Agricultural Production Trends in South Dakota, 1925-51

The purpose of this study is: (1) to bring together available agricultural production information on South Dakota and the economic areas, and (2) to calculate total, group and individual mandates of production similar to, and for the same period covered by, those used by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to measure agricultural production for the United States and the geographic regions. Such information will be of value in analyzing the changes that have been taking place and will aid in developing educational programs to help improve agricultural productivity. No attempt here will be made to analyze the results obtained except in the most general terms as they relate ti trends in production. The hypothesis of the present study is that indexes, or relatives, can be constructed which will disclose and describe tho changes in agricultural production and productivity that have taken place within South Dakota in the last twenty-five years; and that the most useful indexes for determining production and productivity trends will be the indexes or gross farm production, from output, crop production per acre, livestock production per breeding unit, and output per man hour, now used by the Department of Agriculture