with seed producers in other parts of the country has increased.
However, 9 percent of the cash-grain farms in the Eastern Corn
Belt and 6.4 percent of the cash-grain farms in the Southern Corn
Belt reported red clover seed harvested.

Irish potatoes were reported on a fifth of the commercial farms
in the Corn Belt in 1954. Most of the potatoes grown in the
Corn Belt are for household use on the farms where grown.
Twenty years ago, more than half the farmers produced some
potatoes for home use or for sale. During the last 20 years,
potato production has become increasingly concentrated on farms
of specialized growers in a relatively few areas in about a dozen
States — all outside of the Corn Belt — while potato production as
a small enterprise has been discontinued on a large proportion of
farms throughout the country. Only in the Southern Corn Belt

did more than 25 percent of the farmers report potatoes harvested
for home use or for sale, in 1954.

Vegetable production for sale was reported on only 2.1 percent
of all the commercial farms in the Corn Belt. Sweet corn, toma-
toes, watermelons, and green peas are some of the leading vege-
table crops in terms of acreage and value of production. Farms
reporting vegetables harvested for sale were relatively most
numerous in the Eastern and Northern Corn Belt.

Land in fruit orchards, vineyards, and nut trees was rejiorted
on 5.2 percent of the commercial farms, not including those that
had less than 20 trees or grapevines. Farmers reporting this
item were found in small numbers throughout the Corn Belt,
but were relatively fewest on cash-grain farms in all regions.
The principal fruits grown were apples, grapes, peaches, pears,
cherries, and plums. The principal nut trees were black walnuts
and pecans.

On both the cash-grain and livestock farms larger percentages
of the Classes I, II, and III farms than of the Classes IV, V, and
VI farms produced corn for grain, soybeans for beans, and wheat,
oats, barley, and rye for grain (table 52). In general, the per-
centage of farms reporting these crops declines from class to class
as we go from Class I farms to Class VI farms. On cash-grain
farms, corn harvested for grain was reported on 98.9 percent of
tlie Class I farms, but on only 81.2 percent of the Class VI farms
On livestock farms, corn for grain was reported on 94.5 percent
of the Class I farms and on only 48.8 percent of the Class VI
farms. Only 34.5 percent of the Class VI cash-grain farms grew
soybeans for beans and only 22.7 percent of the Class VI livestock
farms grew oats for grain.

The relatively small proportions of Class V and Class VI farms
reporting corn and other principal crops can be explained largely
by the land-use pattern on these smaller income classes of farms.
As shown above (table 27), these farms had a significantly smaller
projiortion of their total farm acreage in cropland harvested and
a larger proportion in cropland used only for pasture, cropland
neither harvested nor pastured, woodland pastured, and pasture
other than cropland or woodland than was the case for the larger
income classes of farms.

Soybeans cut for hay were reported on larger percentages of
the Classes IV, V, and VI farms than of the Classes I, II, and III
farms. This may have been related to the presence more fre-
quently on the smaller farms of small tracts of cropland that are
relatively inconvenient for combining or other grain harvesting
operations. In other cases it may reflect a more frequent occur-
rence on small farms of insufficient quantities of perennial or
biennial legume hays, such as alfalfa and clover.

Table 52. — Percent of Farms Reporting Specified Crops, by Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class ot larm

Corn har-
vested for
grain

Soybeans
harvested
for heans

Wheat

threshed

or combined

Oats
threshed or
combtaed

Barley
threshed or
combined

Rye
threshed or
combined

Soybeans

cut for

hay

Red clover
seed har-
vested

Irish
potatoes
harvested

Vegetables

harvested

for sale

Land In

fruit or-

chards,etc.'

All commercial farms

Percent
87.6

95 2
98.9
98.6
97.2
94.4
88.2
81.2

85 8
94.6
96.7
92.8
82.8
65 9
48.8

Percent
41.2

65.6
86.6
80.6
68.5
67.6
49.3
34.6

26.8
36.2
38.2
2>.) 2
20.6
11.9
6.2

Percent
36 6

60.1
64.7
60 1
60.7
62,7
47.1
29.1

24.9
29 4
28.8
28 0
24.5
16,0
6.7

Percent
72.4

72.2
80.7
83.6
79.6
67.7
49.8
34.0

74.8
86.3
89.6
85 0
70.2
46 2
22.7

Percent
6 6

5.4
6.6
6 7
6.0
6 4
4.0
1.8

6 2
6.7
6.2
6 9
4.9
3.0
1.3

Percent
4,3

5 1
9,4
5.4

6 4
4.8
4.6
2.9

3.8
6 3
4.2
4.2
3.6
2.9
1.4

Percent
2 0

1 8
0,8
1.0
1.5
2.1
3.1
3.5

1.4

0.4
0.7
1. 1
1.9
2,8
3.1

Percent
4 1

4.8
6 7
6 3
5.4
4.4
2.6
0.7

3 5
3.7
4.6
4.2
3.0
1.6
0.5

Percent
20,0

16 0
7.6
10.6
16 0
16.9
18.9
22,6

21.4
11.0
16.2
21.7
24.9
26.7
31.0

Percent
2.1

2.1
6 0
3 1
1.9
1.4
1.6
1.6

1.0
2 3
1.2
0.8
0.6
0.8
0.7

Percent
5.2

Cash-grain farms;

Total

3.6

Class I

4.8

II

3.6

Ill

3.3

rv

3.8

V

VI

3 8
3.6

Livestock farms: >

Total -.

6.5

Class I --.

6.6

XL --

5 3

III

5 3

rv -- .

6.8

V -

6.2

VI

6.6

' Land in bearing and nonbearing fruit orchards, groves, vineyards, and planted nut
trees.

> Livestock other thun dairy and poultry farms.

38

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

The proportion of farms reporting potatoes increases consistently
as we go from Class I to Class VI farms. For example, only 11
percent of the Class I livestock farms reported potatoes harvested,
but 31.6 percent of the Class VI livestock farms rejjorted this
crop. This reflects the tendency of the smaller farms to be more
self-sufficient from the standpoint of production for direct con-
sumption by the farm household ; it may also reflect the relatively
more ample supply of family labor on many of these farms.

Cropland used for specified crops. — The'pattern of distribution
of corn acreage harvested for grain in the United States is shown
in figure 23. There are large acreages in the Southern and South-
eastern States, but the largest concentration is in the Corn Belt
of the North Central States. There were 39,358,892 acres of

CORN HARVESTED FOR GRAIN

ACREAGE. 1954

Figure 23.

corn harvested for grain on commercial farms in the Corn Belt
in 1954. This was 62.1 percent of the 63,394,112 acres of corn
harvested for grain on all commercial farms in the United States
that year.

Almost a third of the total acreage of cropland in the Corn
Belt was in corn harvested for grain, in 1954 (table 53). The
proportion of all cropland used for this crop on livestock farms
(32.4 percent) was only slightly smaller than the proportion (34.5
percent) so used on cash-grain farms. The percentage of cropland
in corn for grain was greatest on cash-grain farms in the Central
Corn Belt (39.7 percent) and smallest on livestock farms in the
Southern Corn Belt (21.6 percent). In all regions except in the
Northern Corn Belt the cash-grain farms had a slightly larger
percentage of their cropland in corn for grain than did livestock
farms. In the Northern Corn Belt the livestock farms had a
slightly larger percentage of their cropland in corn for grain than
did cash-grain farms, but the cash-grain farms had larger per-
centages in soybeans, wheat, and barley.

The distribution of soybean acreage harvested for beans in
the United States is shown in figure 24. The large areas of acreage
concentration of this crop are in the Corn Belt. Smaller areas,
also important in soybean acreage and production, are the
Mississippi Delta reaching from southeastern Missouri south-
ward into Mississippi and Louisiana, and the Atlantic Coast
area in North and South Carolina, Virginia, and Maryland. The
Corn Belt had 11,773,052 acres of soybeans harvested for beans
on commercial farms in 1954. This was 72.7 percent of the
16,189,376 acres of soybeans for beans on all commercial farms
in the United States. As shown on the map, the areas of heaviest
concentration within the Corn Belt are in east central Illinois,
central Indiana, and northwestern Iowa and southwestern
Minnesota.

Table 53. — Percent of Total Cropland in Specified Crops, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and

Component Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Cora har-
vested for
grain

Soybeans
harvested
for beans

Wheat
threshed

or
combined

Oats
threshed

or
combined

Barley
threshed

or
combined

Rye
threshed

or
combhied

Soybeans

cut for

hay

Red clover

seed
harvested

Land in

fruit

orchards,

etc'

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Percent
32.3
34.5
32.4

32.3
34.5
32.7

38.8
39.7
38 6

29.6
29.8
31.8

34 6
35.8
34.2

22.1
25.9
21.6

Percent
9.7
16.3
4.7

13.4

20.7

7.6

14.0
21.9
0.2

8.7
16.5
4.2

2 4
3.7
L5

13.5

23.8

7.4

Percent
6.8

10.0

4.2

11.3
12 3
10.6

2.1

3 5
0.8

1.1
2. 1
0.6

9.4
16.5

4 5

8.7
12.8
6.6

Percent
15.9
13.6
17.8

9.3
8.2
9.8

19.9
17.6
22.0

23.3
21.8
24.1

17.0
13.4
19.6

9.4

7.1

10.9

Percent
0.7
0.7
0.6

0.6
0.3
0.7

0.2
0.2
0.2

L4
2.4
0.9

0.6
0.6
0.6

1.2
1.0
1.1

Percent
0.4
0.4
0.4

0.7
0.7
0.7

0.1
0.2
0.1

0.2
0.4
0.1

0.4
0.4
0.5

0.4
0.6
0.4

Percent
0.1
0.1
0.1

0.2
0.1
0.2

(Z)
(Z)
(Z)

(Z)
(Z)
(Z)

(Z)
(Z)
(Z)

0.4
0.3
0.3

Percent
0.4
0.4
0.3

0.9
1.0
0.6

0.3
0.3
0.4

0.2
0.2
0.2

0.1
0.1
0.1

0.6
0.6
0.4

Percent
0.1

(Z)

Livestock farms 2 ,

0.1

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

0.2

Cash-grain farms -

Livestock farms ^

(Z)
0.1

Central Com Belt:

(Z)

Cash-grain farms.

(Z)

0.1

Northern Corn Belt;

All commercial farms

(Z)

(Z)

Livestock farms 2

(Z)

Western Corn Belt:

(Z)

Cash-grain farms . _.

(Z)

(Z)

Southern Cora Belt:

0.2

Cash-grain fiirms -

0.1

0.1

Z 0.05 percent or less.

1 Land in bearing and nonbcaring fruit orchards, groves, vineyards, and planted nut
trees.

2 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

39

SOYBEANS HARVESTED FOR BEANS*

ACREftGE. 1954

UNITED STATES TOTAL
16.444.225

•GSOWN "LOW Afffi WITH OTM£fl CflOPS

Figure 24.

f Increases in soybean acreage and production have been a
striking development in American agriculture during the last 30
years. In 1924 less than 2 million acres of soybeans wore grown
for all purposes and only a fourth of this acreage was harvested
for beans (4). But the acreage increased gradually until 1034, and
after that at a more rapid rate. At the same time, the proportion
of the acreage harvested for beans increased from 25 percent in
1925 to 94 percent in 1956. The acreage harvested for beans
in 1956 was estimated at 20.9 million acres {6, 1956). In 1954,
soybeans for beans ranked sixth in acreage harvested and seventh
in total value of production among all crops in the United States
(6, 1955; 7). This rapid increase was made possible by the program
of developing and testing improved varieties, by the development
of markets for soybean oil and meal, and by the expansion of
the soybean processing industry (.(). It was encouraged also by
the Government agricultviral jirograms restricting the acreage of
corn.

In the Corn Belt as a whole 9.7 percent of the total cropland
on all commercial farms was in soybeans harvested for beans
in 1954 (table 53). On cash-grain farms 16.3 percent of the crop-
land was in this crop. Livestock farms had smaller percentages
of their cropland in soybeans than did cash-grain farms, but the
livestock farms had a larger proportion of their cropland in oats.
The Central Corn Belt had the largest proportion of cropland in
soybeans and the Western Corn Belt had the smallest. Mainly
because of the relatively low rainfall, the high summer tempera-
tures, and the drying winds, soybeans are relati\'ely less well
adapted to the Western Corn Belt than are wheat and corn.
Cash-grain farmers in the Central Corn Belt used 21.9 percent of
their cropland for soybeans. At the other extreme were the
livestock farmers in the Western Corn Belt, who used only 1.5
percent of their cropland for this crop.

The distribution of acreage of oats threshed or combined in the
United States in 1954 is shown in figure 25. Oats are grown
throughout most of the country, but especially in the northern
half. The largest area of rather concentrated production is in
the North Central States. Commercial farms in the Corn Belt
had 19,343,798 acres of oats harvested for grain in 1954. This
was 51.8 percent of the total acreage of oats threshed or combined
on all commercial farms in the United States.

Oats harvested for grain (threshed or combined) were grown on
15.9 percent of the total cropland on all commercial farms in the
Corn Belt in 1954 (table 53). This crop was second only to corn
in total acreage harvested. Oats occupied a larger proportion of
the cropland on livestock farms than on cash-grain farms. The
largest proportion of cropland in oats was on livestock farms in the
Northern Corn Belt; the smallest proportion was on cash-grain

/ ~) \

OATS THRESHED

ACREAGE. 1

354

s>

~T~¥'

' / ^—v — —

~~—-f:^ i. ^r^f'^

^'uV^

) l~~l' — /

■' ' ■ ^^:^ M \. "^r-^^

'>^^'

' / / '— r— -

___[_■ - -ifc' ■ ^''-■'\'''Xi\

_3;

{\U-

V"

— — (' -'■- ( J. ;'— TTTli

\

UMTED STATES TOTAL
37,920.704

\ ^ 1 DOT. 10.000 ACRES \ 1

^ioti«.-(»- »co-«-«

KMMI V T»C cwsia

Figure 25.

farms in the Southern Corn Belt. The proportion of cropland in
oats was exceeded by that in soybeans in the Southern Corn Belt
and by that in wheat as well as in soybeans in the Ea.stern Corn
Belt. Most of the oats produced are fed to livestock on the farms
where the crop is grown. On some farms, especially on cash-grain
farms, not all the oats produced are needed for feed, so a large
proportion of the crop is sold.

Most of the wheat acreage in the United States is in the Great
Plains and in other western States, but wheat is also an important
crop in the Corn Belt (fig. 26). Commercial farms in the Corn
Belt harvested 8,283,849 acres of wheat for grain in 1954. This
was 16.4 percent of the 50,582,348 acres harvested for grain on all
commercial farms in the United States. The proportion of total
production in the Corn Belt was still greater because yields per
acre of wheat averaged higher in the Corn Belt than in the rest
of the country. The Corn Belt accounted for 23.2 percent of the
total production of wheat on all commercial farms in the United
States in 1954.

Wheat harvested for grain was grown on 6.8 percent of the crop-
land on commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 53).
The proportion of total cropland used for wheat was highest in
the Eastern Corn Belt and lowest in the Northern Corn Belt. A
larger percentage of the cropland was used for wheat on cash-grain
farms than on livestock farms. This was especially true in the
Western and Southern Corn Belt. In the Western Corn Belt, for
example, 16.5 percent of the cropland on cash-grain farms was in
wheat, whereas only 4.5 percent of the cropland on livestock
farms was in this crop.

I

i

UNITED
5

\

ST/

.36

ALL WHEAT THRESHED

ACREAGE 1954

' ¥7t^ \ lAY

J^^tf "^

TES TOTAL
684

\ f IDOT-IO.OOO ACRES

\^^ ' ICOONTY UNIT BASIS]

Figure 26.

40

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Barley and rye for grain each occupied less than 1 percent of
the cropland on commercial farms in this belt in 1954. The
largest proportion of cropland in barley was on cash-grain farms
in the Northern Corn Belt (2.4 percent), while the largest propor-
tion in rye (0.7 percent) was on commercial farms in the Eastern
Corn Belt. The smallest percentages of cropland in either barley
or rye were in the Central Corn Belt.

Red clover seed was harvested on only 0.4 percent of the crop-
land on these commercial farms in 1954. The acreage from which
red clover seed was harvested ranged from about 1 percent of the
cropland in the Eastern Corn Belt to 0.1 percent of the cropland
in the Western Corn Belt.

Alfalfa is the most important hay crop in the Corn Belt. In
1954, a total of 8,205,755 acres of alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures
were cut for hay on the commercial farms. This was 31.8 percent
of the total acreage of alfalfa and alfalfa mixtures cut for hay on
all farms in the United States. The distribution of acreage of
alfalfa cut for hay in 1954 is shown in figure 27. Most of the
acreage is in the northern and western States. The large areas of
heaviest concentration of acreage are in the dairy region of the
Lake States, in the Northern and Western Corn Belt, and in the
Central Valley of California. In the Corn Belt, alfalfa cut for
hay in 1954 occupied 6.8 percent of aU the cropland on commercial
farms. The areas with the largest percentages of cropland in
alfalfa were in northwestern Illinois, southwestern Wisconsin,
eastern Iowa, and southeastern Nebraska. Most of the alfalfa
crop was grown on livestock farms, but a large proportion was
grown on cash-grain farms, for example, in southeastern Nebraska.

ALFALFA CUT FOR HAY

ACREAGE 1954

IMTEO STATES TOTAL
26J007.77I

us PEPmlMtM Of COMrtBCt

Figure 27.

Clover, timothy, and mixtures of clover and grasses constitute
the second most important hay crop in the Corn Belt. A total of
5,368,928 acres of this hay crop was harvested on the commercial
farms in the Corn Belt in 1954. This was 31.7 percent of the
acreage on all farms in the United States. Most of the acreage
of clover or timothy cut for hay in the country as a whole is in
the North Central and Northeastern States (fig. 28). In the
Corn Belt, clover, timothy, and mixtures of clover and grasses
cut for hay occupied 4.4 percent of the cropland on commercial
farms in that year. The smallest percentage of cropland in this
hay crop was in the Western Corn Belt. The relatively heaviest
areas of acreage concentration were on livestock farms in north-
eastern and southern Iowa and in the northeastern part of
Missouri.

Averages per farm reporting for principal crops. — The per-
centage of farms reporting various crops in the Corn Belt has been
discussed above. Data have been presented also on the acreage
of cropland used for the different crops. From the standpoint of
proportion of cropland utilized, as well as from the standpoint of

percentage of farms reporting, the leading crops are corn, oats,
soybeans, and wheat, with soybeans ranking second to corn in
total value of production.

In order to show more clearly the scale of crop production on
individual farms in the different regions of the Corn Belt and in
order to make comparisons between types and economic classes
of farms, data for the four principal crops are given on a por-farm-
reporting basis in the following tables.

CLOVER OR TIMOTHY CUT FOR HAY"

ACflEAGE.1954

UMTED STATES TOTAL
16,930,114

Figure 28.

The average acreage of corn harvested for grain per farm report-
ing in the Corn Belt in 1954 was 56 acres (table 54) . On cash-grain
farms the average was 65 acres, and on livestock farms 58 acres.
In appraising these acreages it is helpful to keep in mind that
cash-grain farms averaged larger than livestock farms in terms of
acreage of cropland harvested (table 25). Cash-grain farms in
the Western Corn Belt had the largest acreage of corn per farm
reporting (83 acres), and livestock farms in the Southern Corn
Belt had the smallest acreage (38 acres). In the Eastern Corn
Belt the acreage of corn per farm reporting was almost as large on
livestock farms as it was on cash-grain farms. However, corn was
reported on a larger percentage of the cash-grain farms than of the
livestock farms (see table 51).

