Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-04-03
Skim Milk Farming.

In the section l live in the farmers
are chiefly engaged in wheat raising,
with a growing tendency in the direc.
ton of stock and dairy farming. { are
full estimates have placed the actual
cost of producing bushel of wheat in
this section at not far from sixty-five
cents this does not include depreci-
alton in land nor cost of transpor at on
by rail, or otherwise, to the markets of
the world. These expenses aggregat at
least twenty-five cents more. and when
the wheat is placed in any market
where it will bring 81 per bushel, the
cost of production and transport
tat on have run up to at least
ninety cents. The crop of so
marketed in my town aggregated
500, 800 bushels, worth in Chicas some
thing like half million dollars, on
which the farmers have realized a profit
of not more than ten per cent, or $780,
0 %, in this favo:a lie wheat year. The
freight tariff alone on this wheat
amounts, however, to Sill: 200, and as
the cost of transportat on affects the
price paid. this enormous tax really
falls u on the farmers. Their expenses
for freight alone are therefore mo; e
than double their profits.
NOWs tuat anu
farming are. of themselves, quite as
other words, that it costs no
more to produce given amount
in bu ter or beef than the same
amount in wheat an assumption most
favorable Indeed to the wheat interest
it is easy TO estimate the benefit
the farmer might receive in this
one item alone, by condensng his
products.
Half a m lion dollars worth of live
stoc< could be sent to the Chica mar
ket at an expense of not to e coed S35,-
600. and thus of tn $4,000 freight
expense in ident to wheat raising. there
would have been saved, to the farmers
profit $S0.OOO.
The same product in pork and beef
would have gone to the same market
at an expense of not to exceed S25, 100,
and thus another $4,000 of freight
MIGHT have been saved-all clear profit.
The same amount in theese would
have required the expenditure of but
$4,000 in freight, instead of $4,000.
and thus an even 100000 of expense
might have been saved to the farmers,
inst twice the amount of their profits
on wheat; and on Ovid ng t up among
the 200 or more farmers ca h would
have = balance of $500 to show for
every 500 he realized on wheat.
In the production of butter the differ
ence is still more to his advantage. 70
sh n 500, 900 worth of butter would
cost not more than from $1,000 to
50. 100 in place OF the s113.Oen, and
thus about vs. per cent. of the costs of
wheat transportation would be saved,
and the farmers supposed profit of III
ncr cent. would be increased TO con-
siderably OYER 30. per cent. of the
GROSS receipts. Putting it in different
for,,, and we find that the Southwestern
Minnesota farmer. who produces good
butter. paws olt for transportation to
market but per cent. of the value OF
his nroduct. The cheese producer pays
ont from 81 TO / per cent, The pork
aud beef producer Pays from D to o per
cont and the I've stock shipper from Z
60 ner cent; but the wheat farmer
settles his little freight account by turn
mo over from 23 TO - PEI cent OF all
The GROSS receipts of his crop, and a
i.roe share. if not all, of the balance
goes for other expenses.
TIN, wheat farmer is content to take
his small pittanc, of gain in sSlm-mllk, /
while the millers' associations, the
sne .ulators. and the railroads take all |
he cream of his crop.-From a f.Gper |
Jw n =. II. ard. read tcfors tie ". ~.
IniraD,ras' Association.