Oats are more widely grown in the United States than any other crop except the potato. They are especially valuable as horse feed, and are used locally much more largely than for shipment. The oat crop of 1909 occupied one-fifth of the crop acreage and produced one-sixth of the total crop values of the state. The crop of 1917 exceeded that of 1909 by 15 per cent in acreage, 63 per cent in total yield, and 165 per cent in value.
The large yield of 1917 was due to favorable climatic conditions. The high valuation is due to the large yield and to the war demands of the world for food.
In oats as in corn, Illinois and Iowa are in a class by them selves. In the nine years 1909 to 1917 inclusive, Illinois pro duced more oats than Iowa in only one season, 1909. In each year Iowa had a larger acreage than Illinois. In 1917, the banner season for both states, Illinois sowed to oats 4,700,000 acres and Iowa 5,200,000 acres. Illinois harvested 244,000,000 bushels and Iowa 246,000,000 bushels. The Illinois crop was valued at $15S,000,000 and the Iowa crop at $155,000,000. These two states produce more than one fourth of the total crop of oats of the United States.
The average production and average yield per acre for the ten leading counties in 1909 is found in the table at the close of this chapter. The average yield per acre for the state was 36 bushels.
Wheat.—Illinois does not rank so high in wheat production as in corn and oats, but wheat is raised in every county, and is an important crop in the western, southwestern, and south eastern parts of the state. The soils and climate of Illinois are well adapted to the pro duction of large wheat crops, but larger profits are obtained from corn and oats. Illinois ranks seventh among the wheat-producing states, being exceeded in 1909 by North Dakota, Kan sas, Minnesota, Ne braska, South Dakota, and Washington. In acreage of winter wheat, however, Illinois ranked third, Kansas and Nebraska leading.
Wheat is grown in the United States mostly on silt-loam and clay-loam soils and requires less humus than corn. Very little wheat is grown on sandy soils, since the yield is generally too small to be profitable. Soil has less influence than climate upon the quality and chemical composition of wheat, but appears to exert a powerful influence in determining perma nency of production. The sections of the eastern United States where
wheat has remained an important crop for 50 years—southeastern Penn sylvania, and Shenandoah Valley, western New York, western Ohio, and southwestern Illinois—are areas of silty soil, mostly derived from lime stone. Upon such soils wheat probably will retain a place in the rotation The wheat production of Illinois in 1909 was 37,000,000 bushels. This was N per cent of the total production of the United States. The per capita wheat production of Illinois was 6.7 bushels; that of the United States, 7.3 bushels. St. Clair was the leading county with 2,000,000 bushels.
The acreage, production, and average yield per acre for the ten leading counties of Illinois are shown in the table at the close of this chapter. The average yield per acre for the state was 17.3 bushels.
The wheat crop of 1917 compared with that of 1909 shows a decrease in production of 19 per cent and an increase in value of 60 per cent.
Hay and forage.—Hay and forage rank third among the crops of Illinois in acreage and value. Hay and forage include those crops, other than grains, used for feed for animals. Timothy and clover are the principal hay crops of Illinois.
Corn, oats, wheat, rye, and barley, raised for grain, are cereal crops; cut green and used for ensilage or for hay they become forage crops. Since hay and forage are made up of many kinds of plants which thrive under a great variety of soil and climatic conditions, this crop is very widely distributed. Its large bulk per value makes trans portation difficult and expensive. It is therefore used locally in a very large measure.
The map showing acreage for hay and forage indicates a more even distribution than for any other crop in Illinois. The region of greatest corn and oats acreage shows the smallest hay and forage acreage in the state. North and west of the heavi est corn acreage the increased hay and forage areas correspond to the largest pro duction of cattle for dairy and feeding purposes. South of the corn belt the increased hay acreage is found on soils better suited to hay than to cereals, and here large quantities of timothy and other grasses are raised for shipment.