Table 54. — Average Acreage of Principal Crops Per Farm
Reporting, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Com-
PONENT Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Com har-
vested for
grain

Soybeans
harvested
for beans

Wheat
threshed or
combined

Oats
threshed or
combined

Total Corn Belt:

Acres

66
66
68

43

49
48

67
76
64

49
69
61

74
83
72

40
60
38

Acres

36

46
27

32

38
27

41

60
28

36
44
26

29
37
22

38
60
30

Acres

29
36

25

21
23
23

24
27
19

23
30
20

48
61
36

25
31
21

.4crcs

34

Cash-grain farms

34

Livestock farms '

36

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

18
18

Livestock farms '

20

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms .

38

Cash-grain farms

39

39

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

40

46

Livestock farms • ..

40

Western Com Belt;

All commercial farms

46

42

Livestock farms '

48

Southern Corn Belt:

21

21

23

' Livestock otlier tbuii dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

41

The average acreage of soybeans harvested for beans jjer com-
mercial farm reporting was 36 acres, the average for casli-grain
farms was 45 acres, and for livestock farms, 27 acres. Cash-grain
farms had substantially larger acreages of soybeans than did live-
stock farms in all regions. The acreage of soybeans per farm
reporting was as large on cash-grain farms in the Southern Corn
Belt as in the Central Corn Belt, and almost as large in the
Northern Corn Belt. Since nearly all farmers had corn and a
large percentage in every region had soybeans, it is evident that
the acreage of intertilled crops (row crops) approaches or exceeds
100 acres on many farms.

In general, the acreage of wheat threshed or combined per farm
reporting was smaller than the acreage of soybeans. In the
Western Corn Belt, however, acreages of wheat per farm were
substantially larger than acreages of soybeans. Cash-grain farms
had larger acreages of wheat than did livestock farms except in the
Eastern Corn Belt where the average was 23 acres on both types.

Livestock farms generally had somewhat larger acreages of oats
than did cash-grain farms. However, in the Central Corn Belt
the average oat enterprise on both types of farms was 39 acres,
and in the Northern Corn Belt it was largest on the cash-grain
farms.

A look at the average acreages of the principal crops on the
different economic classes of farms gives a clearer mental picture of
the relative sizes of these farms and the general scale of their crop
operations. Class I cash-grain farms averaged 196 acres of corn
per farm reporting, while Cla.ss II farms averaged 97 acres, and
Class III farms, 64 acres (table 55). The average acreage of corn
per farm reporting declined consistently with economic class to an
average of only 20 acres on Class VI cash-grain farms. On live-
Btock farms the pattern was similar, although the average acreages
of corn were substantially smaller on the Classes I, II, and III
livestock farms than they were on these classes of the cash-grain
farms. With soybeans, wheat, and oats — as with corn — the
jiattern is consistent. The average acreage of these crops per
farm reporting declines as we proceed from Class I to Class VI,
reflecting the strong correlation between income size (economic
class) of farm and the acreage size of the principal croj) enterprises.
Economic Class V cash-grain farms had an average of less than 30
acres of corn, 20 acres of soybeans, and less than 20 acres of wheat
or oats per farm reporting these crops. The contrast in average
size of operations on Class V farms and Class II farms is striking.
Obviously, farm incomes must be relatively very low on the Class
\ farms and even lower on the Class VI farms.

Table 55. — Average Acreage of Principal Crops Per Farm
Reporting, by Type and Economic Class of Farm, in the
Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Corn har-
vested for
grain

Soybeans
harvested
for beans

Wheat
threshed or
combined

Oats
threshed or
combined

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total .

Acres
56

65
196
97
64
43
29
20

58
122
74
63
38
29
19

Acres
36

45
135
63
40
28
20
IS

27
54
32
22
16
13
10

Acres
29

36
91
51
36
25
16
12

25
56
32
22
16
13
10

Acres

34

34

Class I..

11

44

Ill

34

IV... .-

25

V

VI

Livestock farms: '

Total

Class I

17
14

36

11

44

Ill

35

IV

v..

18

VI

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The quantity of grain produced per farm reporting is another
useful measure of the size of farm business. It comes a step closer
to indicating the potential income than does the acreage of crops.
The average quantity of corn produced in 1954 per commercial
farm reporting this crop in the Corn Belt was 2,624 bushels (table
56). In most regions of the Corn Belt the cash-grain farms pro-
duced somewhat more corn per farm than the livestock farms, but
the differences between types were smaller thair the differences be-
tween the averages per commercial farm in different regions.
Corn production per farm was largest in the Central Corn Belt
and smallest in the Southern Corn Belt, but in all regions corn
production stands out as the big crop enterprise.

Table 56. — Quantity Produced Per Farm Reporting Crop
Harvested, for Principal Crops, by Type of Farm in the
Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Com

Soybeans

Wheat

Oats

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms ..

Bushels
2,624
2,996
2,729

2,489
2,729
2,839

3.872
4.224
3.836

2,779
3.158
3,107

2,628
2,737
2,691

1,082
1,365
1,112

Bushels
793
1,006
604

765
902
660

1,074

1,308

760

727
935
562

669
833
640

656
755
460

Bushels
737
898
648

617

674
663

7S9
8.66
564

266
332
245

988

1,268

725

727
937
607

Bushels
1,216

1,190

Livestock farms '

1,344

Eastern Corn Belt:

789

777

Livestock farms'

906

Central Corn Belt:

1,480

Cash-gralii farms

1,446

1,675

Northern Com Belt:

1,495

Cash-grain farms

1,636

1,665

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms .,

1,372

1.231

Livestock farms '

1,526

Southern Com Belt:

773

Cash-grain farms

741

848

1 Livestock other than dahr and poultry farms.

The volume of .soybean production per farm on the farms report-
ing this crop indicates the generally substantial scale of this cash-
crop enterprise, especially in the Central Corn Belt. Even on
livestock farms in the Southern Corn Belt the average production
per farm reporting was 460 bushels. At 1954 season average
prices, 460 bushels had a value of about $1,100. The volume of
wheat produced per farm reporting exceeded the volume of soy-
beans produced per farm that reported soybeans, in the Western
and Southern Corn Belt, but it was much smaller than soybean
production per farm in the Central and Northern Corn Belt.
The volume of oat production per farm reporting ranks second
only to that of corn throughout the Corn Belt. The average size
of the oat crop per farm reporting ranged from 741 bushels on
cash-grain farms in the Southern Corn Belt to 1,635 bushels on
cash-grain farms in the Northern Corn Belt.

Quantities shown in table 56 provide a generalized down-on-the-
farm picture of the volume of crops available for sale or for feeding.
They also help to explain the popularity of mechanical harvesting
machinery and trucks as labor-saving equipment on Corn Belt
farms. In addition, they indicate the scale of farm-storage build-
ings needed for crops that are to be fed on the farm, and for cash
crops if these are to be held on the farm for a period before market-
ing.

42

FARMERS AND FARMiPRODUCTION

The average volume of production of principal crops on different
economic classes of farms provides a comparison of the relative
sizes of these farms that is even more vivid than the average acre-
age comparisons made above. The average quantity of corn pro-
duced per farm reporting was 11,617 bushels on Class I cash-grain
farms (table 57). This was more than 20 times as large as the
average crop of corn on Class VI cash-grain farms that harvested

Table 57. — Quantity Produced Per Farm Reporting for
Principal Crops, by Economic Class of Farm in the Corn
Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Com

Soybeans

Wheat

Oats

All commercial farms . .

Bushels
2,624

2,995
11,617
5. 162
2.753
1,560
899
623

2,729
7,077
3,862
2,298
1,397
806
490

Bushels
793

1,006
3,737
1,567
842
490
291
169

604
1,450
762
435
266
161
116

Bushels
737

898
2,724
1.377
873
662
367
258

648
1,582
847
632
362
260
194

Bushels
1,216

Cash-grain farms:

Total

1.190

Class I

2.988

II

1.708

ni - - -

1.142

IV

751

V -.-

502

VI

387

Livestocli farms: '

Total -- --

1.344

Ciassi

2.714

II

1.722

III

1.198

IV

822

V .-

635

VI . -

377

^ Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

corn for grain. The volume of corn produced per farm reporting
on Class II cash-grain farms was more than 3 times as great as that
on Class IV cash-grain farms. The volume of each of the 4 princi-
pal crops produced per farm declines consistently as we go from
Class I farms to Class VI farms, for livestock farms as well as
for cash-grain farms. It can readily be seen, for example, that
feed-grain production on Classes IV, V, and VI livestock farms
provides a relatively small base for feeding operations compared
with the scale of production on the Classes I, 11, and III farms.

YIELDS PER ACRE

Average yields of corn per acre in the United States in 1954, on
a county unit basis, are shown in figure 29. The largest area of
yields averaging 60 bushels and over is in the North Central States.
Most of this area is within the Corn Belt. It extends to the north
of the Corn Belt in southern Wisconsin. Other areas of corn yields
of 60 bushels and over are mainly in the irrigated sections of the
West. In a large portion of the Northeast region to the east of the
Corn Belt, yields of corn averaged from 40 to 59 bushels. Yields
in the Southern and Western Corn Belt are significantly lower than
those in the Central, Eastern, and Northern Corn Belt. The
highest yields in the Corn Belt were obtained in the areas that had
the most favorable combinations of fertile soil, adequate moisture,
and warm summer temperature. Yields were considerably below
average in the southern and southwestern parts of the Corn Belt
in 1954 because of damage to the crop in those areas by severe
drought. The average yield of corn per acre in the United States
was 39.1 bushels.

Figure 29.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

43

The average yields per acre harvested for grain in 1954 for the
4 principal crops on all commercial farms in the Corn Belt were as
follows: Corn, 46.6 bu.shels; soybeans, 22.1 bushels; wheat, 25.3
biLshels; and oats, 36.3 bushels (table 58). The largest yields of
corn were obtained in the Central Corn Belt (57.4 bushels), but
yields in the Eastern and Northern Corn Belt were almost as high.
Corn yields averaged only 27.2 bushels in the Southern Corn Belt,
or less than half of those in the Central, Eastern, and Northern
Corn Belt.

Table 58. — Average Yield Per Acre Harvested of Princi-
pal Crops, by Type of Farm in the Corn Belt and Com-
ponent Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Corn

harvested

for

grain

Soybeans

harvested

for

beans

Wheat
threshed
or com-
bined

Oats
threshed
or com-
bined

Total Corn Belt:

Bushels
46.6
46.1
47.4

57.2
56.0
59.4

57.4
66.0
69.6

57.1
53.6
60.4

34.1

32.8
35.8

27.2
27.1
28.9

Bushels
22.1
22.5
22.3

23.8
23.6
24.5

26.2
26.1
26.8

21.4
21.4
21.8

23.3

22.8
24.3

14.8
15.2
15.6

Bushels
25.3
25.2
25.4

28.9
29.1
29.2

31.0
31.5
29.4

11.3
11.0
12.2

20.5
20.7
20.1

29.1
29.8
28.6

Bushels
36.3

Cash-prain farms

35.4

37.0

Eastern Corn Belt:

43.6

Cash-grain farms

43.0

Livestock farms '

45.6

Central Corn Belt:

3S.9

Casll-grain farms

37.4

Livestock farms '

40.8

Northern Com Belt:

37.6

Casli-grain farms

35.6

38.7

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms ..

30.7

29.4

31.8

Southern Corn Belt:
All commercial farms

36.0

Cash-grain farms

35.3

36.7

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Yields of soybeans and wheat also were highest in the Central Corn
Belt. The lowest average yield of soybeans was in the Southern
Corn Belt (14.8 bushels), and the lowest average yield of wheat was
in the Northern Corn Belt (11.3 bushels). The average yield of
oats was highest in the Eastern Corn Belt (43.6 bushels), and lowest
in the Western Corn Belt (30.7 bushels).

In every region of the Corn Belt the average yields of corn,
soybeans, and oats were higher on livestock farms than on cash-
grain farms in the respective regions. This appears to reflect a
generally higher level of fertility of soils on livestock farms, brought
about by the more frequent use of legumes and meadow crops in
crop rotations, and by larger and more regular applications of
livestock manure.

Yields of wheat averaged slightly higher on livestock farms than
on cash-grain farms in the Corn Belt as a whole, but wheat yields
were higher on cash-grain farms than on livestock farms in the
Central, Western, and Southern Corn Belt. This may indicate
that on livestock farms in these regions wheat was not given as
high a priority among crops in the choice of land as it was given
on cash-grain farms.

Yields per acre of the principal crops are strikingly correlated
with economic class of farm (table 59). Yields are highest on the
Class I farms, somewhat lower (but still above average) on the
Class II farms, somewhat below average on the Class III farms,
and so on down to the Class VI farms, which had the lowest yields.
The higher levels of yield on the economic classes of farms with

larger income, coupled with the larger acreages of the principal
crops on these farms, intensify the relative income-producing
power of the.se farms. The higher yields on the larger income
economic classes of farms are caused in part by the relatively high
level of natural fertiUty of soils on these farms, but perhaps to a
larger extent they are the result of superior management practices,
heavier application of fertilizer, and other improved production
techniques.

Table 59. — Average Yield Per Acre Harvested of Principal
Crops, by Type and Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn
Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Corn

harvested

for

grain

Soybeans

harvested

for

beans

Wheat
threshed
or com-
bined

Oats
threshed
or com-
bined

All commercial farms

Bushels
46.6

46.1
69.2
63.1
43.2
35.9
31.2
25.6

47.4
58.0
52.2
43.7
36.4
30.0
25.6

Bushels
22.1

22.5
27.8
25.0
21.0
17.7
14.6
11.6

22.3
26.7
23.9
19.8
16.3
12.6
11.2

Biis'iels
25.3

25.2
40.4
27.0
24.1
22.5
22.7
21.3

25.4
28.3
26.8
24.2
22.0
19.9
19.2

Bushels
36 3

Cash-grain farms:
Total

35 4

Class I...

44. 1

II

38 8

III

33.9

IV

30 6

V

29.0

VI . .

27. 1

Livestock farms: '
Total

37.0

Class I ---

44.6

II

39.6

III

34.5

IV . . .

30.8

V...

29.2

VI ....

27.6

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CROP SALES

The value of crops sold from commercial farms in the Corn Belt
in 1954 was approximately 2.5 billion dollars. This was about a
fifth of the total value of crops sold by all commercial farms in the
United States that year. Sales of crops accounted for somewhat
more than a third of the total value of all farm products sold by
commercial farms in the Corn Belt.

Crops contributing the largest share of receipts from crops sold
in the Corn Belt are corn, soybeans, wheat, and oats. Sales of corn
and oats are made by farmers who grow more of these feed crops
than is needed on their farms. Most of the cash-grain farms as
well as the livestock farms have some livestock. The average size
of herds or flocks is generally smaller on cash-grain farms than on
livestock farms. Soybeans for beans are grown as a cash crop on
all farms that grow them. Wheat is grown primarily as a cash
crop on both livestock and cash-grain farms. Differences between
cash-grain and livestock farms as to sales of crops produced are
reflected by the percentages of crops sold (table 60).

Table 60. — Quantity Sold as a Percentage of Total Pro-
duction, for Specified Crops in the Corn Belt, by Type of
Farm: 1954

Percentage of crops sold

Type of farm

Corn

Wheat

Oats

Barley

Rye

Alfalfa
hay

Clover-
timothy
hay '

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

41.6
71.5
14.9

90.4
92.7
87.6

25.9
49.2
12.4

35.3
68.1
17.7

63.1
70.1
57.7

10.3
16 9
6.3

6.4
12.2
3.1

' Clover, timothy, and mixtures of clover and grasses cut for hay.
3 Livestock otlier than dairy and poultry farms.

44

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

In 1954, 41.5 percent of the corn grown on commercial farms in
the Corn Belt was sold. On cash-grain farms the quantity sold
was 71.5 percent of the crop produced, but on livestock farms only
14.9 percent of the corn crop was sold. Some of the corn is sold
directly to other farmers in the community who need more feed,
but most of the sales are made to local elevators and other buyers
who, in turn, seU to farmers, terminal market buyers, or to com-
mercial feed mLxers. In recent years considerable quantities have
been sold to the Government. Eventually, the major portion of
all the corn sold is fed to livestock.

An estimated 96 percent of the total crop of soybeans produced
on commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was sold. A small
part of the crop was kept for seed on the farms where grown, but a
large share of the seed used by farmers is of improved varieties
grown by a relatively few certified seed growers and other pro-
ducers. Less than 1 percent of the soybeans produced in the Corn
Belt are fed directly to livestock. By far the largest part of the
crop is sold for processing into oil and meal. The major uses of
soybean oil are in the production of shortening, margarine, and
other edible products; some soybean oil is used in paints and var-
nishes and other nonfood products. Most of the soybean meal is
used for livestock feed. Soybean meal is the leading protein con-
centrate feed in the United States and large quantities are used
on livestock farms in the Corn Belt.

About 90 percent of the wheat produced on commercial farms in
the Corn Belt in 1954 was sold. Cash-grain farmers sold 92.7
percent of their production and livestock farmers 87.5 percent.
Most of the wheat used for feed in the belt is fed to poultry.

A smaller percentage of the rye than of the wheat produced was
sold (63.1 percent), but the difference between types of farms was
greater in the case of rye. A relatively large percentage of the rye
is kept for seed on the farms where grown, to be used for seeding
rye for cover crop, green manure, or supplementary pasture, as
well as for grain. About a fourth of the oat crop and a little more
than a third of the barley crop were sold. Cash-grain farms sold
a larger proportion of their production of these crops than did
livestock farms.

Only relatively small percentages of the principal hay crops —
alfalfa hay and clover-timothy hay — were sold on either cash-grain
or livestock farms, but the percentage sold was larger on the cash-
grain farms. This was true also for lespedeza hay, small-grain
hay, and other hay.

In 1954, corn accounted for 43.7 percent, soybeans for 25.3
percent, wheat for 16 percent, and oats for 5 percent of the total
value of all crops sold on commercial farms in the Corn Belt
(table 61). Sales of all other crops accounted for only 10 percent

of the total farm receipts from crops sold. Corn accounted for
more than half of the total value of all crops sold in the Central
Corn Belt. Also, in the Northern and Western Corn Belt the
value of corn sales amounted to almost half of the value of all
crops sold. In the Southern Corn Belt, however, sales of soybeans
and wheat were relatively greater than sales of corn, on both
livestock and cash-grain farms. In the Eastern Corn Belt the
value of corn sold was larger than that of either soybeans or wheat
on cash-grain farms, but it was less than the value of either soy-
beans or wheat sold on livestock farms. Sales of oats made up a
relatively small percentage of the total value of all crops sold in all
regions. Oats were relatively most important as a cash crop in
the Northern Corn Belt and relatively least important in the
Southern and Eastern Corn Belt. Other crops which accounted
for a total of 10 percent of the value of crops sold on all commercial
farms were relatively most important in the Northern Corn Belt
and relatively least so in the Central Corn Belt.

Table 61. — Percentage Distribution of Value Among
Crops Sold, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Com'
PONENT Regions: 1954

Percentage distribution of value of—

Region and type of farm

All
crops
sold

Com
sold

Soy-
beans
sold

Wheat
sold

Oats
sold

Other
crops
sold

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms.

Cash-grain farms

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

43.7
48.7
36.2

37.7
47.0
18.3

64.2
66.6
50.2

48.7
51.6
46.2

47.3

49.7
45.2

18.0
23.9
11.2

25.3
26.7
28.1

26.7
29.5
32.1

31.7
32.3
33.9

26.6
27.8
30.5

8.7
8.1
12.3

34.0
36.6
37.5

16.0
14.7
21.4

20.5
16.7
.39.4

4.5
4.9
3.8

1.4
1.6
1.6

25.7
27.9
24.6

33.2
30.6
38.9

5.0
4.8
6.2

2.7
3.1
2.4

6.9
6.6
7.6

8.1
8.6
8.5

5.9
5.0
8.6

2.8
2.7
3.0

10.0
6.1

Livestock farms '

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

8.1

12.4
3.7

Livestock farms '

Central Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

7.8

3.7
1.7

Livestock farms •

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

4.6

16.2
10.5

Livestock farms '

Western Com Belt:

13.2
12.4

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Southern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

9.3

9.4

12.0
6.3

Livestock farms '

9.4

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

45

USE OF COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER AND LIME

COMMERCIAL FERTILIZER

Fertilizers are applied to land for the purpose of improving the
growth and increasing the yields of crops. Fertilizers contain one
or more plant nutrients or elements that are needed by growing
plants. Soils contain these same elements but often they are not
present or available in sufficient quantity for best plant growth and
yield. Hence, commercial fertilizers, barnyard manure, straw,
and other fertilizing materials are applied to supplement the
available nutrients in the soil.

