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<br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />, . <br /> <br />_"'-.oJ no,J" <br />1 ~ ., -i " ."-... {', ~ <br />;J".... ~ V J. .J... <br /> <br />Most of the decrease occurred in the 1950's and early 1960's when fed- <br />eral farm programs reduced crop acreage; although most of the diverted <br />acres were still included in cropland acreage estimates as idle, cultivated <br />summer fallow, or in soil conserving (but harvested) crops. Between 1974 <br />and 1979 cropland used for crops (cropland harvested, crop failure, and <br />cultivated summer fallow) increased 18 million acres (see Table II-l1). At <br />least part of that increase represents an increase in total cropland. <br />Changes in the component acreages of cropland are generally larger than <br />changes in total cropland. The major changes since 1950 have been associ- <br />ated with either adjustments in surplus crop production capacity or the <br />abrupt increase in demand for fann production beginning in 1972. Idle <br />cropl and comprised 22 mill ion acres in 1949, prior to the advent of diver- <br />sion programs. In 1969, 58 million acres were diverted and 51 million <br />acres were in the idle category (Table II-H). Also between these two <br />years cultivated summer fallow increased from 26 mill ion acres to 41 mil- <br />l ion acres. Part of this increase is attributable to diversion programs. <br />In 1974, a year in which no diversion program was in operation, idle crop- <br />land stood at 21 million acres and cultivated summer fallow at 31 million. <br /> <br />II-53 <br />