THE COST OF PRODUCING FARM CROPS
The Minnesota station has determined the cost of growing the staple farm crops on 45 farms in different sections of the State. The total expense per acre for an average of six years is shown in the following table, not including land rental or cost of marketing.
COST OF PRODUCING FARM CROPS IN MINNESOTA.
| Spring wheat, land fall plowed | $5.54 |
| Oats, land fall plowed | 5.80 |
| Barley, land spring plowed | 6.89 |
| Maize, husked from standing stalks | 9.41 |
| Hay, timothy and clover | 3.68 |
| Potatoes, land not fertilized | 23.36 |
| Potatoes, land fertilized | 34.72 |
Some years ago the writer made an estimate of the cost of producing maize, oats, wheat and clover hay in a four-course rotation on a tenant farm in central Pennsylvania. The soil was a heavy clay and required plowing for each crop, except, of course, the hay crop, one acre a day being considered a good days work.
Counting the expense of man and team at $2 per day, the labor cost per acre was found to be $7 for maize, $5.10 for both wheat and oats, and $2.30 for hay, or an average of about $4.90 per acre for the four crops. The interest on the capital invested in operating this farm, exclusive of the land, was estimated at $1.45 per acre.
INFLUENCE OF YIELD UPON THE COST OF
PRODUCTION
The Illinois station has prepared a set of estimates upon the cost of producing an acre of maize, showing variations in cost due to differences in yield. In these estimates, instead of making a charge for the actual cost of manure or fertilizer applied, an estimate is made of the value of the plant food removed.
COST OF PRODUCING ONE ACRE OF MAIZE IN