The three major plant nutrients sold in commercial fertilizers
are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Fertilizers may contain
one, two, or all three of these elements and, in addition, they may
contain calcium and/or some minor nutrients. Some of the
common fertilizers containing nitrogen are ammonium nitrate,
ammonium sulfate, and anhydrous ammonia. Among commercial
fertilizers containing phosphorus the most widely used is super-
phosphate; others are finely ground phosphate rock, colloidal
phosphate, and calcium mctaphosphate. Muriate of potash is
the most common fertilizer that supplies potassium. Mixed
fertilizers contain two or all three of the major nutrients in various
proportions. Soil tests and observation of growing plants are
useful in indicating the particular mixture or proportion of nu-
trients that will give best results on a given soil for a given crop.
The most profitable rate of application (pounds per acre) of
fertilizer varies with the relative prices of the fertilizer and of the
crop fertilized as well as with the yield response obtained from in-
creasing quantities of fertilizer applied per acre.

Use of commercial fertilizer by farmers in the United States
expanded greatly during the last 20 years. The proportion of all

farms reporting expenditures for commercial fertilizer and fer-
tilizing material increased from 38.9 percent in 10)59 to 44 percent
in 1944 and 61 percent in 1954. In the North Central States the
quantity of fertilizer used increased nearly three-fold during the
1941-50 decade (.3). In some parts of this region the rate of
increase was much greater than this. For example, the quantity
of fertilizer used in Iowa increased from 9,000 tons in 1938 to over
600,000 tons in 1953 (/). The introduction of improved varieties
of corn, the existence of relatively favorable fertilizer-crop price
ratios, the increased knowledge of fertilizer use and soil manage-
ment, and the improved capital position of farmers during this
period contributed greatly to the expansion in fertilizer use in the
Corn Belt. About two-thirds of the total fertilizer nutrients used
in the belt is in the form of mixtures. In 1954, the commercial
farms in the Corn Belt accounted for a fourth of the total expendi-
ture for commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material by all com-
mercial farms in the United States.

The percentage of farms reporting expenditures for commercial
fertilizer in the United States, on a county basis, is shown in
figure 30. The areas having the highest percentages of farms
using commercial fertilizer are mainly in the eastern half of the
country and particularly in the southern and southeastern States.
Commercial fertilizer was used also by a large proportion of the
farmers in irrigated areas of the West. In the Corn Belt, the
highest percentage of farmers using commercial fertilizer was
found in the eastern part. The proportion of farmers reporting
expenditures for fertilizer ranged from more than 80 percent in
parts of the Eastern and Northern Corn Belt to less than 10 percent
in parts of the Western Corn Belt.

<:<iifARMS REPORTING EXPENDITURES FOR COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS AS A PERCENT OF ALL FARMS, 1954

/V *i^->>^ (COUNTY UNIT BASIS)

* NO FARMS

U S DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

MAP f40 AM-285

BUREAU OF TME CENSUS

FlQUHE 30.

46

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Type of soil, amount and distribution of precipitation, and
lengtli of time the land has been farmed, are basic factors explain-
ing the differences in kinds and quantities of commercial fertilizer
used in different parts of the Corn Belt. The soils in the Eastern
Corn Belt are relatively low in organic matter and native fertility,
they are more acid, and they are more leached than are soils in
most of the rest of the Corn Belt. Losses of available plant
nutrients from leaching and cropping have been relatively greater
in soils of the Eastern Corn Belt than in soils to the west and
north because of the greater annual precipitation, the more open
winters, and the longer time the land has been farmed. The
prairie soils of the Central and Northern Corn Belt are generally
high in organic matter and they are deeper, have a higher level
of native fertility, and are less leaelied than are soils of the Eastern
Corn Belt. Soils of the Southern Corn Belt generally have less organ-
ic matter, they are not as deep, and have less porous subsoils, and
they are naturally less fertile than soils in most of the Central
Corn Belt. The soils of the Western Corn Belt are generally well
supplied with plant nutrients, including calcium, and they are
often alkaline in reaction. Loss of native fertility has been at a
relatively low rate in soils of the Western Corn Belt. There has
been relatively little leaching. Moreover, losses from cropping
have been rather light as the yields have been relatively low be-
cause of limited rainfall.

In the Corn Belt, the soil areas of relatively greatest deficiency in
plant nutrients are in the eastern and southern regions. In these
regions the precipitation is greater than in most of the rest of the
Corn Belt so the supply of moisture does not limit the yield re-
sponse to applications of fertilizer as often as it does in other parts.
Nitrogen is used throughout the Corn Belt, and constitutes a higher
percentage of the total fertilizer used in the western half than in
the eastern half of the Corn Belt. Phosphate also is used in all
parts, but the relatively greatest use is in the eastern half. Potash
is used relatively little in the Western Corn Belt because of the
high level of available potassium in most of the soils there.
Potash is used relatively more in the Eastern and Southern Corn
Belt and to an intermediate extent in the Northern and Central
Corn Belt (3).

In the 1954 Census, the inquiry on fertilizer included all fertilizer
purchased or to be purchased during the calendar year 1954 for
use on the farm, whether bought by the operator or by the land-
lord, or jointly. Soil conditioners — such as lime, marl, and
gypsum — were not to be included as commercial fertilizers or
fertilizing materials. Also not to be included were barnyard
manure, straw, and other refuse materials. No specific mention
was made of basic slag, and this item was not considered to be a
fertilizing material by many farmers and enumerators in the Corn
Belt. The acreage fertilized was to be counted only once even if
fertilizer was applied more than once to the same crop during 1954.
The total tonnage used was to be reported whether applied in one
or in more than one application.

Two out of every three commercial farms in the Corn Belt
reported expenditures for commercial fertilizer and fertilizing
material in 1954. A slightly larger percentage of the cash-grain
farms than of the livestock farms in the Corn Belt as a whole
reported this expenditure (table 62). In the Northern Corn Belt,
the larger percentage of livestock farms than of cash-grain farms
reporting commercial fertilizer may be explained by the fact that
most of the livestock farms are in the eastern part, while most of
the cash-grain farms are in the western part. The relatively
lower level of native fertility of much of the soil in the eastern part,

along with the more ample supply of moisture compared with the
western part of this region, results in a more marked response from
applications of commercial fertilizer in the eastern part of the
Northern Corn Belt.

Commercial fertilizer was most widely used by farmers in the
Eastern Corn Belt, where expenditures for this item were reported
on 88.1 percent of the commercial farms. The area ranking second
was the Southern Corn Belt with 68.8 percent of the commercial
farms reporting such expense. Only half of the commercial farms
in the Western Corn Belt reported expenditures for fertihzer and
fertilizing material.

Corn is the crop on which commercial fertilizer was most com-
monly used. It was used on corn by 56.7 percent of the com-
mercial farms in the Corn Belt. The contrast in fertilizer use
from east to west is shown by the percentage of cash-grain farms
reporting, which ranged from 87.8 percent in the Eastern Corn
Belt to 38.0 percent in the Western Corn Belt.

Use of commercial fertilizer on hay and pasture was reported
by a larger proportion of the livestock farms than of the cash-
grain farms in each region of the Corn Belt. This is partly a
refiection of the more common occurrence of hay and pasture
crops on livestock farms and partly a reflection of the greater
importance placed on these crops by operators of livestock farms.
Relatively very few farmers reported using commercial fertilizer
on fruits, vegetables, and potatoes.

Table 62. — Percent of All Commercial Farms Reporting
Expenditures for Commercial Fertilizer and Use of Com-
mercial Fertilizer on Specified Crops, by Type of Farm,
in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Percent of all commercial farms

Farms re-
porting
expendi-
tures for
commer-
cial ferti-
lizer and
fertilizing
material

Farms reporting commercial fertilizer used—

Region and type of farm

On hay
and
crop-
land

pasture

On
other
pas-
ture

On
corn

On

wheat

On
fraits,
vege-
tables,
and po-
tatoes

On
other
crops

Total Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

Casli-prain farms

Livestock farms '

Eastern Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms i

Central Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms ' _

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms..

Livestock [arms '

66.5
68.8
65.4

88.1
92.7
86.9

61.3
64.4
61.2

63.9
54.3
71.6

50.2
49.3
62.5

68.8
74.4
67.2

12.9
9.9
14.5

16.0
10.8
19.6

13.1
12.0
13.8

11.7
11.3
12.5

10.6
6.8
13.0

12.8
8.3
14.8

2.9
1.9
3.5

3.4

2.2
4.6

1.8
1.6
2.1

1.7
0.8
1.9

3.4
2.3

4.2

3.8
2.3
4.4

56.7
69.6
66.8

82.7
87.8
83.2

51.4
54.2
61.8

67.3
46.7
66.8

38 3
38.0
40.9

64.3
61.1
53.2

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

12.7
19.1
8.4

34.8
47.4
27.4

1.3

1.0
0.6

3.4

2.5
1.8

0.6
0,6
0.2

0.7
0.4
0.4

0.3
0.2
0.2

1.3
0.8
0.8

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

(NA)
(NA
(NAS

(NA)

(naS

(NA)

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

20.6
16.7
23.6

30.2
27.8
31.3

NA Not available.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

47

Larger proportions of the farms in the higlior economic classes
than of the farms in the lower economic classes reported using
commercial fertilizer. This was true in the case of each of the
crops or groups of crops for which the information was obtained,
on both the cash-grain and the livestock farms (table 63). For
example, 77.0 percent of the Class I livestock farms reported using
commercial fertilizer on corn, compared with 24.7 percent of the
Class VI livestock farms.

T.ABLE 63. — Percent of All Commerci.'\l F.-vrms Reporting
Expenditures for Commercial Fertilizer and Use of Com-
mercial Fertilizer on Specified Crops, by Type and Eco-
nomic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class
of farm

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Class I

II....

Ill

IV

V

VI

Livestock farms: '

Total

Class I

II

III

rv

V

VI

Percent of all commercial farms

Farms re-j Farms reporting commercial fertilizer used-

portinR I

expendi-

commer-
clal ferti-
lizer and
fertilizing
material

68.8
88.4
80.9
69.0
62.2
60.8
48.0

65.4
84.9
80.2
69.0
56.8
45.6
31.0

On hay

On

and

On

fruits,

crop-

other

On

On

vege-

land

pas-

com

wheat

tables.

pasture

ture

and po-
tatoes

12 9

2.9

56.7

(XA)

1.3

9.9

1.9

59.6

(NA)

I.O

18.5

4.2

81.4

(NA)

2.1

15.9

2.6

71.7

(NA)

1.3

10.0

2.0

59.7

(NA)

0.9

6.5

1.5

62.9

(NA)

0.7

5.1

1.2

51.2

(NA)

0.8

2.8

0.3

38.3

(NA)

0.9

14.5

3.5

65.8

(NA)

0.6

23.6

5.9

77.0

(NA)

1.2

19.7

4.4

70.6

(NA)

0.7

14.9

3.6

58.8

(NA)

0.6

10.7

2.9

46.5

(NA)

0.5

8.9

2.3

35.7

(NA)

0.6

5.0

1.3

24.7

(NA)

0.5

On

other
crops

(NA)

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)
(NA)

NA Not available.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Commercial fertilizer was applied on 30.2 percent of all the
cropland on commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 64).
The percentage of cropland fertilized was highest in the Eastern
Corn Belt (56.5 percent), and lowest in the Western Corn Belt
(18.0 percent). There was relatively little difference between cash-
grain farms and livestock farms in the percentage of cropland
fertilized, except in the Northern Corn Belt where 29 percent of
the cropland on livestock farms was fertilized compared with
about 19 percent of the cropland on cash-grain farms. (Again,
this situation in the Northern Corn Belt reflects the predominance
of livestock farms in the eastern part and of cash-grain farms in
the western part of the Northern Corn Belt.) Corn acreage
accounted for half, or more than half, of the acreage fertilized in
every region of the Corn Belt. In the Southern Corn Belt, about
half of the acreage fertilized was in corn: in the Central Corn Belt
about two-thirds; and in the Northern Corn Belt about three-
fourths of the fertilized acreage was in corn. Of the total tonnage
of fertilizer used on all crops, the proportion used on corn ranged
from 49.3 percent in the Southern Corn Belt to 67.0 percent in the
Northern Corn Belt.

In the Corn Belt as a whole only slightly more than half of the
corn acreage was fertilized, but this practice differed considerably
between regions, ranging from 91.7 percent of the corn acreage on

commercial farms in the Eastern Corn Belt down to 28.8 percent
in the Western Corn Belt.

The average quantity of fertilizer applied per acre on corn, on all
commercial farms in the Corn Belt, was 208 pounds (table 64).
The average cjuantity applied per acre on all c/ops was 220 pounds.
The cjuantity of fertilizer applied per acre on corn averaged highest
on livestock farms in the Eastern Corn Belt (270 pounds), and
lowest on cash-grain farms in the Western Corn Belt (148 pounds).
In the Central and Northern Corn Belt, quantities of fertilizer ap-
plied per acre on other crops averaged higher than quantities
applied on corn; but in the Eastern, Western, and Southern Corn
Belt the rate of application on corn was about the same as on other
crops.

Table 64. — Use of Commercial Fertilizer and Fertilizing
Material on Commercial Farms, by Type of Farm, in the
Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Total
acres
fertilized
as a per-
centage
of total
cropland

Acres of

corn
fertilized
as a per-
centage
of total

acres
fertUized

Acres of
com

fertilized

as a per-
centage
of com
acreage
for all

purposes

Fertilizer
used on

com
as a per-
centage
of total
tons of
fertilizer

used

Quantity of

fertilizer used

per acre (pounds)

Region and typo of farm

Average
for total

acres
fertilized

Average
for com
fertilized

Total Corn Bolt:

.\11 commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms'

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms.

Livestock farms •

Southern Com Belt:

.\11 commercial farms

Cash-grain farms..

Livestock farms '

30.2
30.6
29.4

56.5
55.7
59.2

26.8
27.6
26.4

24.2
18.6
29.0

18.0
17,6
18.9

33.4
36.3
31.7

69.1
69.7
60.9

54.4
55.5
55.9

66.7
66.6
67.8

74.8
75.0
78.0

58.5
60.2
68.7

60.7
62 0
52.1

51.1
51.1
49.8

91.7
88.5
96.6

44.6
45.7
44.1

65.6
45.0
63.8

28.8
28.9
29.8

59.4
61.4
57.3

56.3
57.9
58.3

54.2
56.2
56.7

69.9
59.9
61.2

67.6
70.7
71.4

58.3
61.5
58.2

49.3
61.3
51.1

220
220
218

264

244
266

240
268
222

184
182
184

158
144
168

212
200
228

208
214
208

254
246

270

214

232
200

166
172
168

168
148
166

208
196
224

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

.\s with the percentage of farms reporting, the percentage of
total cropland fertilized declines as we go from Class I to Class VI
farms (table 65). Commercial fertilizer was used on 43.3 percent
of the cropland on Class I cash-grain farms but on only 21.5 percent
of the cropland on Class VI cash-grain farms. Corn represented
close to two-thirds of the total acreage fertilized on all economic
classes of farms. Btit the three lower economic classes fertilized
a smaller proportion of their corn acreage than did the three higher
economic classes. Also, in general, the quantities of fertilizer
used per acre on corn and other crops were smaller on the lower
economic classes of farms. For example, the average rate of
a])plication on corn was 186 pounds on Class VI livestock farms,
compared with 242 pounds on Class I livestock farms.

48

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 65. — Use of Commercial Fertilizer and Fertilizing
Material on Commercial Farms, by Type and Economic
Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Acres of

Acres of

Fertilizer

Quantity of

Total

com

com

used on

fertilizer used

acres

fertilized

fertilized

com

per acre (poiuids)

Type and economic class

fertilized

as a per-

as a per-

as a per-

of farm

as a per-

centage

centage

centage

centage

of total

of com

of total

Average

Average

of total

acres

acreage

tons of

for total

for com

cropland

fertilized

for all

fertilizer

acres

fertilized

purposes

used

fertilized

All commercial farms

30.2

59.1

51.1

66.3

220

208

Cash-grain farms:

Total.

30.5

59.7

51.1

57.9

220

214

Class I

43.3

60.3

69.6

61.7

266

272

II...

34.3

60.7

57.3

58.7

230

222

Ill .

27.3
25.2
27.1
21.5

59.1
57.6
59.1
65.1

45.9
41.7
46.3
39.4

56.4
65.2
66.5
61.7

202
200
206
208

200

IV

192

V.

200

VI

196

Livestock farms: '

Total

29.4

60.9

49.8

68.3

218

208

Class I

39.7

62 3

62.9

61.3

246

242

II

33.0

61.2

54.1

58.7

214

206

Ill

25.8

60.4

43.9

56.7

204

192

IV

21.5

59.4

38.8

65.2

208

192

v.. .

20.4
18.2

57.8
62.8

39.2
42.5

53.3

57.8

216
204

198

VI

186

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry fiirms.

LIME

Much of the land hi the Corn Belt requh-es liming to correct
soil acidity and to furnish available calcium for growing crops.
Lime applied to acid soil also improves the physical condition of
the soil, steps up the efficiency of fertilizers and manures applied,
and increases the availability of phosphorus in the soil (11).
Liming is particularly necessary on some soils for successful pro-
duction of legume crops such as alfalfa, red clover, and sweet-
clover. The quantity of lime used in the Corn Belt in 195i was
more than double the quantity used in 1939.

Lime and liming materials in the 1954 Census enumeration were
to include ground limestone, hydrated and burnt lime, marl,
oyster shells, and other forms of lime. .411 lime and liming
materials purchased or to be purchased during the calendar year
1954 for use on the farm were to be included whether paid for bj'
the operator, or by the landlord, or jointly. Lime used under
the Agricultural Conservation Program was to be included. All
lime used for sprays or for sanitation purposes was to be excluded.
Gypsum was not included or counted as a liming material.

The proportion of farms reporting expenditures for lime and
liming material Ln 1954 is shown on a county-unit basis for the
United States in figure 31. In the western half of the country,
lime was used on relatively few farms. In the eastern half, the
percentage of farms reporting expenditures for lime ranged from
less than 5 percent in many counties to 40 percent or more in some

<t y^\^ARMS REPORTING EXPENDITURES FOR UME AND LIMING MATERIALS AS A PERCENT OF ALL FARMS. 1954

/NiJ*;^ (COUNTY UNIT BASIS)

_^

u .■

^.^^^^

LEGEND

PERCENT
i I UNDER 5 !■•?*¥:] 20 TO 29

?"-i:l 5 TO 9 ^9 30 TO 39

B^%%j 10 TO 19 BH 10 AND OVER

«N0 F4RMS

US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

^^T^^i^

UNITED STATES AVERAGE
10 9 PERCENT

MAP NO A54- 279

BUREAU Of THE CENSUS

Figure 31.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

49

counties. The area of most dense concentration of farms using
lime was to the east of the Corn Belt, mainly in eastern Ohio,
western and northern Pennsylvania, and southern New York.
In the Corn Belt, most of the counties with relatively large per-
centages of the farms reporting expenditures for lime and liramg
material were in the eastern and southern areas. In the Western
Corn Belt there were relatively few counties in which more than
10 percent of the farms reported this expenditure.

In the Corn Belt as a whole, 19 percent of the commercial farms
reported expenditures for lime and liming material in 1954 (table
06). Slightly more than a fourth of the commercial farms in the
Southern and Eastern Corn Belt and about a fifth of those in the
Central Corn Belt reported this item. The smallest proportions
of farms using Ume were among the cash-grain farms of the
Northern and Western Corn Belt.

