likely to occur annually, spring and summer crops predominate rather than the

winter crops found in Central and South Florida.

 Tobacco is the major source of crop receipts in North and West

Florida; in 1955, its value was in excess of $22 million. Peanuts ranked

second with $6 million and cotton ranked third with $4.6 million. With these

three crops subject to allotment programs, however, other crops have increased

in importance. Soybeans were introduced into the area and are important in

several counties. The acreage of oats has increased. A large acreage is

planted to corn, with about half harvested for grain and the rest hogged-off

or grazed. Interplanted corn and peanuts constitute a major source of forage

for production of hogs in the area.

 In 1954, receipts from the sale of livestock and livestock products

amounted approximately to $21 million in North and West Florida. Although

nearly a third of these receipts came from the sale of hogs, other sales such

as cattle, calves, chickens, eggs, and milk increased in relative importance

from 1949 to 1954. Receipts from the sale of milk increased especially in

Economic Area I. Sales of cattle and calves increased especially in Economic

Area III.

 Despite the significant decrease in farm population and the signif-

icant increase in the nonagricultural segment of the economy, incomes of

families in this area have continued to average among the lowest in the nation

during the last several decades. This is true of both farm and nonfarm

families.

 Based on data from the 1949 Census of Agriculture, Economic Areas I

and III were classified as "serious low-income and level-of-living areas."

The residual farm income to operator and family labor in this area averaged

less than $1,000 in 1949 compared with a level in excess of $5,000 in Central