Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1855-11-30
THE FARM:
The Gardpn...TEle Orchard.
The Utmost Capacity of an Ac:e.

4uC " tulOot SoPoSAiy Va oAA @AS>S'
How seldom, save for the purpose of Sc
curing premium, is the utmost capacity
of an acre, as to its productiveness, put to
the test The prevailing ambition with
the majority of farmers, is to go over as
much ground as possible, or to put in,
every year, as many acres Of wheat, corn,
oats, and other things, as they possibly
can. This prevailing ambition and prac-
tice is kept up, not on the ground of any
rational theory or any practical demonstra-
ton of its superiority, but mainly in virtue
of the common custom, in agricultural as
in other matters, of doing as other people
do. So far as it claims any justification or
support whatever, that claim rests, in the
last result, in the position that it is easier
or more profitable to skim over good
many acres, than to cultivate few in a
superior manner. This, we think, will
turn out, when examined and reflected on,
not a t;tct or truth, but baseless or false
assumption. A few statistical facts will
help to determine this question.
According to the Statistical View of the
United States, or Compendium Of the
Seventh Census, for 1850, the average
product of wheat throughout the whole OF
the States does not exceed twelve bushels
per acre Twelve bushels per acre is, ac-
cording to the same authority, the average
of the wheat crop of the States of New
York and Ohio These estimated avera-
ges are probably rather under tire actual
products of the several States than other
wise but the true average Of either Of the
States specified did not probably exceed
fifteen bushels per acre. Notwithstanding,
then, that in the best wheat districts, and
by cxtra-cultivation, averages have been
obtained of over twenty five bushels, and
individual crops Of forty bushels or even
more, still the evidence of the statistical
returns is sufficient to prove that the ave-
rage or ordinary product Of wheat in these
States, ,chcre tie n,oie Of culture has Jeen
only ordinary or areraye-at least not at
all extra-is only at most about fifteen
bushels per acre.
Now, at what may the cost of the ordi-
nary mode of putting in, harvesting,
threshing, and marketing crop of wheat
be estimated? After several estimates in
different years, and after comparing a
number of estimates by others, both pub
lshed and unpublished, we have arrived
at the conclusion that the cost Of raising
a crop of wheat may be estimated at ten
dollars $50 per acre. In the estimates
by which the above average has been ar
rived at, the straw has usually been taken
as aset-off against the interest on the value
of the land.
According to these estimates, the cost
of raising and getting all ready for market
a bushcl Of wheat, may be averaged at 20
cents. This is q confirmation Of those
rough guesses, without any accuracy OF
calculation, which place the expense of
raising any ordinary wheat crop at 10
cents per bushel.
Now, in order to determine whether the
ordinary mode of cultivation, or that IN
which extra pains are taken, and by which
every acre is urged forward to It's utmost
capacity, proves the most proftaIte, all
that is necessary is 70 take any mum Der of
certified specifications as presented to
County or State Societies which have Of
fercd premiums for the best crops, and
compare them with the foregoing averages.
Let the cost of cultivatlng an acre be dlvl-
ded by the number of bushels raised on
each acre, and the result will show the
expense of raising each bushel, which will
always be found less than the average by
ordinary cultivation. The difference be-
tween expense and the market value, of
course is profit, and the amount per bushel
being multiplied by the number OF bushels,
and that amount bv the number OF acres
which each reader usually puts into wheat
each year, will give him the amount of
profit which he would make each year BY
urging each acre to its utmost capacity Of
production.
Or, let him take any price as an aver
age, say 81, and all the value of the crop
at this rate, over the expense of cultiva-
ton, will be net pratt. While at this
price only So per acre could be obtained
by ordinary cultivation, several premium
crops may be found on record which gave
a net profit of $50 and upwards, over all
expenses. With the price above 81, the
difference in favor Of high culture would
be still greater.