Table 66. — Use of Lime and Liming Material on Commer-
ci.^L Farms, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Com-
ponent Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Percent of
commercial
farms re-
porting
expenditures
for lime and
limmg
material

Acres limed
as a percent-
age of
total
cropland

Average
quantity of

lime and
liming ma-
terial used

per acre
limed (tons)

Total Com Belt:

19.0
17.8
20.9

26.1
24.4
31.0

20.1
20.1
22 '^

13.9
6 5
18.7

7.7
6.4
8.7

26.8
27.0
2.S.7

3.0
2.7
3.5

5.1
4.3
6.6

3,5
3.3
3.9

2.U
0.9

2.8

1.1
0.8
1.3

4.6
4.0
6.4

2. 1

Cash-grain farms

2 1

Livestock farms '

2 1

Eastern Corn Belt:

1.9

Cash-grain farms

1 9

Livc-tock farms ^

1 9

Central Corn Bolt:

2, 1

Cash-grain farms . _ _

2 1

Livestock farms '

2 2

Northern Com Belt:

2 5

Cash-grain farms

2 4

2 5

Western Cora Belt;

1 8

Cash-grain farms

1.8
1 8

Southern Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

2 2

2 3

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Only 3 percent of the cropland on commercial farms in the Corn
Belt was limed in 1954. On livestock farms in the Eastern Corn
Belt 6.6 percent, and on livestock farms in the Southern Corn
Belt 5.4 percent of the cropland was limed that year. But these
percentages indicate that liming is an important farm practice in
these areas, for after a field has been limed it usually does not have
to be relimed for 6 to 10 years or more.

The average quantity of lime or liming material used per acre
limed was 2.1 tons. The heaviest applications, on the average,
were made in the Northern Corn Belt and the lightest in the
Western Corn Belt.

Expenditures for lime and liming material were reported by
larger proportions of the higher economic classes than of the lower
economic classes of farms (table 67). About a third of the Class
I farms reported using lime, compared with about a tenth of the
Class VI farms. The percentage of cropland limed in 195-i did
not show any particular relation to economic class except that the
largest percentage of acreage limed was on the Class I farms.
Rates of application per acre on Class V and Class VI farms
appeared to be only slightly smaller than the average for all
commercial farms.

Table 67- — LJse of Lime and Liming Material on Commer'
ciAL Farms, by Type and Economic Class of Farm, in the
Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Percent of
commercial
farms re-
porting
expenditures
for lime and
UmlDg
material

Acres limed
as a percent-
age of
total
cropland

Average
ciuantity of

lime and
liming ma-
terial used

per acre
limed (tons)

19.0

17.8
34.7
23.8
17.0
14.8
13.9
9.7

20.9
30.9
25.9
2L4
17.6
14.2
9.7

3.0

2.7
4.2
2.9
2.2
2.3
2.8
2.6

3.6
4.6
3.6
3.1
2.9
3.4
3.8

2 1

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Class!

2.1

II

2 1

Ill

2.1

IV

2.1

V .

2 0

VI

2 0

Livestock farms: '

Total

Class I

2 1

II

2 1

Ill

2.1

IV

2 1

V.

2 0

VI

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

50

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION
LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION

The Corn Belt is a major region in American food production.
It is particularly important in the production of livestock for
meat. In 1954, 69.7 percent of all hogs and pigs sold, 28.2
percent of all cattle and calves sold, and 21.3 percent of all sheep
and lambs sold by commercial farms in the United States came
from the Corn Belt. In addition, it produced 31.4 percent of all
chicken eggs sold, and 20.7 percent of all milk sold by commercial
farms. Most of the corn, oats, barley, and hay produced there
is fed to livestock in the region, but laige quantities of these feed
crops, especially of corn and oats, are shipped out of the Corn
Belt to be fed to dairy cattle, poultry, and other livestock in
other regions of the country.

KIND AND NUMBER OF LIVESTOCK

Cattle and calves. — There were 22.9 million head of cattle and
calves on commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 68).
This was approximately a fourth of the United States total.
Cattle and calves were distributed throughout the belt on all
types of farms; somewhat more than half of the number were
found on livestock farms, about a fifth on cash-grain farms, and
the remainder on other types of farms. The heaviest concen-
tration of cattle and calves was in the Western Corn Belt, which
accounted for about a third of the total number.

A little more than a third of the cattle and calves in the Corn
Belt were cows, but less than half of these were kept for milk
(table 68). The large proportion of calves and other young
stock, as well as the proportion of cows kept for raising calves
but not for milk, reflects the emphasis on cattle kept for beef
production. Milk cows were relatively most numerous in the

Table 68. — Number of Specified Livestock on Commercial
Farms, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt and Component
Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms 3

Eastern Cora Belt:

All commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms 3

Central Cora Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms 3.

Northern Cora Belt:
All commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms ^

Westera Cora Belt:

All commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms ^

Southern Cora Belt:

All commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms ^.

Horses
and/or
mules

7,000
head

4.51
95

235

131
28
79

129
21
71

All
cattle

and
calves

t.OOO
head

22, 908
4,438

13, S21

3,173

746

1,362

4,993
1,261
3,070

3,438

407
1,750

7,352
1,336
4,980

3,952

629

2,360

Cows '

1.000
head
8,719
1,909
4,399

1,323
332

455

1,658
522
842

1,378
195
567

2,534

559

1,520

1.825

301

1,016

MUk
COWS

1.000
head

4,158
860

1,434

848
195
173

768
222
316

1,026
122
337

860
198
376

656
113
232

Hogs
and
pigs

1.000
head

36,654
5,048

25, 366

6,401
1,036
3,997

11,138
1,850
7,950

6,100

644

3,617

8,306

919

6,380

4,708

699

3,423

All
sheep

1.000
head
5,424
1,068
3,498

1,200
322
602

1,231
330
773

736
142
428

1,137
140
887

1,120
134
807

Chick-
ens ^

1.000
head
110.369
28.448
45, 225

19, 433
5,236
4,942

26, 219
8,210
10, 948

21, 080
4,603
7,794

26, 508
6,676
13, C92

18,128
3,722
7,849

• All cows, including heifers that have calved.

' Chickens 4 months old and over.

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Northern and Eastern Corn Belt and most of them were on
dairy farms.

A large proportion of the cattle fed on Corn Belt farms are
calves and yearlings bought from the western range country.
These young cattle are bought usually in the fall of the year and
are kept for 3 to 15 months, during which time they are fed for
additional growth and finish, to be marketed as fat heifers or
steers. The length of time these feeder cattle (as they are called)
are fed depends upon the supply of hay or other roughage and
pasture available on the farm to which they are brought for
fattening.

On farms where most of the land is level and practically all
used for crops, with little or no hay or pasture (as on many farms
in the Central Corn Belt), the feeder cattle are fed mainly corn
and protein-supplement feeds for a period only long enough to
obtain a good finish at a relatively rapid gain in weight. On the
other hand, on farms that have a surplus of pasture or of hay and
pasture, the feeder calves bought in the fall are generally fed
mainly on roughage (hay, corn fodder, or oat straw, for example)
through the winter, and mainly on pasture through the following
summer, after which they are placed in the feed lot and fed mainly
on corn and oil meal for a few months. They are then marketed
as prime or choice fat cattle.

The size of the cattle-feeding enterprise, or the number of
cattle fed on a farm, is flexible. It often varies considerably
from year to year on a particular farm. An important factor
affecting the scale of feeding operations is the supply of corn or
other feed available and this varies from year to year with the
volume of crop production, which in turn is affected by weather
and other production conditions. Other major factors are the
relative prices of feed grains, feeder cattle, and finished cattle.
The anticipated market price of hogs, compared with that of
cattle, is also a principal consideration to the farmer who weighs
the alternative methods of marketing his feed grain.

Beef breeding herds are found usually on farms that have a
large proportion of rolling or rough land or other untillable land
that is kept in pasture or hay. Many such farms are found in
the Corn Belt, especially in the southern and western parts. On
these farms beef cows are kept for the primary purpose of pro-
ducing calves; the calves are raised and fattened mainly on feed
grown on the farm or they may be sold to other farmers for
fattening. On some farms where calves are raised from beef
cows on the farm, additional calves or young feeder cattle may
be purchased, to be fed and fattened for market.

In 1954, cattle and calves were reported on 88.5 percent of all
the commercial farms in the Corn Belt (table 69). The number
of farms reporting ranged from about 82 percent in the Eastern
Corn Belt to about 92 percent in the Western Corn Belt. Even
among the cash-grain farms, 78.4 percent reported cattle and
calves. Cows were reported on 82.9 percent and milk cows on
69.6 percent of the commercial farms. The difference in per-
centage of farms reporting milk cows and those reporting all cows
is only a partial indication of the proportion of beef-breeding
farms, as many farms with primarily beef herds had one or more
milk cows for producing milk for home use or for sale. Also, the
difference in percentage of farms reporting cows and those report-
ing any cattle and calves does not fully indicate the proportion oi
farms having feeder cattle only. Some farms had, or would have
feeder cattle at some time during the year even though they did
not have them on the dates of the Census enumeration.

CASH'GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

51

Table 69. — Percent of Commercial Farms, by Type, Report-
ing Specified Kinds of Livestock, in the Corn Belt and
Component Regions: 1954

Kcgion and type of farm

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms *

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestoek farms 3.

Central Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms s.

Northern Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms 3.

Western Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-gi-aln farms.
Livestock farms '.

Southern Com Belt:

All commercial farms.
Cash-grain farms.
Livestock farms '.

Horses
and/or
mules

Percent
25.3
17.3
31.3

14.8
10.7
17.9

18.6
14.1
23.0

24.8
16.1
28.0

31.7
23.7
37.3

37.2
25.2
43.6

AU
cattle

and
calves

Cows '

Milk
cows

Hogs
and
pigs

All
sheep

Percent

88.5
78.4
95.0

Percent
82.9
74.0
87.7

Per-
cent
69.6
57.3
70.0

Percent
69.4
50.1
87.3

Percent
15.8
13.9
IS. 7

82.3
71.9
91.1

75.6
64.9
80.4

62.1
50.8
57.4

60.3
43.0
86.2

19.5
16 9
26.6

88.1
80.7
94.8

81.6
76.2
84.6

64.2

64.8
67.0

73.7
64.1
92.7

19.3
19.1
20.3

89.6
74.3
95.3

84.8
69.8
86.6

75.1
66.6
72.6

77.4
63.5
91.8

16 3
14.6
18.8

91.7
83.4
96.6

87.5
80.7
90.2

73.5
64.7
74.4

69.6
48.6
85.3

8.4
6.0
10.1

91.4
80.9
95.9

85.6
78.6
93.3

75.5
62.5
75.1

69.3
54.9
82.8

16 5
10 8
22.3

Chick-
ens -

Percent
78.3

80.6

70.2
60.5
70.3

76.6
7U. 4
79.6

81.0
73.0
82.1

82.8
76.1
84.9

81.8
73.6
82.6

* All cows, including heifers that have calved.

2 Chickens 4 months old and over.

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The percentage of farms reporting cattle and calves was higher
among the upper economic classes of farms, especially among the
cash-grain farms (table 70). For example, 85.7 percent of the
Class I cash-grain farms reported cattle and calves compared
with 55.5 percent of the Class VI farms. In the case of livestock
farms, the percentages of farms reporting cattle and calves were
about the same for Classes I, II, and III, but were slightly smaller
for Classes IV, V, and VI. The differences between economic
classes were wider in the case of farms reporting cows. It should
be noted also that the percentage of Class I farms reporting cows
was smaller than that for farms in some of the other economic
classes, especially among the livestock farms. This indicates the
relatively greater frequency of feeder-cattle ventures on the Class I
farms. Milk cows also were reported relatively less often on
Class I and Class II farms than on Class III farms.

Table 70. — Percent of Farms in Each Type, Reporting
Specified Kinds of Livestock, by Economic Class of Farm,
in the Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Horses
and/or
mules

AU
cattle

and
calves

Cows '

Milk
cows

Hogs
and
pigs

AU
sheep

Chick-
ens '

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total...

Per-
caU
26.3

17.3
22.5
16.6
16.0
17.4
18.6
24.6

31.3
36.0

27.6
28.9
34.1
34.8
37.4

Per-
cent
88.5

78.4
85.7
85.3
83.1
75.4
64.2
66.5

96.0
96.6
96.6
96.5
96.0
91.1
87.2

Per-
cent
82.9

74.0
77.8
80.1
79.4
71.4
69.0
61.4

87.7
76.9
86.8
91.4
90.7
86.2
83.4

Per-
cent
69.6

67.3
54.4
60.3
62.8
55.6
46.2
40.3

70.0
63.6
69.9
74.7
71.7
63.9
61.8

Per-
cent
69,4

50.1
60.6
60.1
55.3
44.0
33,7
27.0

87.3
90.0
92.8
92.4
87.7
75.6
68.1

Per-
cent
15.8

13.9
20.1
18.5
14.4
11.6
9.4
5.4

18.7
19.6
19.5
18.2
19.0
18.3
16.6

Per-
cent
78.3

69.9
60.1
71 2

Class I

11

III

IV..

68 8

V

VI

61.7
80 6

Livestock farms: 3
Total..

Class I

70.0
SO. 9
84.1

11..

III. .

IV

V...

77 8

VI

* All cows, including heifers that have calved.

' Chickens 4 months old and over.

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The commercial farms reporting cattle and calves had an aver-
age of 32 head of cattle and calves per farm (table 71). The
average size of herd was almost twice as large in the Western
Corn Belt as in the Eastern (43 head compared with 22). Live-
stock farms averaged 44 head per herd, while cash-grain farms
averaged 21. The largest herds were on livestock farms in the
Western Corn Belt (averaging 56 head), and the smallest were on
cash-grain farms in the Eastern Corn Belt (averaging 15 head).
But herds on livestock farms in the Eastern Corn Belt averaged
larger than those on cash-grain farms in every region. The
number of cows per herd ranged from an average of 10 in the
Eastern Corn Belt to 16 in the Western Corn Belt. The number
of milk cows per farm reporting was largest in the Northern Corn
Belt and smallest in the Southern and Western Corn Belt.

Table 71- — Average Number of Specified Livestock Per
Farm Reporting, for Commercial Farms by Type, in the
Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Horses
and/or
mules

AU

cattle

and

calves

Cows 1

Milk
cows

Hogs
and
pigs

AU
sheep

Chick-
ens'

Total Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms..

Livestock farms 3

Eastern Cora Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms'

Central Com Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms'

Northern Com Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms'

Western Corn Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Southem Cora Belt:

.uncommercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Num-
ber
2
2
2

2
2
2

2
2
2

2
2
2

2
2
2

2
2
2

Num-
ber
32
21
44

22
16
29

34
23

46

35
23

45

43

27
56

27
19
35

Num-
ber
13
10
15

10
7
11

12
10
14

15
10
10

16
12
18

14

9
16

Num-
ber
7
6
6

8
6
6

7
6

7

13
8
11

6
5
6

6
4
4

Num-
ber
66
38
89

60
35

90

90
50
119

73
44
97

64
32

82

43
27
68

Num-
ber
43
29
67

35

28
44

38
25
53

42
36

66

73
39
96

43

30
61

Num-
ber
177
164
172

156
127
137

196
169
191

240
230
234

172
149
176

141

124
134

' AU cows, including heifers that have calved.

' Chickens 4 months old and over.

' Li%-estock other tlian dau-y and poultry farms.

Table 72. — Average Number of Specified Livestock Per
Farm Reporting, by Type of Farm by Economic Class, in
THE Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Horses
and/or
mults

AU
cattle

and
calves

Cows 1

MUk
cows

Hogs
and
pigs

AU
sheep

Chick-
ens '

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Num-
ber
2

2
3
2
2
2
2
2

2
3

2
2
2
2
2

Num-
ber
32

21
54
29
21
16
10

44
135
65
38
28
20
13

Num-
ber
13

10
21
13

10

7
5
4

16
24
19
16
13
10

Num-

6
7
7
6
6
3
3

6
6
7
7
6
4
3

Num-
ber
66

38
96
55
36
23
14
8

89
220
126
79
51
31
18

Num-
ber
43

29
53
35
28
24
19
13

67
206
61
45
38
34
26

Num-
ber
177

Class I..

176

II

III

168

IV.

134

V

VI.

75

Livestock farms: '

Total.

Class I .

211

II

Ill

185

IV

V

115

VI

85

' All cows, including heifers that have calved.

3 Chickens 4 months old and over.

3 Livestock other than dany and poultry farms.

52

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

The average size of cattle herd shows a strong correlation with
economic class of farm (table 72). Among the cash-grain farms,
Class I farms had an average of 54 head of cattle and calves per
farm reporting, while Class VI farms had an average of only 7.
Among the livestock farms. Class I farms had an average of 135
head per farm reporting; Class VI farms had 13. The size of
herds on other economic classes of farms ranged between these
extremes. The situation was similar for cows per herd on the
different economic classes of farms. The general pattern was
also similar for milk cows, but the differences were less extreme.

Hogs and pigs. — Hogs and pigs on commercial farm.s in the
Corn Belt in 1954 numbered 36.7 million head, approximately
two-thirds of the total number on all commercial farms in the
United States (table 68) . Hog numbers in the United States and
in the Corn Belt were relatively low in 1954 in comparison with
numbers during the preceding 15 years (S). Hogs and pigs were
found on all types of farms throughout the Corn Belt, but were
relatively most numerous on livestock farms in the Central Corn
Belt. In the Corn Belt as a whole, about 69 percent of the hogs
and pigs were on livestock farms.

Hogs and pigs are not found on as many farms as are cattle and
calves, but hog production is a major enterprise and a principal
source of income on a larger proportion of farms. Pigs are usually
raised and finished for market on the farm where they are farrowed.
Relatively few commercial farms in the Corn belt raise feeder
pigs that are shipped in from other areas. Usually, less than
two-thirds as many litters of pigs are farrowed in the fall as in the
spring in the Corn Belt as a whole. Fall farrowing is much less
common in the Western and Northern Corn Belt than in the
Eastern and Southern Corn Belt because the more severe winters
in the northern and western regions are less favorable for the
raising of fall pigs. As hogs are fed largely on concentrate feeds,
the hog enterprise is well adapted to farms where large crops of
corn are raised. Hogs and beef cattle, or hogs and dairy pro-
duction, are often found on the same farm. Where beef cattle
are fed, hogs can salvage feed that otherwise would be wasted;
and on dairy farms where only cream is sold, the skim milk can
be fed to hogs.

Hogs and pigs were reported on 69. 4 percent of the commercial
farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 69). They were most fre-
quently reported on farms in the Northern and Central Corn Belt
and relatively least frequently in the Eastern Corn Belt. They
were found on 50.1 percent of the cash-grain farms and on 87.3
percent of the livestock farms in the Corn Belt.

Hogs and pigs were found relatively more often on the higher
income classes than on the lower income classes of farms (table
70). On cash-grain farms about 60 percent of the Class I and
Class II farms reported hogs and pigs compared with 27 percent on
Class VI farms. On livestock farms, hogs and pigs were reported
on 90 percent or more of the Classes I, II, and III farms and on
75.6 percent of the Class V farms.

The average number of hogs and pigs per farm reporting in the
Corn Belt was 66 for all commercial farms, 38 for cash-grain farms,
and 89 for livestock farms (table 71). The average number per
farm was highest on livestock farms in the Central Corn Belt (119
head), and lowest on cash-grain farms in the Southern Corn Belt
(27 head). The great variation in size of the hog enterprise on
different farms is shown strikingly in table 72. Class I livestock
farms had an average of 220 hogs and pigs per farm reporting
while Class II livestock farms had 126, Class VI livestock farms
had 18, Class I cash-grain farms had 96, and Class VI cash-grain
farms had 8.

Chickens. — Approximately a third of all the chickens 4 months
old and over on commercial farms in the United States in the fall
of 1954 were in the Corn Belt. From the national standpoint, the
Corn Belt is a leading source of chicken eggs. The 110.4 million
chickens reported on commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954
were widely distributed throughout all regions and were found on
all types of farms (table 68). Chickens were reported on from
70 percent to 83 percent of all commercial farms in the various
regions (table 69). They were found somewhat more frequently
on livestock farms than on cash-grain farms. Flocks were kept
by a relatively larger proportion of the Classes II, III, and IV
farms than of the higher income and lower income classes of farms
(table 70). The average size of flock on all farms reporting was
177 birds (table 71). The largest average size of flock was on com-
mercial farms in the Northern Corn Belt and the smallest on cash-
grain farms in the Southern Corn Belt. In general, the higher
economic classes of farms had larger flocks than the lower economic
classes, the number of birds ranging from an average of 211 on
Class I livestock farms down to 75 on Class VI cash-grain farms
(table 72).

Farm flocks of chickens in the Corn Belt are kept mainly for egg
production. Hens and a few cockerels are raised mainly from
chicks bought in the spring from commercial hatcheries. The
principal income from the flocks is from eggs sold. Sales of chick-
ens for meat arise mainly from the culling of hens and pullets and
the sale of a few extra chickens, so as to reduce the size of flock to
the capacity of the poultry house in the fall.

From the standpoint of total farm income in the Corn Belt,
chicken and egg production is a relatively minor enterprise.
Nevertheless, it is a fairly important source of income on many
farms and it provides a valuable contribution in the form of eggs
and meat for the household on most of the farms. The farm flock
requires a relatively small investment of capital and much of the
labor is relatively light and is frequently done by the farm wife
or other members of the operator's family.

Sheep. — Sheep production is a minor enterprise in the Corn
Belt as a whole. However, there were 5.4 million sheep on com-
mercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 and they were found on all
types of farms in all regions. Sheep production is of two general
types. The most usual is the farm flock, found most frequently
on farms having a high percentage of untillable land or other low-
grade pasture, and on which the production of concentrate feeds
in proportion to pasture crops is not great enough to produce beef
cattle. Such farms are found scattered throughout the Corn
Belt and are relatively most numerous in the Southern and
Eastern Corn Belt. The other form of the sheep enterprise is the
feeding and fattening of western lambs. Most of the lamb feed-
ing is on farms in the Central and Western Corn Belt where large
quantities of corn and oats are grown.

Sheep were reported on 15.8 percent of the commercial farms in
the Corn Belt in 1954, and more frequently on livestock farms
than on cash-grain farms (table 69). Among cash-grain farms,
sheep were reported on relatively fewer of the lower income
classes of farms, but among livestock farms the frequency of
reporting was more nearly alike on all economic classes. The
average size of flock per commercial farm reporting was 43 head.
Flocks averaged largest on livestock farms in the Western Corn
Belt (96 head), and smallest on cash-grain farms in the Central
Corn Belt (25 head per farm reporting). Size of flock declines
steadily as we go from the higher to the lower economic classes
of farms. Class I livestock farms had an average of 206 sheep
per flock; Class VI livestock farms had an average of 26.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

53

SALES OF LIVESTOCK AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTS

Data on sales of livestock and livestock products are essential to
an accurate understanding of livestock operations on commercial
farms. Sales data serve to supplement the information on farms
reporting and on numbers of livestock on an inventory date.
They give a more complete picture of livestock enterprises by
revealing livestock production carried on at a different time of the
year but not present at the time of the Census enumeration — for
example, cattle sold, hogs sold, etc. They present the commercial
phase of livestock operations as distinguished from the overall
phase which often includes a considerable proportion of production
that is primarily or exclusively for direct use by the farm house-
hold.

Distribution of cattle and calves sold alive in the United States
in 1054 is shown in figure 32. Cattle are sold on farms throughout
the Nation, but tlie main regions where large numbers are sold are
the Corn Belt and the Great Plains States. The concentration
of sales is particularly heavy in areas of the Western and Central
Corn Belt. Sales of cattle were reported on 81.9 percent of the
farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 73). This was a larger per-
centage of farms than reported sales of any other livestock or live-
stock product in the Corn Belt as a whole. The greatest propor-
tion of farms reporting sales of cattle and calves was among live-
stock farms in the Western Corn Belt and the smallest proportion
was among cash-grain farms in the Eastern Corn Belt. Cattle
were sold by 97.9 percent of the Class I livestock farms and by
more than 90 percent of the Classes II, III, and IV livestock farms
(table 74). Only 27 percent of the Class VI cash-grain farms re-
ported cattle sold, but even this number was greater than the num-
ber selling any other livestock item except chicken eggs. The
average value of cattle sold per farm reporting, however, was
smaller than the average sales of hogs per farm reporting on every
economic class of farm except Class I (table 75). The wide
differences in incomes of the different economic classes of farms are
apparent from the great spread from Class I to Class VI farms in
the receijits from the two principal classes of livestock — cattle
and hogs.J

Table 73. — Percent of Farms Reporting Sales of Specified
Livestock and Livestock Products, by Principal Types of
F.'^RMs, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Livestock and livestock products sold

Region and type of farm

Cattle

and

calves

Hogs
and
pigs

Chickens

Chicken
eggs

Sheep

Total Com Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '.

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Central Corn Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Northern Com Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms i

Western Cora Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Southern Com Belt:

AU commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms ■

Percent
81.9
65.6
92.8

73.4
57.0
87.4

80.8
68.3
92.1

85.6
64.4
94.3

86.2
72.5
94.8

84.9
66-0
93.9

Percent
69.0
48.1
89.1

69.3
40.1
88.6

74.8
64.2
94.9

77.9
63.0
93.5

69.8
47.5
86.7

66.7
48.6
84.0

Percent
48.9
39.4
51.6

41.6
31.9
42.8

51.7
44.0
54.7

65.0
45.2
68.3

52.0
42.2
65.1

46.6
36.1
46.6

Percent
66.2
65.9
69.4

54.1
44.1

65.3

65.6
57.0
69.4

74.1
6.5.1
76.4

72. S
64.1
76.4

67.0
55.7
67.8

Percent
13.7
11.1
17.3

16.6
13.4

24.2

16.9
16.1
17.8

13.3
XL 6
16.3

7.6
4.9
9.6

16.8
9.4
22.4

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Figure 32.

Table 74. — Percent of Commercial Farms Reporting
Specified Livestock and Livestock Products Sold, by Type
AND Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Livestock and Uvestock products sold

Type and economic class of farm

Cattle

and
calves

Hogs
and
pigs

Chickens

Chicken
eggs

Sheep

.\ll commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:

Total -

Percent

81.9

66.6
81.3

78.4
72.8
69.9
41.9
26.6

92.8
97.9
96.9
95.3
91.8
84.3
76.9

Percent
69.0

48.1
62.9
61.2
64.8
40.4
27.0
14.2

89.1
92.6
95.1
94.3
89.1
77.3
66.6

Percent
48.9

39.4
36. 1
46.1
45.8
3.^3
24.4
18.7

61.6
49.8
60.1
67.7
47.9
37.3
29.6

Percent
66.2

65.9
46.0
59.3
62.6
64.6
42.3
36.0

69.4
69.9
72.6
76.1
69.4
60.7
66.9

Percent
13.7

11. 1

Class I

17.3

II

16.6

III

11.4

IV _.

9.2

V

7.0

VI

3.2

Livestock farms: '

Total

17.3

Class I

18.7

II .

18.1

III

10.7

IV

17.7

v

17.0

VI -

16.2

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 75. — Average V.alue of Specified Livestock and
Livestock Products Sold Per Commercial Farm Report-
ing, IN the Corn Belt: 1954

Livestock and Uvestock products sold (dollars)

Type and economic class of farm

Cattle

and
calves

Hogs
and
pigs

Chickens

Chicken
eggs

Sheep

AU commercial farms

Cash-grahi farms:

Total .

2,659

970
4,543
1,490
766
466
278
162

4,462

28,450

6,325

2,065

1,180

742

391

3,076

1,343

4,528

1,917

1,199

662

378

235

4,383
13, 326
6,680
3,551
1,881
981
460

160

90
162
113
89
70
68
39

94
165
112
90
74
69
40

448

340
606
473
356
264
162
94

401
601
647
422
292

735
323

Class I

666

11

402

Ill

297

IV

242

v

179

VI . . . .

125

Livestock farms: '

Total

1,115

Class I

II

7,907
899

III...

512

IV

407

v

198 3.W

VI

108 260

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

54

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Distribution of hogs and pigs sold alive in the United States in
1954 is shown in figure 33. Sales of hogs are not so widely diffused
through all States as are cattle sales. The great bulk and con-
centration of hog sales is in the Corn Belt where they were re-
ported on 69 percent of all the commercial farms. On livestock
farms in the Eastern and Central Corn Belt, the numbers of farms
reporting sales of hogs and pigs were slightly greater than the
numbers reporting sales of cattle and calves (table 73). Sales of
hogs and pigs were reported by 48.1 percent of the cash-grain
farms and by 89. 1 percent of the livestock farms. Sales from this
enterprise were made by relatively more of the farms in the higher
economic classes than in the lower economic classes.

HOGS SOLD

NUMBER OF HOGS AND PIGS SOLD AL

VE. 1954

fii?'

IICTt^

~~]~}

^r V 1

E^F^,

^j:.

1

~~pZXji

\ \

UNITED STATES TOTAL
57.418,588

\ ^ ID0T.I0.O0C

HEAD ^

BASIS!

Hi. NMHTHENT Of COMHtdtt

^

■■"eiPtw Of r,* c£«su5

Figure 33.

The Corn Belt is one of the three main areas supplying chicken
eggs for market in the United States (fig. 34). The other areas
are in the Northeastern States and in California. Egg production
is not so densely concentrated in any part of the Corn Belt as it is
in some sections of the Northeast and of California. But the
great number of laying flocks throughout the Corn Belt makes this
one of the principal egg-producing regions of the country.

Chicken eggs were sold by 66.2 percent of all commercial farms
in the Corn Belt in 1954. The highest proportion of farms selling

CHICKEN EGGS SOLD

DOZENS. 1954

UNITED STATES TCfTAL

vsMiaisa

\ BlMKTKlIT 0* COMHEIKf

Figure 34.

eggs was in the Northern Corn Belt (74.1 percent). Egg sales
were reported by 55.9 percent of the cash-grain farms and by 69.4
percent of the livestock farms in the Corn Belt. Farms selling
eggs were a larger proportion of all farms among Class II and
Class III farms than among Class I farms or among the lower
economic classes. The average value of sales of eggs per farm
reporting, however, was greatest on Class I farms. On livestock
farms, the value of eggs sold per farm ranged from $601 on Class I
farms down to $108 on Class VI farms. On Class VI cash-grain
farms, sales of eggs averaged only $94 per farm reporting. Sales
of chickens were reported by fewer farms than the number report-
ing egg sales in all regions and on all economic classes of farms.
The average value of chickens sold per farm was consistently less
than the value of eggs sold.

Turkeys are raised on many farms throughout the United States,
but the bulk of the production is concentrated in several relatively
small areas in scattered locations (fig. 35) . Several areas of inten-
sive turkey production are located within the Corn Belt, mainly
in the Northern, Central, and Eastern Cora Belt. Although
turkey production is found on relatively few farms in the Corn
Belt as a whole, it is a large enterprise in many counties, and
is usually a major source of income to the producers. Turkey
raising is typically a large-scale enterprise. Flocks of 5,000 or
more turkeys are not uncommon. The average size of the turkey
enterprise in Iowa in 1954 was about 2,000 birds.

TURKEYS RAISED
NLWBER.I954

Figure 35.

Sales of sheep were reported by only 13.7 percent of all the
commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954, but the proportion of
farms selling sheep varied rather widely between regions and
types of farms. Sheep were sold by about a fourth of the livestock
farms in the Eastern Corn Belt, but by only a twentieth of the
cash-grain farms in the Western Corn Belt. Generally, sales of
sheep were reported by fewer farmers than reported sheep on hand.
This reflects the practice of keeping sheep primarily for wool pro-
duction on a number of farms. The average value of sheep sold
per farm reporting among Class I livestock farms was $7,907, but
it ranged from $899 on Class II livestock farms down to $260 on
Class VI livestock farms. On cash-grain farms, the average
receipts from sheep sold were smaller. The large receipts from
sheep sold on Class I livestock farms apparently were made up
largely from sales of fattened feeder lambs.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

55

Cattle and hogs each accounted for approximately 39 percent
of the total value of livestock and livestock products sold on all
commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 (table 76). Cattle
and hogs together accounted for 68.5 percent of the total on
cash-grain farms and for 89.3 percent of the total on livestock
farms. Sales of chickens and eggs totaled about 7 percent, milk
(and cream) accounted for 12.8 percent, and sheep and wool for
2.3 percent of the livestock and livestock product receipts on all
commercial farms. Hogs and pigs brought a larger proportion of
the total than did cattle and calves in all regions except in the

Western Corn Belt. The largest percentage of livestock receipts
accounted for by eggs was in the Northern Corn Belt; this was
also the region where receipts from milk were relatively the
greatest.

On Class I farms of both the cash-grain and livestock types,
cattle accounted for a larger percentage of the total livestock sales
than did hogs (table 77). This was the case also for Class VI
farms of both types and for Class IV and Class V cash-grain farms.
On Class I livestock farms cattle sales brought in 65 percent of the
livestock receipts, while hogs brought in 28.8 percent. On

T.-vBLE 76. — Percentage Composition of Value of Sales of Specified Livestock and Livestock Products on Principal Types of

Farms, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Livestock and livestock products sold

Reglou and type of farm

Total 1

Cattle and
calves

Hogs and
pigs

Chickens

Chicken
eggs

Milk

Sheep

Wool"

Total Com Belt:

Percent
100.0
100.0
100.0

100. 0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0

100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100 0

100,0
100 0
100.0

Percent
38 8
34.0
46.0

23.8
24.9
30 3

39.7
36 0
44,2

30.0
27.7
38.9

54. 1
44.6
59,0

30.0
33.6
42 3

Percent
39.3
34.6
43.3

43.8
35 5
58,1

44,6
35 9
47.0

38.1
34.0
43.1

31.6
30 3
32 4

39.7
37.1
46.5

Percent
1.4
1.9
0,5

3.2
2.3
0.7

1,0
1,8
0 5

1, 1
1.9
0.6

0.8
1,6
0.4

1.7
1.9
0.6

Percent
5.5
10 1
3.1

6.7
9.5
2.8

4.8
9.6
2 8

7 2
14^2
4.6

4.0
9.4
2.6

6.0
9.9
3.5

Percent
12 8
16.9
4,6

20 3
24.2
5,8

8,1
14.3
3 8

21.5
19.9
9.9

7.0
12.5
2.9

13.7
14.6
3.7

Percent
1.9
1.9
2.1

1.7
2.6
1.9

1.5
1.8
1.5

1.9

1.8
2 6

2 2
1.3

2.4

2.3
2.2
2.7

Percent
0.4

0.6

0 3

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

0.5

0.9

0.5

Central Corn Belt:

0.3

0.6

0.2

Northern Corn Belt:

0.3

0.6

0.3

Westem Corn Belt:

0.3

0.4

0.3

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms -

0.6

0.7

Livestock farms 3

0 7

' Total of 7 livestock items listed in columns at right.

2 Value of wool shorn. Practically all of the wool shorn was sold.

• Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Table 77- — Percentage Composition of Total Value of Sales of Specified Livestock and Livestock Products on Commercial

Farms, by Economic Class, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Livestock and livestock produc

ssold

Type and economic class of farm

Total 1

Cattle and
calves

Hogs and
pigs

Chickens

Chicken
eggs

Milk

Sheep

Wool'

All commercial farms

Percent
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
lOOO
100.0

Percent
38.8

34.0
48.5

35 3
29.7
30 6

30 1
29.1

46.0
65 0
40 3

31 3

32 3

36 5
42 0

Percent
39.3

34,5
37.4
35 6
35.1
28.8
26 3
24. 1

43 3

28.8
49,6
63 5
60,0
44,2
35 6

Percent
1.4

1.9
0.8
1.6
2 2
2.7
3.7
5 2

0.6
0.2
0.5
0.8
1.1
1.3
1.7

Percent
5.5

10 1
3.1
8.5
11.9
15 1
17.7
24.4

3.1

0.8
3.1

5 1

6 1

7.0
8 4

Percent
12.8

16 9
8.6
16.7
18.7
19.4
17.7
12 9

4.6
1.4
5 0
7.6
7.7
6.4
5 0

Percent
1.9

1.9
1.5
1.9
1.8
2.4
3.3
2.8

2.1
3.4
1.3
1.4
2.1
3.6
6.6

Percent
0.4

Cash-grain farms:

Total -

0 6

Class!

0.3

11

0.6

Ill

0.6

rv

0.9

V

1.3

VI

1.4

Livestock farms: ^
Total

0.3

Class I -

0.2

II

0.2

Ill

0.4

IV

0.7

v.. .

1.1

VI

1.9

1 Total of 7 livestock items listed in columns at right.

i Value of wool shorn. Practically all of the wool shorn was sold.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

56 FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 78. — Value of Sales of Specified Livestock and Livestock Products on Commercial Farms in the Corn Belt: 1954

Livestock and livestock products sold (thousand dollars)

Type and economic class of farm

Total '

Cattle and
calves

Hogs and
pigs

Chickens

Chicken
eggs

Milk

Sheep

Wool 2

4, 308, 838

494, 651
49, 480
205, 102
168, 866
56, 680
13, 142
1,381

2. 942, 050

973, 006

1. 070. 320

692, 098

224, 529

68, 584

13, 614

1, 669, 981

168, 332
23,992
72, 430
50, 226
17, 327
3,955
402

1, 362, 178

632, 561

431, 144

186, 176

72, 698

25,023

6,676

1, 692, 387

170, 719
18, 506
72, 809
59, 266
16, 342
3,462
333

1, 275, 000
280, 337
630, 723
316, 502
112,326
30. 312
4,801

62, 439

9.379

380

3,239

3,664

1,543

481

72

16, 866
1, 869
5. 626
4,900
2,374
872
225

236, 152

50,206
1,513
17, 399
20, 052
8,583
2,321
337

90,924

8,181

33,204

29.999

13, 599

4,804

1,136

562, 161

83,468
4,182
34, 236
31,641
11,007
2,323
178

135,035
14, 105
53, 435
45, 143
17, 262
4,408
681

80, 477

9,505

747

3,851

3,068

1,372

42.8

39

63, 150
33, 524
13, 684
8,077
4,819
2,403
744

15,242

Casb-grain farms:

3,044

Class I

160

n -- -

1,137

III

1,050

IV -

506

V -

171

VI -

19

Livestock farms: '

Total --

9,897

Class I

2,429

II

2.604

in . ..

2,301

rv

1,649

V

762

VI -- --

251

' Total of 7 livestock items listed in columns at right.

2 Value of wool shorn. Practically all of the wool shorn was sold.

< Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Class III livestock farms, cattle sales accounted for 31.3 percent,
while hogs accounted for 53.5 percent. Receipts from milk sold
were relatively more important among the livestock and livestock
products sold on cash-grain farms than on livestock farms. The
same was true for chickens and eggs.

The economic magnitude of the receipts from sales of livestock
and livestock products on the different economic classes of farms
is indicated by the total value of sales figures presented in table 78.
The total value of livestock and livestock products sold on all
commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was 4.3 billion dollars.
Receipts from cattle sales and hog sales each totaled about 1.7
bUlion dollars. Sales from Class II and Class III farms accounted
for more than half of the value of the total sales of livestock and
livestock products by all economic classes of farms. The total
sales from Class V and Class VI farms were a relatively very
minor part of the total for all commercial farms.

