Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-07-18
The Cost Of Producing Farm Crops.

Nt one OF the Spring meetings oil
Madison County Farmers Club, No.
l, Mr.. H. H. Gibson read the follow
ing essay which will we'll repay care.
iul perusal. Mr.. Gibson enjoys the
reputation of being one of the most
careful of book keeping farmers:
Farming, according to our present
methods, can hardly be called an ex.
act science; and when we attempt to
figure out the cost of certain crops,
the conditions vary 40 widely in diff.
ferent seasons that anything like an
exact estimate is practically impossi.
Bile.
Leaving to farmers Of larger expc.
rience more general view of the
subject, I shall confine what l have
to say to my own limited experience
and observation, aud try to present
my ideas OF the cost of producing
wheat, corn, oats and hay; making
no mention Of cattle, hogs. sheep and
wool, they beng rather products
than crops, and as l think without
the purview Of this essay.
The cost or value Of the land is the
first thing to be considered. With.
in the range of this Club. land that is
worth 500 per acre will, l think aver
age 10 bushels of wheat, As bushels
corn, Az bushels oats, and II tons Of
hay per acre. Six per cent. interest
on such land would be % go per
acre.
For convenience of calculating, /
assume that our fields shall be in its
size twenty acres that wheat shall
be put in on wheat stubble, corn on
one blowing, oats on corn land, and
grass in the usual way Of seeding.
The cost OF working teams enters
into our calculations. Assuming that
a pair of horses are worth 5000, and
that we allow 4 tons Of hay, $50
bushels corn, interest at twenty per
cent. to replace them when worn out,
and suitable interest on harness, we
allow 80 cents per day supposing
they work half the time.
Interest on wear and tear Of ma.
chinery is usually counted at twenty
per cent. on first cost, which would
DO about 20 cents per acre for reap.
er and mower, 40 cents for drill and
S cents per acre for plows, &c.
The price of farm labor is to some
extent dependent upon the price OF
produce. Twenty dollars per month
for regular help, or counting board,
one dollar per day one dollar and
half for haying, stacking, and thresh.
ing, and two dollars for harvest, with
thirty cents per day for finding extra
help, I consider fair average prices.
I am convinced that we cannot long
ignore the use Of manure and fert.li
zers, even on our best lands !; and
although no mention Of it occurs in
my estimate,) that as an element OF
success in farming we shall soon be
to count their cost.
Taxes assume at fifty cents per
acre.
Upon this basis shall begin with
wheat.
Flowing 20 days@s1 30 per day sss 90
Harrowing 4 daysG,$2 10 $40
Rolling 4 days(0$2 10 s 40
Seed, 25 bushelsCA$1 80 81 so
Interest on seed 10 months at 10 per
cent IS
Seeding and nee Of drill II day 10 20
Rent 20 acres . So so per acre q 90
Taxes 10 90
Harvesting 2 days SO 60
4 men days ~ 40
Threshing 80 O5
Total 1929 rs |
Or, 90 % cents per bushel. Tho
difference between threshing from
stack and from shock is too slight to |
perceptblY influence the cost per
bushel.
Corn I shall figure upon, based on
one blowing, narrowing, rolling,
and planting with hand
planter. Narrowed and rolled after
planting, cultivating four times with
bar pillow, and crlbbed at the rate OF
40 bushels per day by a man with .
team and wagon.
Flowing 10 days at S1.90 S 1900
H arrowing 2 days $40 40
Rolling 2 days 1910 40
2 days q $3.50 500
8 days, 81 interest on
planter 400
Seed 1.25 |
and rolling S.4Ot
4 times blowing 20 days $3.50 5000
Cribb.ng $50. 10, rent S72, taxes $40 ll5.76
Total 500 40 |
Or about 81 1.6 cents per bushel.
Oats, assuming they do not lodge,
will be about as follows:
Flowing 10 days at S1.90 s 1900
Narrowing 2 days at S2.10 40
Seeding 2 days at $l.sO $50
Use Of Drill 500
40 bushels seed at 80 cents and in>
terest months 1850
Taxes months S., rent $50 A.O0
Harvesting $500
Stacking 2O.45
Threshing Coils
Total $2ll.6O
Or 264 cents per bushcl.
Cost Of seeding 20 acres to grass
Flowing 10 days at$l.9O $500
Narrowing days At S2.l0 4.2O
Rolling or dragging 4.2O
Sowing II day 2.lO
Seed, bushels at $3.50 1850
Total $500
The annual cost, therefore, of TWEEN.
ty acres meadow land is 1920 or 81
cents per acre, and the cost OF cut
ting and putting up by hand would
be about as follows: