The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1878-05-16

mislead. Ii Is the practice Of most
farmers TO deduct the stalks at their
actual value, from the total cost of ,
the crop, and call the balance the
cost of the grain. 1t would Clearly
be more correct to divide the total
cost between the grain and the sto-
yer III the ratio Of their values. II
for example, the cost for an acre Of
100 bushels is s45, then the cost Of
the grain is $50 and Of the stover
SIS. This would bring the cost Of
the grain to 80 cents per bnshel,
and Of the slower, (Which would
amount to 2 tons to 500 per ton.
Bat If the stalks are first deducted
from the total cost ($45.) at the
rate Of $40 per ton, (Which they
are often WORTH this would bring
the cost Of the grain 10 i cents a
bushel, when strictly it is 80 cents.
Thus while the farmer exults in
the low cost Of his grain, he forgets
that he has charged To the stover
precisely the amount thus gained.
He is made neither richer nor
poorer by either of these plans.
But one method obscures the true
result of the crop, while the other
show him exactly how it stands. In
the estimates above given, | have
adapted the true method of calcula-
ting the cost.
In order to get further light on
the question, let us now compare
THE ACTUAL FIGURES
of a few crops, a. reported by we'll
known and successful farmers.
President Sales, of the Lenawee
junction Farmers Club in Michi-
gan, has reported a crop of corn Of
which the yield was ninety bushels
per acre, and the cost eleven dol
lars and tifty-fve cents, making the
cost per bushel about ten cents.
John l.. Carter, of West Grove
Experimental Farm, Pa, has an
rounced a yield of ninety-eight
bushels per acre of shelled corn, Of
which the lost was twelve dollars
per acre. In this case the stalks
were sold Tor ten dollars and fifty
six cents, which very nearly paid
the entire cost of the crop, although
the stalks were sold too low.
AIDA Campbell, of Tioga Co.,
New York, raised a crop of JOG
bushels per acre; the cost of which
he has reported in the Country Gen
Heman at s31.3S. The stover OF
this crop amounted to five and a
half tons that brought IS per ton,
and more than paid the entire cost
of the crop.
NJ. G. Baldwin, Chemung, New
York. grew a corn crop Of six acres
averaging seventy bushels per acre
in which the cost per acre was thir
-, teen dollars and eighty-two cents
and the cost per bushel. as he made
it was eleven and a half cents.
Though the figures in the abov'
crops are not entirely accurate, ye
it will be found on correction, tina
. they are not far out of the way, anC
that the results on the whole ar
very successful and show a hand
some profit.
Mr.. l.. S. Smith, Of Chemun,
, Co., n. Y, Obtained a yield o
one hundred and twenty bushel
of shelled corn from one acre with
out manure, at an outlay of twelv
, dollars and fifty cents per acre
Q which would make the cost a littl
E over ten cents per bushel. Blu
this estimate like the most OF tn
others is open to correction.
! Henry Norton, of Western Ohio
0 got from three acres a yield Of cor
equal to 1l2 bushels per acre, will
/ out manure, and on three acres &C
joining, by manuring and subsoi1
ing. the yield was raised to Oh
hundred and sixty-fve bushels pc
g acre. at an extra cost of s~eventee
: dollars. This, by his calculation
> brings the cost Of the extra Fifty
three bushels down to thirteen cen
: a bushel.
= Prof. Levi Stockbridge, of tt
g Mass. Agricultural College, in OF
y Of his trial crops obtained a yiel
70 Of ninety-four bushels per acre at
cost of fifty three cents per busle
% In this crop the profit per acre ";
twenty-three dollars and thirty-s
cents.
" DIR. f. Lewis Sturtevant,
DC South Pennington, Mass. by u
80 ing chemical fertilizers. obtained
yield of eightv-two and a ha
% at a cost of f~orty-three cents 2
10 bushel, making the profit per &c
= twenty-six dollars and thirty-s
oO cents.