Although dairy production is a major entei prise on relatively
few farms in the Corn Belt, receipts from the sale of milk and
cream are fairly important on many farms. The total value of
milk and cream sold on all commercial farms in the Corn Belt in
1954 was approximately 552 million dollars (table 79). Whole
milk accounted for three-fourths and cream accounted for one-
fourth of this total. Whole milk made up the largest proportion
of milk and cream sales in the Eastern Corn Belt (97 percent),
and the smallest proportion in the Western Corn Belt (47.1
piercent). On livestock farms in the Western Corn Belt, 79.4
percent of the total value of milk and cream sold was from cream.
Most of the cream is sold on a butterfat basis to creameries and
cream stations. Farms selling cream usually use the skim milk
as feed for hogs or other livestock.

Table 79. — Value of Whole Milk and Cream Sold on
Principal Types of Commercial Farms in the Corn Belt
and Component Regions : 1954

Value (thousand dollars)

Percentage distribution
of value

Region and type of farm

Total

Total

milk
and

Whole
milk

Cream
sold

milk
and

Whole
milk

Cream
sold

cream

sold

cream

sold

sold

sold

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms.

552, 161

416, 598

136, 662

100.0

75.4

24.6

Cash-grain farms-

83. 468

60, 102

23, 366

100.0

72.0

28.0

Livestock farms '.

135. 036

70, 039

64, 996

100.0

51.9

48.1

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

153. 098

148. 435

4,663

100.0

97.0

3.0

Cash-grain farms

26. 910

26. 964

946

100.0

96.6

3.5

Livestock farms ^

23,370

22. 024

1.346

100.0

94.2

6.8

Central Com Belt:

All commercial farms

93,118

57. 895

36,223

100.0

62.2

37.8

Cash-grain farms

22. 849

16.429

6,419

100.0

71.9

28.1

Livestock farms ' _

31,574

12.990

18, 684

100.0

41.1

58.9

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

147,989

110, 705

37, 283

100.0

74.8

25.2

Cash-grain farms

12, 662

7,747

4,815

100.0

61.7

38.3

Livestock farms '

39,788

23,334

16,461

100.0

68.6

41.4

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

81, 148

38. 201

42. 947

100.0

47.1

62.9

Cash-grain farms

13, 276

4.017

9. 259

100.0

30.3

69.7

Livestock farms '

26,443

5,460

20, 983

100.0

20.6

79.4

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

76, 809

61,362

15,447

100.0

79.9

20.1

Casli-grain farms

7,871

6,944

1,927

100.0

76.6

24.5

Livestock farms '.

13, 861

6,231

7,630

100.0

45.0

55.0

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT
GROSS SALES AND INCOME

57

In summarizing the data on value of farm products sold on tlie
various types and economic classes of commercial farms in the
Corn Belt, it is helpful to reduce the figures to a per farm basis.
This has been done in tables 80, 81, and 82. In this form it is
relatively easy to compare the gross incomes on the different
kinds of farms and to see the proportion that each group of
products contributes to the total gross income from products sold.
It should be observed, however, that the gross income from farm
products sold is not the same as the total gross farm income,
because it does not include the value of farm products used in
farm hou.seholds.

It should be kept in mind that the figures in tables 80, 81, and
82 are averages for all the farms in each group and that the value
of products sold on individual farms may, and does, vary con-
siderably from these averages. For example, the average value
of livestock and livestock products sold per farm on cash-grain
farms is relatively low partly because many cash-grain farms sold
little or no livestock or livestock products. Likewise, the average
value of crops sold per livestock farm is relatively low partly
because many livestock farms had little or no income from crops
sold. The value of forest products per farm is very low largely
because forest products were reported as sold on relatively few
farms in 1054. Nevertheless, the average values provide a useful
basis for comparison of receipts from products sold on the different
groups of farms.

The average value of all farm products sold by commercial
farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was $8,602 per farm (table 80).
Crops sold accounted for an aveiage of $3,110 per farm, or 36.2
percent of the total. Livestock and livestock products sold
averaged $5,487 per farm, or 63.8 percent of the total.

The largest average gross incomes per farm were obtained by
farms in the Central Corn Belt ($11,531). The lowest average
gross incomes per farm were in the Southern Corn Belt ($5,496).
Gross incomes on livestock farms averaged higher than those on
cash-grain farms and those on all commercial farms in every region
of the Corn Belt. Sales of crops made up the largest proportion of
tlie total value of products sold on cash-grain farms in the Central
Corn Belt (77.7 percent). Livestock sales were relatively most
important on livestock farms in the Northern Corn Belt.

The average gross income from farm products sold on Class I
cash-grain farms was $34,428 (table 81). This was more than 4
times as great as the average for all cash-grain farms. Class III
cash-grain farms, the largest group of cash-grain farms in terms of
number of farms included, had an average gross income of $7,312
from farm products sold. The total value of farm products sold
on Class VI cash-grain farms was only slightly more than a tenth
of that on the Class III cash-grain farms.

The largest average gross income from farm products sold by
any group of farms in the Corn Belt was obtained by Class
I livestock farms ($47,410). Class III farms, the most numerous
among the livestock farms, averaged $7,387 for all farm products
sold. Again, the Class VI farms sold only a little more than a
tenth as much value of farm products as did Class III farms.

The gross sales on Classes IV, V, and VI cash-grain farms were
almost identical to those on the corresponding classes of livestock
farms. This came about largely, of course, because of the income
criteria of classification. But the gross sales on Class I and Class II
livestock farms were significantly larger than the gross sales on the
corresponding classes of cash-grain farm.s.

T,-\BLE 80. — Average Value of Farm Products Sold, and Percentage Composition, for Principal Types of Farms in the Corn

Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Average value per farm (dollars)

Percentage composition of value

Region and type of farm

All farm

products

sold

All crops
sold

Livestock
and live-
stock prod-
ucts sold

Forest

products

sold

All farm

products

sold

All crops
sold

Livestock
and live-
stock prod-
ucts sold

Forest

products

sold

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms. ,

8.602
7.843
10, 402

7,828
7,203
9,610

11,531
10. 475
13, 484

9,039
7,937
10, 989

9,068
7,221
11,373

5,496
6,301
6,271

3,110
5,963
1,374

3.498
5,668
1,763

4,599
8,140
1,815

2,527
6,629
1,080

2,797
5,414
1,270

1,858

3,962

949

5.487
1.877
9,025

4,324
1,631
7,841

6,929
2,333
11,667

6,609
2,308
9,907

6,270

1,806

10, 102

3,631
1,333
5,317

4
3
3

7
4
6

2
2

3

(Z)
3

1
1
1

7
6
4

100,0
100,0
100,0

100,0
100,0
100,0

100.0
100,0
100 0

100.0
100 0
100.0

100 0
100.0
100.0

100.0
lOo 0

100.0

36.2
76.0
13.2

44.7
77 3
18.3

39,9
77.7
13.6

28.0
70.9
9.8

30.8
75.0
11.2

33.8
74.7
15.1

63.8
23.9
86.8

55.2
22.6
81.6

CO.l
22 3
86.6

72 0
29 1
90 2

69.1
25.0
88.8

66.1
25. 1
84.8

(Z)

(Z)

Livestocli farms '

(Z)

Eastern Corn Belt:

0.1

Cash-gram farms

0 1

Livestock farms •.

0 1

Central Corn Belt:

(Z)

(Z)

Livestock farms K

(Z)

Northern Com Belt:

(Z)

Cash-gram farms

(Z)

Livestock farms L

(Z)
(Z)

Western Com Belt:

Cash-grain farms .

(Z)

(Z)

Southem Com Belt:

All commercial farms _

0.1

Cash-grain farms..

0 1

0.1

Z Less than 0.50 or less than 0.05 percent.

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

58

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 81. — Average Value of Farm Products Sold, by
Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Average value per farm (dollars)

Type and economic class of farm

All farm

products

sold

All
crops
sold

Livestock
and live-
stock prod-
ucts sold

Forest

products

sold

8,602

7,843

34,428

14,209

7,312

3,841

1,919

790

10, 402

47, 410

15, 250

7,387

3,844

1,911

791

3,110

5,963

26, 753

10, 884

5,430

2,921

1,527

665

1,374

4,425

2,423

1,112

480

188

69

5,487

1,877

7,662

3,321

1,880

918

389

141

9,026
42, 979
12, 824
6,272
3,361
1,721
721

4

Cash-^ain farms:
Total

3

Class I

14

II

3

III

2

IV -

3

V

2

VI -.

Livestock farms: '

Total -

Class I.

1

3

6

II

Ill

IV --

3
3
3

V.

3

VI --

1

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The proportion of receipts from crops and from livestock and
livestooli products sold showed relatively little variation from class
to class among either the cash-grain farms or the livestock farms
(table 82). The widest difference among classes of cash-grain farms
was 8 percent, comparing Class 111 with Class VI. The widest

difference between livestock farms was 7 percent, comparing
Class II with Class VI. These differences in source of income
are relatively insignificant when compared with the differences
in levels of income.

Table 82. — Percentage Composition of Value of Farm
Products Sold on Commerci.'^l Farms in the Corn Belt:
1954

Type and economic class of farm

Total value

of farm

products

sold

Value of

all

crops

sold

Value of
livestock
and live-
stock prod-
ucts sold

Value of
forest

products
sold

AU commercial farms

Cash-gi-ain farms:

Total -.

Percent
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

Percent
36.2

76.0
77.7
76.6
74.3
76.0
79.6
82.3

13.2
9.3
15.9
15.0
12.5
9.8
8.8

Percent
63.8

23.9
22.3
23.4
25.7
23.9
20.3
17.7

86.8
90.7
84.1
84.8
87.4
90.0
91.1

Percent
(Z)

(Z)

Class I

z

II

(Z)

III

(Z)

IV....

V

0.1
0.1

VI ..

Livestock farms; '
Total

0.1
(Z)

ClassI

(Z)

II

(Z)

III

(Z)

IV

0.1

V

0.1

VI

0.1

Z 0.05 percent or less.

1 Livestock other tban dairy and poultry farms.

CASH'GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

59

SPECIFIED EXPENSES

In the 1954 Census of Agriculture information was obtained on
expenditures for machine hire, hired labor, feed for livestock and
l)Oultry, gasoline and other petroleum fuel and oil, commercial
fertilizer and fertilizing material, and lime and liming material.
These items account for a major share of the cash expenses on most
farms (5). It is estimated that, in general, the specified expenses
account for approximately two-thirds of all the farm expenses on
Corn Belt farms, exclusive of land rent, interest on capital invest-
ment, and depreciation of buildings, machinery, and equipment.

Every farm did not have expenditures for each of the items
covered by the Census inquiry. The proportion of commercial
farms reporting specified expenditures by region and type of farm
in the Corn Belt is shown in table 83.

About 70 percent of all the commercial farms reported expendi-
tures for machine hire. This item included customwork .such as
tractor hire, combining, threshing, silo filling, baling, plowing, and
spraying. Farms reporting machine hire were relatively most
numerous in the Northern Corn Belt (75.3 percent), and relatively
least numerous in the Eastern Corn Belt (65.1 percent).

Expenditures for hired labor were reported on 51.8 percent of the
commercial farms in the Corn Belt. Almost half the farms used
no hired help. The Central Corn Belt had the largest percentage
of farms using hired labor (55.5 percent), and the Southern Corn
Belt had the smallest proportion (47 percent). Hired labor was
used by a larger proportion of the livestock farms than of the
cash-grain farms in every region.

Expenditures for feed for livestock and poultry were reported on
89.2 percent of the commercial farms. This was a larger propor-
tion of the farms than those reporting any other specified expense
except for gasoline and oil. Items included under feed expendi-
tures were grain, hay, mill feeds, concentrates and roughages
purchased, and payments for grinding and mixing feed. The
largest percentage of farms reporting expenditures for feed was in
the Northern Corn Belt (91.6 percent), and the smallest percentage
was in the Eastern Corn Belt (85.2 percent). A considerably
larger proportion of livestock farmers than of cash-grain farmers
reported expenditures for feed. For example, in the Eastern Corn
Belt, 94.7 percent of the livestock farmers and 73.6 percent of the
cash-grain farmers reported this expense.

Expenditures for gasoline and other petroleum fuel and oil for
the farm business were reported by 92.2 percent of the commercial
farms. The highest proportions of farms reporting this item were
in the Northern, Western, and Central Corn Belt. This item was
reported somewhat more frequently on cash-grain farms than on
livestock farms in every region, reflecting the generally more
complete degree of mechanization on the cash-grain farms.
Farmers who did not report expenditures for gasoline and oil
apparently were mainly those who use horse and mule power
exclusively and those who hired tractors or custom operators to do
all their field work.

Commercial fertilizer or fertilizing materials were bought by
about two-thirds of all the commercial farms in the Corn Belt in
1954. The highest percentage of farms reporting expenditures for
fertilizer was in the Eastern Corn Belt (88.1 percent), and the
smallest percentage was among farms in the Western Corn Belt
(50.2 percent). In the Eastern, Southern, and Central Corn
Belt, the proportion of cash-grain farms reporting expenditures for
fertilizer was larger than the proportion of livestock farms reporting
fertilizer expenditures, but the opposite was true in the other two
regions.

Expenditures for lime and liming material were reported by
about a fifth of the conimercial farms. Lime expenditures were
reported relatively most frequently among farmers in the Southern
and Eastern Corn Belt, and relatively least frequently among
farmers in the Western Corn Belt. The percentage of farms re-
porting expenditures for lime generally varied considerably more
between regions than between types of farms within regions.

T.'VBLE 83. — Percent of Commercial Farms Reporting
Specified Expenditures, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt
AND Component Regions: 1954

Specified farm expenditures

Uegion and type of farm

Ma-
cliine
hire

Hired
labor

Feed

Gaso-
line and
oil

Com-
mercial
ferti-
lizer

Lime
and
liming
mate-
rial

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms ...

C:ish-srain farms...

Livestock farms '

Percent
69.7
69.7
70.3

65.1
66.1
64.8

70.3
71.7
69.5

75.3
74.2
74.9

72.6
74.2
72.3

67.0
63.0
69.7

Percent
61.8
49.8
56.0

51.1
47.8
66.0

65.6
54.1
68.9

62.9
49.4
68.1

62.7
61.4
65.9

47.0
43.5
62 1

Percent
89.2
78.4
96.7

85,2
73.6
94.7

90.1
81.7
96.8

91.6
79.7
%.3

90.1
79.8
95.8

90.0
78.2
94.7

Percent
92.2
95.1
91.8

89.3
93.2
88.1

94.1
95.7
94.2

96 7
97.0
96.8

94.3
96.8
93.8

88.4
93.7

87.2

Percent
66.6
68.8
65.4

88.1
92.7
86.9

61.3
64.4
61.2

63.9
54.3
71.6

60.2
49.3

52,6

68.8
74.4
67.2

Percent
19.0
17,8
20.9

Eastern Corn Bolt:

.\U commercial farms

26. 1

Cash-graln farms

Livestock farms '

24.4
31.6

Central Com Belt:

20.1

Cash-grain farms. . _

20.1
22.2

Northern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Western Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

13.9
6.5
18.7

7.7

6.4

Livestock farms '

8.7

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms.

26.8
27.0
28.7

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Machine hire was reported somewhat more frequently among
Class II and Class III farms than among the higher and lower
economic classes of farms (table 84). Hired labor was reported
relatively most frequenti}' among the higher economic classes,
ranging among the cash-grain farms, for example, from 88.8 per-
cent of the Class I farms down to 18.2 percent of the Class VI
farms. Expenditures for feed also were generally reported rela-
tively more frequently among the upper economic classes of farms,
but the range in frequency of farms reporting was greater among
cash-grain farms than among livestock farms. Even among the
Class VI livestock farms, 87.5 percent reported expenditures for
feed. Gasoline and oil purchases were reported by nearly all
Classes I, II, and III farms and by 60 to 75 percent of Class VI
farms.

Commercial fertilizer and lime also were reported relatively
more frequently by the upper economic classes of farms. Among
cash-grain farms, for example, the range from Class I to Class VI
farms in percentage of farms reporting expenditures for fertilizer
was from 88.4 percent down to 48 percent. For lime on livestock
farms, the percentage of farms reporting ranged from 30.9 percent
of the Class I farms down to 9.7 percent of the Class VI farms.

60

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 84. — Percent of Commercial Farms Reporting
Specified Expenditures, tn the Corn Belt: 1954

Specified farm expenditures

Type and economic class of farm

Ma-
cliine
hire

Hired
labor

Feed

Gaso-
line and
oU

Com-
mercial
ferti-
lizer

Lime
and
liming
mate-
rial

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total

Percent
69.7

69.7
67.0
70.7
71.1
69.7
68.2
58.9

70.3
70.6
73.0
74.1
71.8
64.2
45.6

Percent
61.8

49.8
88.8
68.8
62.0
39.6
29.6
18.2

66.0
87.0
70.8
57.4
47.6
34.7
21.6

Percent
89.2

78.4
84.1
86.3
83.7
74.4
63.3
64.8

95.7
98.3
97.7
96.9
95.2
91.8
87.5

Percent
92.2

95.1
97.5
97.8
97.4
96.2
89.6
74.6

91.8
98.0
97.6
96.8
91.8
79.7
69.9

Percent
66.5

68.8
88.4
80.9
69.0
62.2
60.8
48.0

65.4
84.9
80.2
69.0
66.8
45.6
31.0

Percent
19.0

17.8

Class I --

34.7

II

23.8

III

17.0

IV

14.8

V

13.9

VI -

9.7

Livestocli farms: '

Total.... ...

Class I

20.9
30.9

n

25.9

III

IV

V

21.4
17.6
14.2

VI

9.7

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Feed was the largest item of expenditure per commercial farm
reporting (table 85). This was true for all commercial farms and
for practically every economic class of cash-grain and livestock
farms. Among the 89.2 percent of the commercial farms buying
feed, the average expenditure for feed in 1954 was $1,510. On
cash-grain farms, this expenditure averaged $2,13-1 on Class I
farms, $1,120 on Class II farms, $696 on Class III farms, and $193
on Class VI farms. On livestock farms the average expenditure
for feed, by the 95.7 percent of the farmers who reported this
expenditure, was $2,117. On Class I livestock farms the average
amount spent for feed was $9,458. From this rather tidy sum,
the average expenditures ranged downward to $2,855 on Class II
farms, and to $293 on Class VI farms. A large part of the expend-
iture for feed by farmers in the Corn Belt is for oil meal, such as
soybean meal or linseed meal, and for commercially mixed feeds,
such as pig starter and poultry laying mash.

Table 85. — Average Expenditure Per Commercial Farm
Reporting Each Specified Expense in the Corn Belt: 1954

Specified farm expenditures (dollars)

Type and economic class of farm

Ma-
chine
hire

Hired
labor

Feed

Gaso-
line and
oU

Com-
mercial
ferti-
lizer

Lime
and
liming
mate-
rials

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:

Total..

Class I

II..

ni

IV

242

261
676
325
263
208
159
109

250
456
301
245
202
154
108

575

476
2,474
663
289
195
144
95

009
2,166
680
334
237
164
120

1,610

726
2,134
1,120
696
416
279
193

2,117

9,458

2,855

1,490

893

529

293

626

674
1,712
868
570
381
240
157

626
1,175
688
490
3,63
230
163

489

552
2,192
840
465
308
211
134

498
1,286
616
390
273
199
147

165

188
427
233
175
133

V

103

VI

88

Livestock farms: '

Total.

168

Class I

325

II

195

III.

144

IV...

111

V.

100

VI....

92

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Hired labor was the second largest expenditure per farm report-
ing. Only about half the farms used hired labor, but on farms
where it was used, it was generally a substantial expense. Hired
labor was used to the largest extent on the larger farms. On
Class I cash-grain farms, the average wage bill per farm reporting
was $2,474, and on Class I livestock farms it was $2,166. On
Class II and smaller farms, however, the average expenditure for
hired labor was one of the smallest expenditure items reported.

Gasoline and oil constituted the third largest item of expenditure
per farm reporting. This item averaged $574 on cash-grain farms
and S526 on livestock farms. The range in size of the gasoline
and oil bill per farm reporting among cash-grain farms was from
S157 on Class VI farms up to SI, 712 on Class I farms. Class
for class, the average expenditure for gas and oil was smaller on
livestock farms than on cash-grain farms.

The average expenditure for commercial fertilizer per farm re-
porting ranged from $2,192 down to $134 on the economic classes
of cash-grain farms, and from $1,286 down to -$147 on the economic
classes of livestock farms. Expenditures for lime and liming
material averaged smaller than any other specified expenses
reported. The range on cash-grain farms was from $427 on Class
I farms to $88 on Class VI farms.

The average bill for machine hire among the 69.7 percent of the
farmers who reported this item was $242. The size of this ex-
penditure ran slightly lower on the livestock farms than it did on
the corresponding classes of cash-grain farms.

The total amount of the 6 specified expenses on all commercial
farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was 2.1 billion dollars (table 86).
About half of this was spent by livestock farmers, and about a
fourth by cash-grain farmers. More than half of the expenditures
among both cash-grain and livestock farms were made by the
Class II and Class III farms. Expenditures for feed reached
almost 1.1 billion dollars, or approximately half of the total speci-
fied expenditures. On cash-grain farms, the expenditure for feed
was only slightly greater than the expenditure for gasoline and oil,
but on livestock farms the expenditure for feed was relatively much
greater. On all economic classes of farms except Class I, the total
expense for commercial fertilizer was greater than the total expense
for hired labor.

Table '86. — Total Specified Expenditures on Commercial
Farms in the Corn Belt: 1954

Specified farm expenditures (thousand dollars)

Type and economic
class of farm

Total

Ma-
chine
hire

Hired
labor

Feed

Gaso-
line
and oil

Com-
mercial
ferti-
lizer

Lime

and

liming

mate-
rial

All commercial
farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total

Class I

II ...

Ill . -

2,116,746

613, 060
52, 824
200,043
163, 906
68,643
23,289
3,756

1,106,354
314, 408
393, 190
244,907
107, 655
37, 167
9,027

134, 543

46, 254
2,606
14, 250
16, 196
8,986
3,682
636

57, 446
7,321
18, 342
17, 168
9,721
3,964
930

237, 679

62. 471
14,264
28,272
13. 531
4,785
1,447
173

111, 498

42.812

40,249

18, 120

7,651

2,279

488

1, 073, 633

160,381
11,669
69, 937
62, 505
19,232
6,995
1,064

661,732

211,060

233.017

136, 464

66, 946

19, 408

4,848

386, 662

144, 670
10, 851
52, 646
50, 068
22, 524
7,313
1,168

157, 793
26,144
66, 064
44,804
21, 739
7,322
1,731

269, 213

100, 621
12, 582
42, 111
28,928
11,895
4,366
640

106, 420

24, 801
41,301

25, 443
10, 388

3,625
862

26,026

8,862

963

3,428

2,678

IV.

1,222

V

486

VI

85

Livestock farms: '
Total

11,464

Class I...

II

2,281
4,227

III

IV

2,908
1,310

V

569

VI

169

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

61

The relative importance or magnitude of different items among
the specified expenses was not the same on all economic classes of
farms. Among cash-grain farms, the item accounting for the
largest percentage of the total specified expenses was hired labor
on Class I farms, feed on Class II and Class III farms, and gasoline
and oil on Classes IV, V, and VI farms (table 87). Among live-
stock farms, feed accounted for the largest percentage of the spec-
ified expenditures on all economic classes of farms. Expenditures
for machine hire and for fuel were larger percentages of the total
on the lower economic classes than on the higher economic classes
of farms, while expenditures for hired labor were larger percent-
ages of the total on the higher economic classes.

Table 87- — Percentage Composition of Total Specified
Expenditures on Commercial Farms, by Economic Class,
IN THE Corn Belt: 1954

Percentage composition of specified farm expenditm*es

Type and economic
class of farm

Total

Ma-
chine
hire

Hu-ed
labor

Feed

Gaso-
line
and oil

Com-
mercial
ferti-
lizer

Lime

and

liming

mate-
rial

All commercial

100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

6.4

9.0
4.7
7. 1
9.9
13.1
15.8
16.9

5.2
2.3
4.7
7.0
9.0
10.7
10.3

11.2

12.2
27.0
14.1
8.3
7.0
6.2
4.6

10.1
13.6
10.2
7.4
7.0
6.1
.5.4

50.7

29.3
22.1
29.9
32.0
28.0
25.7
28.1

59.8
67.1
59. 3
55.7
52.9
52.2
63.7

18.2

28.2
20.5
26.2
30.5
32.8
31.4
31.1

14.3
8.3
14.3

18.3
20.2
19.7
19.2

12.3

19.6
23.8
21.0
17.6
17.3
18.7
17.0

9.6
7.9
10.5
10.4
9.6
9.8
9.6

1.2

Cash-grain farms:
Total -

1.7

Class I

II

1.8
1.7

ni.

1 6

IV

1.8

V.

2 1

VI

2.3

Livestock farms: '

Total

Class I

II

1.0
0.7
1. 1

Ill

1.2

rv....

V.

1.2

1.5

VI.

1.9

1 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

The total specified expenditures per commercial farm in 1954
are shown by economic class of farm for each region of the Corn
Belt in table 88. The average for all commercial farms was
$2,654. The largest average expenditure per commercial farm
for the specified items was in the Central Corn Belt ($3,230).
The Western Corn Belt ranked second with an average total
expenditure per farm of $2,703. The largest average expenditure
for any group of farms was $16,324 on Class I farms in the Southern
Corn Belt. Average expenditures on Class II and Class III
farms, which are rather typical of much of the Corn Belt, were
between $1,700 and $3,800 for cash-grain farms in the various
regions, and between $2,300 and $5,400 for livestock farms.

Table 88. — Average of Total Specified Expenditures Per
Commercial Farm in the Corn Belt and Component
Regions: 1954

Type and economic class of
farm

Com
Belt,
total

Eastern
Corn
Belt

Central
Cora
Belt

North-
ern
Com
Belt

Western
Com
Belt

South-
era

Cora
Belt

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Class I

II

Dollars
2,654

1,939
8,132
3,236
1,819
1,106
686
378

3.387
13, 846
4,706
2,691
1,607
929
478

Dollars
2,582

1,927
9,407
3,489
1,935
1,098
654
326

3.412

13,647

5,068

2,766

1,647

892

478

Dollars
3,230

2,372
7,608
3,136
1,754
1,053
647
392

4,125

12, 238

4,606

2,623

1,683

923

461

Dollars
2,697

1,881
7,339
3,097
1,749
1,076
612
348

3,161

11,347

4, 143

2,362

1, 616

890

466

Dollars
2,703

1,696
7,659
3,061
1,706
1,047
666
341

3,593
16, 177
4,638
2,503
1,688
943
616

Dollars
2,101

1,621
9,284
3,711
2,061
1 261

Ill

IV...

V . .

775

VI

436

Livestock farms; '

Total -

Class I

II

Ill

IV..

V .

2,484
16,324
6,365
2,759
1,602
948

VI.

466

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Information was not obtained in the 1954 Census on
expenditures for livestock and poultry purchased. This expense
item is relatively important on many Corn Belt farms, especially
on those farms where feeder cattle and feeder sheep are sizable
enterprises. Information obtained on this item in the 1950
Census showed that it was somewhat larger than the expenditures
for feed purchased in the Corn Belt as a whole. The distribution
of expenditures for livestock and poultry bought on farms in the
United States in 1949 is shown in figure 36. The concentration
of expenditures for livestock purchases was relatively heavy in the
Corn Belt, and especially in parts of the Western and Central
Corn Belt.

EXPENDITURES FOR LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY PURCHASED
DOLLARS. 1949

Figure 36.

62

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

INVESTlvIENT COST

Total capital investment on Corn Belt farms has been discussed
above. It has been noted, for example, that tlu.- average value of
investment on all commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was
about $44,000 and that the range in average value of investment
among economic classes of farms was from about $10,000 up to
almost $200,000 (table 31).

Capital is not available without cost. The cost of capital may
be in the form of interest charges on money borrowed, interest
payments on a mortgage or on indebtedness for machinery or
equipment, or it may be an interest rate determined by the alterna-
tive opportunities of investment.

Estimated interest charges for capital investment per commercial
farm, by major category of investment, and by type of farm in the
different regions in the Corn Belt are given in table 89. These
interest charges have been computed by using an interest rate of
5 percent for the investment in land and buildings, and an interest
rate of 7 percent for the investment in machinery, equipment, and
livestock. Because of the large investment frequently found on
Corn Belt farms it is interesting to note the estimated charges, at
prevailing interest rates, represented by these capital investments.

The relatively large interest charge for investment in land and
buildings indicates the cost of land ownership and helps to explain

Table 89. — Estimated Interest Charge for Capital Invest'
MENT Per Commercial Farm, by Major Categories of
Investment, by Type of Farm, in the Corn Belt .and Com-
ponent Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Total cap-
ital invest-
ment

Land and
buildings i

Machtaery
and equip-
ment 2

Livestock -

Total Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Dollars
2,416
2,614
2,615

2,218
2,288
2, 666

3,402
3,810
3,380

2,276
2,235
2,567

2,477
2,370
2,769

1,611
1,747
1,721

Dollars
1,677
1,997
1,688

1,586

^ 1,735

1,736

2,546
3,105
2,281

1,443

1,679
1,631

1,667
1,736
1,758

1,026
L223
1,050

Dollars
419
448
442

414
433
447

469
503
512

448
464
482

424
438
448

346
385
337

Dollars
320

Cash-grain farms

169

486

Eastern Corn Belt:

218

Cash-grain farms

120
373

Central Corn Belt:

387

Cash-grain farms

202

687

Northern Corn Belt:
All commercial farms

384

Cash-grain farms

192

Livestock farms ^

564

Western Com Belt:

386

196

663

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

239

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3

139
334

' Interest charge at 5 percent.
2 Interest charge at 7 percent.
> Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

the high proportion of farmers who are part owners or tenants in
the relatively high-priced land areas of the Corn Belt. To a
tenant, the actual cost of investment in land is not in the form of a
direct payment of interest, but it is a cost included in rents paid
in the long run by tenants and part owners to their landlords.

The estimated interest charge for total capital investment
averaged $2,416 per commercial farm in the Corn Belt in 1954.
It was highest (averaging $.3,810 per farm) on cash-grain farms in
the Central Corn Belt. It was relatively the lowest on commercial
farms in the Southern Corn Belt, where it averaged $1,611 per
farm. The estimated interest charge for investment in land and
buildings averaged $1,677 for all commercial farms in the Corn
Belt, while the average interest on investment in machinery and
equipment was $419 and the average interest on investment in
livestock averaged $320 per commercial farm.

The estimated average charges for interest on the various
economic classes of cash-grain and livestock farms in the Corn
Belt are shown in table 90. Interest on the total investment was
highest on Economic Class I cash-grain farms, averaging $9,011
per farm. On Economic Class I livestock farms it was $6,711.
Total interest, as well as the interest charge in each category of
investment, is progressively lower as we go from Economic Class
I farms to Economic Class VI farms. The interest on investment
in land and buildings was $7,495 per farm on Class I cash-grain
farms, but only $442 on Class VI cash-grain farms. The estimated
interest charge on machinery and equipment averaged $1,052 on
Class I cash-grain farms, but only $168 on Class VI cash-grain
farms. On livestock farms, the average interest charge for
investment in livestock per farm ranged from $1,395 on Economic
Class I farms down to $109 on Class VI farms.

Table 90. — Estimated Interest Charge for Capital Invest-
MENT Per Farm, by Major Categories of Investment, by
Type and Economic Class of Farm, in The Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Total cap-
ital invest-
ment

Land and
buildings 1

Machinery
and equip-
ment 2

Livestock '

All commercial farms-

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Dollars
2,416

2,614
9,011
4,322
2,512
1,576
1,005
646

2,616
6,711
3,738
2,396
1,610
1,041
649

Dollars
1,677

1,997
7,495
3,430
1,879
1,121
688
442

1,688

4,422

2, 482

1, 622

985

628

396

Dollars
419

448
1,062
631
464
343
256
168

442
894
594
434
322
228
144

Dollars
320

169

Class I

464

II....

261

III ...

179

IV

111

V . . .

61

VI

36

Livestock farms: •

Total

485

Class I...

1,396

II

662

Ill

440

IV

303

V

185

VI

108

' Interest charge at 5 percent.
2 Interest charge at 7 percent.
' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

63

INDICATORS OF FARM EFFICIENCY

Efficiency of farm operations is reflected in the returns or output
obtained in relation to the quantity or value of inputs used.
Farming inputs may be grouped under the broad categories of
land, labor, operating capital, and management. Operating
capital includes investments in machinery, equipment, and live-
stock, and current expenditures for items such as gasoline and
oil, machine hire, seed, feed, and fertilizer. Investment in land
and buildings is also a capital input, but because of the basic role
of land in agriculture and its spatial as well as productivity aspects,
it is helpful in some phases of an analysis of farming to consider
the land resources in terms of acreage as well as in terms of capital
investment. Likewise, it is helpful in an examination of farming
efficiency to make some analysis of output in relation to physical
units of labor as well as in relation to the value of labor services (5) .

One of the best measures of average resource productivity and
efficiency is the relationship of total production to all resources
used in farming. An overall output-input measure of that kind
for the different types and economic classes of farms in the Corn
Belt would require data on items in addition to those for which
information was available in the present study. On the output
side, data on value of farm products used in farm households
would be necessary in addition to the value of all farm products
sold. On the input side, data on various expenditures and costs
in addition to those reported in the Census would be necessary.
However, the available data do make possible a number of com-
parisons of the intensity of resource use on the different types and
economic classes of farms and the computation of some measures
that indicate the relative efficiency of production on different
economic classes of farms. Data providing some comparisons of
resource use and some indications of relative efficiency for farms
in the Corn Belt are presented in the following tables.

PRODUCTION PER UNIT OF LAND

The percentage of land in high return crops is a measure of
intensity of cropping and it often is useful in explaining differences
in economic returns of individual farms or groups of farms. In
the Corn Belt the two most widely grown high return crops are
corn and soybeans. The percentages of cropland occupied by
each of these crops on farms in different regions of the Corn Belt
in 1954 are shown in table 91. Groups of farms having a relatively
high percentage of cropland in both of these crops are generally
those showing the highest value of farm products sold per acre
of cropland. The percentage of harvested cropland used for corn
and soybeans is shown for each economic class of cash-grain and
livestock farms in table 92. On cash-grain farms there was no
consistent relationship between economic class and percent of
cropland in corn. On livestock farms, however. Class I farms
had the highest percentage of cropland in corn and the proportion
of cropland in corn declined consistently from Class I to Class
VI farms. The percentage of cropland in soybeans was highest
on Class I farms and consistently less on each of the lower economic
classes of farms. This was true on livestock farms as well as on
cash-grain farms.

The number of cattle and calves and of hogs and pigs per 100
acres of land in farms indicate the relative intensity of production
of these livestock (tables 91 and 92) . In the Corn Belt as a whole,
livestock farms had more than twice as many cattle and more

than 4 times as many hogs per 100 acres as did cash-grain farms.
The average number of cattle and calves per 100 acres on live-
stock farms was highest in the Central and Northern Corn Belt
(22 head and 21 head, respectively), and lowest in the Southern
Corn Belt (14 head). The Central Corn Belt had the largest
number of hogs and pigs per 100 acres of farmland on both cash-
grain and livestock farms as well as on all commercial farms.
Livestock farms in the Central Corn Belt had an average of 56
hogs and pigs per 100 acres of farmland compared with 21 on
livestock farms in the Southern Corn Belt. The number of
head of livestock per 100 acres of farmland was strongly corre-
lated with economic class of farm on the livestock farms. Eco-
nomic Class I livestock farms had an average of 28 cattle and
calves per 100 acres, while Class VI livestock farms had only 12.
The average number of hogs and pigs per 100 acres was 42 on
Class I livestock farms and 11 on Class VI livestock farms. On
cash-grain farms, all economic classes of farms had much fewer
livestock per 100 acres than did livestock farms, and the differences
between classes were less conspicuous.

The number of hogs and pigs per 100 acres of cropland on hve-
stock farms ranged from 60 on Economic Class I farms down to
48 on Class III farms, and 25 on Class VI farms. On cash-grain
farms, the Classes I, II, and III farms had 11 or 12 hogs and pigs
per 100 acres of cropland, while the Class IV farms had 8, and the
Class VI farms had only 4.

Table 91. — Production of Corn, Soybeans, Cattle, and
Hogs in Relation to Acreage of Farmland, by Type of
Farm, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Percent of total
acres of cropland
harvested

Head of livestock
per 100 acres of
all land In farms

Number
of hogs
and pigs

Region and type of farm

Com har-
vested for
grain

Soybeans
harvested
for beans

All cattle

and

calves

All hogs
and pigs

per 100
acres of
cropland

Total Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms-

Livestock farms i..

Eastern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farmS-

Livestock farms '

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Casli-grain farmS-

Livestock farms '

Northern Com Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms '

Western Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms.

Livestock farms '

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms i

37.7
38.7
39.0

38.0
39.1
41.1

43.6
43. 1
44.9

33.2
32.1
36.6

40.2
41.3
40.1

27.7
29.9
28.7

11.3
18.3
5.7

16.0
23.4
9.5

15.7
23.8
7.2

9.8
17.8
4.9

2.7
4.3
1.7

16.9
27.5
9.9

13

8

18

12
6
16

15
8
22

15

7

21

14
8
18

12
7
14

22

8
34

23
9

48

33

12
56

27
10
42

16

5

23

14
6
21

30
11
61

30
11
62

41
14
71

36
12
58

23

7
38

23
9

38

I Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

64

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

Table 92. — Production of Corn, Soybeans, Cattle, and
Hogs in Relation to Acreage of Farmland, by Type and
Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of fann

All commercial farms.

Cash-grain farms:

Total

Class I

II

III

IV

V

VI

Livestock farms: '

Total

Class I

II

III

rv

V

VI

Percent

of total

Head of livestock

acres of cropland

per 100 acres of

harvested

all land in farms

Com har-

Soybeans

All cattle

All hogs
and pigs

vested for

harvested

and

gram

for beans

calves

37.7

11.3

13

22

38.7

18.3

8

8

40.5

24.3

8

9

39.3

20.8

8

10

38.0

16.8

8

9

37.9

14.7

7

6

39.1

15.2

6

4

42.2

12.9

5

3

39.0

5.7

18

34

41.1

7.0

28

42

40.1

6.9

18

41

38.3

6.0

16

32

36.6

3.9

15

25

36.9

3.1

14

18

36.1

2.4

12

11

Number
of hogs

and pigs
per 100
acres of

cropland

11
II
12
11

51
60
57
48
41
34
25

J Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CAPITAL INPUTS AND PRODUCT OUTPUT PER ACRE

Data on specified resource inputs and value of farm products
sold in relation to land acreage are shown in tables 93 and 94.
The highest value of all farm products sold per acre of land was
found on farms in the Central and Eastern Corn Belt. These were
also the regions where capital investment per acre and total speci-

fied expenses per acre were relatively high. The relatively high
value of land and buildings per acre contributed to the relatively
high value of total investment per acre on farms in the Central and
Eastern Corn Belt, but the investment in machinery and equip-
ment per acre of cropland and the numVjer of tractors in relation
to crop acres in these regions were also relatively high. Farms in
the Southern Corn Belt had the relatively smallest investment in
land and buildings, machinery, and livestock per acre, and they
also had the lowest average value of farm products sold per acre
of au}^ region in the Corn Belt.

Total capital investment per acre of all land in farms ranged
from an average of $277 on Class I cash-grain farms down to $142
on Class VI cash-grain farms. Among livestock farms also, total
capital investment per acre was only half as great on Class VI
farms as on Class I farms, with investment per acre on the other
economic classes ranging between these extremes. Total specified
expenses per acre likewise were highest on the upper economic
classes of farms, ranging on livestock farms, for example, from $29
on Class I farms down to $5 on Class VI farms. It has been
pointed out above that crop yields were highest on the upper
economic classes and lowest on the lower economic classes of farms
(table 59).

The investment in machinery and equipment per acre of crop-
land was lower on the upper economic classes than on the lower
economic classes of farms. This comes about because the larger
farms had more acres of cropland on which to use their machines
so that the acreage per machine was larger. For example. Class
I cash-grain farms had an average of 144 acres of cropland per
tractor, while Class VI cash-grain farms had 65. In other words,
the overhead cost of a set of farm machinery is greater on a per acre
basis on small farms than on large farms.

Table 93.-

-Specified Resource Inputs and Value of Farm Products Sold in Relation to Land Acreage, by Type of Farm, in

THE Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

' Value of total investment In land, buildings, livestock, machinery, and equipment.

2 Total of expenditures for machine hire, hired labor, feed bought, gasoline and other
petroleum fuel and oil, commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material, and lime and
liming material.

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

Region and type of farm

Capital Investment per
acre of all land in farms
(doUars)

Total specLfled

expenses per

acre of all land

in farms s

(doUars)

Acres of crop-
land per tractor

Investment In
machinery and
equipment per
acre of crop-
land (dollars)

Value of all
crops sold per

acre of crop-
land (dollars)

Value of farm products sold per
acre of all land In farms
(doUars)

Total 1

Livestock,

machinery,

and equipment

Livestock and
livestock
products

All farm
products

Total Corn Belt:

206
216
204

266
250
285

318
333
311

198
178
217

157
148
163

134
137
132

49
39

57

59
46
72

62
47
80

58
41
71

40
31

47

39
32
41

12
9
15

17
11
21

16
11
21

13

8
15

9
6
12

10

7

11

92
101
91

72
79
73

85
94
80

87
103
83

116
134
110

98
107
99

39
36
41

49
45
61

41
38
47

41
35

46

32
28
34

38
33
38

20

33

9

29
40
14

28
43
12

16
29

7

15
24

7

14
24

7

26

8

39

28
10

48

35
11
59

32
10

47

22

6

33

17
6
23

40

Cash-grain farms

35

45

Eastern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms . .

51

42

Livestock farms 3._

69

Central Corn Belt:

68

Cash-grain farms

48

68

Northern Com Belt:

All commercial farms _

44

34

Livestock farms 3.,

62

Western Com Belt:

All commercial farms.

32

24

Livestock farms 3. .

37

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

26

Cash-grain farms

23

Livestock farms'...

27

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

65

The value of crops sold per acre of cropland and the value of all
farm products sold per acre of all land ranged from highest on
Class I farms to lowest on Class VI farms. On livestock farms,
the average value of all farm products sold per acre of all land
was $100 on Class I farms, $32 on Class III farms, and $8 on Class
VI farms.

For all commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 the average

value of farm products sold per acre of land in farms was $40.
The average for all farms in the United States was $21.28 (fig. 37).
In a number of smaller regions in different parts of the United
States, the average value of farm products sold per acre of farm-
land was equal to or above that of the Central and Eastern Corn
Belt. But most of the area of the United States was below the
Corn Belt average. Parts of the Southern and Western Corn
Belt were about equal to or below the United States average.

Table 94. — Specified Resource Inputs and Value of Farm Products Sold in Relation to Land Acreage, by Type and Economic

Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Type and economic class of farm

Capital Investment per
acre of all land In farms
(dollars)

Total specified

expenses per

acre of all land

in farms '

(dollars)

Acres of crop-
land per tractor

Investment in
machinery and
equipment per
acre of crop-
land (dollars)

Value of all
crops sold per

acre of crop-
land (dollars)

Value of farm products sold per
acre of all land in farms
(dollars)

Total >

Livestock,

machinery,

and equipment

Livestock and
livestock
products

All farm
products

All rnTnmprcial filrms

206

216

277
252
202
173
162
142

204
257
235
188
158
143
123

49

39
36
40
39
39
40
35

57
69
62
55
49
46
38

12

9
13
10

8
7
6
5

15
29
16
11
9
7
5

92

101
144
114
101
86
68
65

91
113

96
88
81
68
70

39

36
29
33
35
40
47
47

41

39
41
41

42
48
60

20

33
51
40
SO
24
20
13

9
13
12
7
4
3
2

26

8
12
10
8
6
3
2

39
91
45
28
19
13
8

40

Cash-^aln farms:

Total --

Class I -

56
44
32
23

II

Ill

rv

V

17
10

45

VI

Livestock farms: 3

Total -

Class I

100
63
32

11

III

rv -

V -.--

15

VI

1 Value of total investment in land, buildings, livestock, machinery, and equipment.

3 Total of expenditures for machine hire, hired labor, feed bought, gsisoline and other
petroleum fuel and oil, commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material, and lime and
liming material.

' Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

AVERAGE VALUE OF FARM PRODUCTS SOLD PER ACRE OF ALL LAND IN FARMS, 1954

(COUNTY UNIT BASIS)

I 1 UND£K 5
m^ TO 9

CZl <° TO w

E©Hj 0 TO 24
* NO FARMS

US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

MAP NO AS4'329

BUflEAU OF THE CENSUS

FiGUKB 37.

66

FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

PRODUCTION PER UNIT OF LABOR

Labor productivity is an important measure of efiSciency in
farming (5). Even on farms tliat are highly mechanized, labor
represents a large proportion of the total inputs. The level of
farm income is mainly a function of the value of products produced
per worker. The productivity of labor, generally, is increased as
the quantity of other resources used per worker is increased.

Quantities of specified resources used per man-equivalent of
labor on cash-grain and livestock farms in the Corn Belt are shown
in table 95 along with the value of farm products sold per man-
equivalent. The average acreage of all land per man-equivalent
of labor on all commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954 was 171
acres. Land acreage per man-equivalent averaged largest on
cash-grain farms in the Western Corn Belt (240 acres), and smallest
on livestock farms in the Eastern Corn Belt (140 acres). The
acreage of land per man-equivalent was larger on cash-grain farms
than on livestock farms in every region.

Table 95. — Specified Resources Used and Value of Farm
Products Sold, Per Man-Equivalent of Labor, by Type
OF Farm, in the Corn Belt and Component Regions: 1954

Region and type of farm

Total Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3

Eastern Cora Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3

Central Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3

Northern Cora Belt:
All commercial farms. . .

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3

Western Com Belt:
All commercial farms, . .

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms 3

Southern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms

Livestock farms

Resources per man-equivalent of labor

All
land

Crop-
land
har-
vested

Capital
investment

Total
speci-
fied ex-
penses 2

Trac-
tors

Total 1

Live-
stock,
ma-
chinery,
and

equip-
ment

Acres
171
195
179

Acres
105
138
98

Dollars

35, 217
41, 996

36, 464

Dollars
8,429

7,687
10, 271

Dollars
2,120
1,670
2,627

Number
1.33
1.53
1.31

136
166
140

89
118

85

36, 952
41, 270
39, 985

7,968
7,646
10,091

2,279
1,867
2,938

1.47
1.6S
1.47

154

179
146

113
143

98

48, 782
59, 681
45,129

9,447
8,331
11, 534

2,496
1,961
3,036

1.49
1.66
1.44

147
181
148

98
139
94

29,052
32, 188
31, 985

8,481
7,371
10, 423

1,851
1,478
2,226

1.28
1.45
1.29

219
240
226

126
156
118

34,406
35,568
36, 879

8,864
7,352
10,666

2,070
1,377
2,679

1.26
1.35
1.26

184
208
198

89
127
82

24, 612
28,620
26,167

7,116
6,679
8,202

1,791
1,447
2,125

1.14
1.37
1.11

Value
of all
farm
prod-
ucts
sold per
man-
equiv-
alent of
labor

Dollars
6,870
6,766
8,070

6,408
6,981
8,275

8.909
8,662
9,923

6,443
6,236
7.738

6,946
6,868
8,479

4,685
4,733
5,365

' Value of total investment in land, buildings, livestock, machinery, and equipment.

3 Total expenditures for machine hire, hired labor, feed bought, gasoline and other
petroleum fuel and oil, commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material, and lime and
liming material.

3 Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

For all commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954, total capital
investment per man-equivalent of labor averaged $35,217, of
which about a fourth was investment in livestock, machinery,
and equipment. Total specified expenses per man-equivalent
averaged $2,120, but ranged from an average of $3,036 on live-
stock farms in the Central Corn Belt down to $1,377 on cash-
grain farms in the Western Corn Belt. Value of all farm products
sold per man-equivalent of labor averaged $6,870 for all commercial
farms.

Livestock farms in the Central Corn Belt obtained the greatest
value of all farm products sold per man-equivalent of labor
($9,923). This group of farms also had the largest investment
in livestock, machinery, and equipment per man-equivalent and
the greatest current inputs in terms of total specified expenses
per man-equivalent. Cash-grain farms in the Central Corn Belt
obtained an average of $8,662 in value of farm products sold per
man-equivalent of labor. This was a greater amount than that
obtained by the cash-grain farms in any other region. Cash-grain
farms in the Central Corn Belt had the largest total capital in-
vestment per man-equivalent among all groups of farms and the
largest amount of total specified expenses per man-equivalent
among the cash-grain farms in all regions Cash-grain farms in
the Southern Corn Belt averaged lowest among the cash-grain
farms in aU regions as to the value of farm products sold per man-
equivalent, and were also lowest among the cash-grain farms in
value of total investment and in value of investment in livestock,
machinery, and equipment. Cash-grain farms in the Southern
Corn Belt were among the lowest groups in total specified expenses
per man-equivalent of labor. Livestock farms in the Southern
Corn Belt ranked lowest among the livestock farms in all regions
as to value of farm products sold per man-equivalent and as to
total capital investment, investment in livestock, machinery and
equipment, and total specified expenses per man-equivalent of
labor.

Value of farm products sold per man-equivalent of labor is
strongly correlated with economic class of farm (table 96).
Economic Class I farms among both the cash-grain and livestock
types ranked much higher than any other economic class in terms
of value of farm products sold per man-equivalent. Likewise,
Class II farms ranked substantially above Class III farms,
Class III farms ranked above Class IV farms, and so on down to
Class VI farms, where the value of farm products sold per man-
equivalent was the lowest of all.

Table 96. — Specified Resources Used and Value of Farm
Products Sold, Per Man-Equivalent of Labor, by Type
AND Economic Class of Farm, in the Corn Belt: 1954

Resoiu-ces per man-equivalent of labor

All
land

Crop-
land
har-
vested

Capital
Investment

Total
speci-
fied ex-
penses 3

Trac-
tors

Value
of all
farm
prod-

Type and economic class
of farm

Total 1

Live-
stock,

ma-
chinery,

and
equip-
ment

ucts
sold per

man-
equiv-
alent of

labor

All commercial farms

Cash-grain farms:
Total

Acres
171

195
261
224
193
169
148
101

179
211
194
178
163
150
111

Acres
105

138
202
170
137
110
85
48

98
126
118
99
78
57
31

Dollars
35, 217

41,996
72, 132
66, 621
39, 132
29,321
23,924
14, 327

36,454
54,168
46, 426
33, 462
26, 787
21, 494
13,646

Dollars
8,429

7,687
9,103
8,876
7,584
6,677
5,923
3,660

10, 271
14, 624
12,061
9,731
8,049
6,864
4,264

Dollars
2,120

1,670
3,419
2,252
1,627
1,123
897
460

2,627
6,192
3,163
2,018
1,448
1,082
666

Number
1.33

1.63
1.64
1.64
1.52
1.45
1.50
0.96

1.31
1.31
1.45
1.34
1.21
1.16
0.70

Dollar)
6,870

6,756

ClassI

14, 475

II

9,889

Ill

6,139

IV

3,897

V

2,509

VI

970

Livestock farms: 3
Total -

8,070

ClassI

21,201

II

10,250

III . .

6,755

IV

3,462

V

2,226

VI

937

' Value of total investment In land, buildings, livestock, machinery, and equipment.

2 Total of expenditures for machine hire, hired labor, feed bought, gasoline and other
petroleum fuel and oil, commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material, and lime and
liming material.

'Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

CASH-GRAIN AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCERS IN THE CORN BELT

67

Not only did the upper economic classes of farms have the
greatest value of sales per man-equivalent of labor; they also
had the largest capital investment and the largest amounts of
total specified expenses per man-equivalent of labor. For ex-
ample, in the case of livestock farms, Class I farms obtained an
average of $21,201 value of farm products sold per man-equivalent
of labor, while the total capital investment on these farms averaged
$54,168, and the total specified expenses averaged $0,192 per
man-equivalent. At the other extreme, Class VI livestock farms
averaged only $937 in value of farm products sold per man-
equivalent. The average total investment on Class VI livestock
farms was only $13,645, and the average total specified expenses
was only $566 per man-equivalent of labor.

The acreage of land per man-equivalent worker was greater on
the upper than on the lower economic classes of farms. The
ratio of tractors to men was greater also on the upper economic
classes of farms with the exception of Class I farms where the
ratio was smaller than on the Class II farms.

PRODUCTION PER UNIT OF CAPITAL

Value of all farm products sold in relation to amount of capital
invested or used in the farm business is another useful indicator
of efficiency. Data on value of farm products sold per thousand
dollars of total investment and per dollar of specified expenses
are shown for Corn Belt farms in tables 97 and 98.

The value of all farm products sold per thousand dollars of
total investment on all commercial farms in the Corn Belt in 1954
was $195. The average for cash-grain farms was $161, and the
average for livestock farms was $221. Livestock farms had a

Table 97- — Value of Farm Products Sold Per Thousand
Dollars Capital Investment and Per Dollar of Specified
Expenses, by Type of Farm, in The Corn Belt and Com-
ponent Regions; 1954

Value of all farm products sold

Region and type of farm

Per thousand
dollars of total
investment '

Per dollar of 6
specified
expenses *

Total Corn Belt:

Dalian

195
161
221

192
169
207

183
145
220

222
194
242

202
166
230

190
166
205

Dollars

3.24

Cash-grain farms -

4.04

3.07

Eastern Corn Belt:

3.03

Cash-grain farms

3.74

2.82

Central Com Belt:

3.67

Cash-grain farms

4.42

3.27

Northern Corn Belt:

All commercial farms. .

3.48

Cash-grain farms

4.22

Livestock farms 3 __

3.48

Western Corn Belt:

A 11 commercial farms

3.36

Cash-grain farms

4.26

Livestock farms '

3.17

Southern Com Belt:

All commercial farms _.

2.62

Cash-grain farms

3.27

Livestock farms ' _.

2.52

' Per thousand dollars of Investment In land and buildings, machinery and equip-
ment, and livestock.
2 Per dollar of expenditures for machine hire, hired labor, feed, gasoline and other

f)etroleum fuel and oil, commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material, and lime and
iming material.
■Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

greater value of sales per thousand dollars of investment than did
cash-grain farms in every region of the Corn Belt. The highest
value of sales per thousand dollars of investment was on livestock
farms in the Northern Corn Belt ($242), and the lowest was on
cash-grain farms in the Central Corn Belt ($145). Cash-grain
farms in the Northern Corn Belt showed up relatively higher in
returns to total capital investment than they did in returns per
man-equivalent of labor.

The average value of farm products sold per dollar of 6 specified
expenses was $4.04 for all cash-grain farms and $3.07 for all live-
stock farms in the Corn Belt. Value of sales per dollar of the speci-
fied current expense inputs was above the Corn Belt average on
both cash-grain and livestock farms in the Central, Western, and
Northern Corn Belt. The value of sales per thousand dollars
of total investment on cash-grain farms in the Central Corn Belt
was relatively low, but the return per dollar of current expense
inputs was relatively high. All groups of farms in the Southern
and Eastern Corn Belt were below the corresponding group aver-
ages for the total Corn Belt in value of products sold per dollar
of specified expenses.

The value of all farm products sold per thousand dollars of total
investment is consistently greater on the higher economic classes
of farms. This is also true for the value of products sold per dollar
of specified expenses (table 98). In terms of the latter ratio, the
differences between the higher and lower economic classes of farms
are somewhat greater than they would have been if expenditures
for livestock purchased had been included among the specified
expenses. On cash-grain farms, the value of products sold per
thousand dollars of total investment ranged from a high of $201
on Class I farms to a low of $68 on Class VI farms. On livestock
farms the range was from $391 on Class I farms to $69 on Class
VI farms. Value of sales per dollar of specified expenses was
only half as large on Class VI cash-grain farms as on Class I cash-
grain farms ($2. 1 1 compared with $4.23) . On livestock farms, the
range was from $3.42 on Class I farms to $1.66 on Class VI farms.

Table 98. — Value of Farm Products Sold Per Thousand
Dollars of Capital Investment and Per Dollar of Speci-
fied Expenses, by Type and Economic Class of Farm, in
The Corn Belt: 1954

Value of all farm products sold

Type and economic class of farm

Per thousand
dollars of total
investment '

Per dollar of 6
specified
expenses '

All commercial farms

Dollars

196

161
201
176
167
133
105
68

221
391
226
172
134
104
69

Dollars

3 24

Cash-grain farms:

Total

4.04

Class I

4.23

II

4.39

III

4.02

IV

3.47

v...

2.80

VI -

2. 11

Livestock farms: '

Total

3.07

Class I - - -

3.42

II

3.24

III - . .

2,86

IV

2.39

V

2.06

VI

1.66

' Per thousand dollars of investment In land and buildings, machinery and equip-
ment, and livestock.

2 Per dollar of expenditures for machine hire, hired labor, feed, gasoline and other
petrok'imi fuel an<l oil, commercial fertilizer and fertilizing material, and lime and
liming material.

■Livestock other than dairy and poultry farms.

68 FARMERS AND FARM PRODUCTION

LITERATURE CITED

(1) Anderson, M. A., Cairns, L. E., Heady, Earl O., and Baum, E. L.

1956. An Appraisal of Factors Affecting the Acceptance and Use of Fertilizer in Iowa, 1953. Iowa State College and Agr.
Expt. Sta. Special Report No. 16, 36 pp., illus.

(S) Davis, Joe F.

1956. Use of Electricity on Farms, a summary report of 10 area studies. U. S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Inform. Bui. 161, 38 pp., illus.

(S) National Soil and Fertilizer Research Committee, the Fertilizer Work Group.

1954. Fertilizer Use and Crop Yields in the United States. U. S. Dept. Agr. Handbook 68, 75 pp. (U. S. Agr. Res. Serv.,

Soil and Water Conservation Res. and Prod. Econ. Res. Br. cooperating.)

(4) Strand, Edwin G.

1948. Soybeans in American Farming. U. S. Dept. Agr., Tech. Bui. 966, 66 pp., illus.

(5) Strand, Edwin G , Heady, Earl O., and Seagraves, James A.

1955. Productivity of Resources Used on Commercial Farms. U. S. Dept. Agr., Tech. Bui. 1128, 86 pp., illus.

(6) United States Agricultural Marketing Service.

1955-56. Annual Summary. Crop Production. Acreage, Yield, and Production of Principal Crops, by States, with Compari-
sons, 1955, 1956. (Processed.)

(7) United States Agricultural Marketing Service.

1955. Crop Values Season Average Prices and Value of Production, 1954 and 1955, by States. 33 pp. (Processed.)

(8) United States Agricultural Marketing Service.

1956. Field Crops by States, 1949-54. U. S. Dept. Agr. Statis. Bui. 185, 64 pp.

(9) United States Agricultural Marketing Service.

1956. Livestock and Poultry Inventory, January 1. Number, Value, and Classes — by States, 1940-54. U. S. Dept. Agr.
Statis. Bui. 177, 117 pp.

(10) United States Bureau of Agricultural Economics.

1950. Generalized Types of Farming in the United States. U. S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Inform. Bui. 3, 35 pp., illus.

(//) United States Department of Agriculture.

1938. Yearbook of Agriculture: 1938. Soils and Men. 1232 pp., illus.

o