The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1885-05-08
Cost Of Wheat Raising In the Red
River Valley.
BY g. sToDDARD SMITH,

e.eio ~ very uehrly III kCeht,
if only 10 to IL bushels are
harvested, as if 20 or 25. The land
must be first plowed; then il must be
dragged and fitted for the seed; the
seed must be furnished, and sown, and
must be covered by the harrow. All
these preparatory steps are the same
for 10 as for 25 bushel yield. The
harvester has to he passed over the
ground; and it is quicker work to cut
AMI bind good crop than a poor one.
A little Irvine may be saved on the lat
ter, little handling of bundles, and
little threshing; but these savings will
he small; not over so cts. to $1.OO per
acre, probably. So that if good
yield should cost $40 per acre, q poor
one would cost $500 ut least. If the
latter returns II bushels, the cost per
bushel would be Is cts; while if the
yield were "a bushels, the cost would
be less than AZ cts.
The yield then, fixes the cost of wheat
raising; and the yield here, as in other
localities, depends on variety of caus.
es. The character of the land, the de.
gree of filth, the time and manner of
seeding, and above all, the subsequent
growing season, are all important fac
tors. And when harvest comes, favor
able weather makes minimum expense
in saving the crop, while bad weather
adds to it largely.
1t would not be fair method, to
take any one season, or any one farm,
upon which to base an estimate. The
only safe and fair method would be to
take term of years-say 3 to 5-snd
figure what the average expense would
probably be per year; and also what
the average yield would probably
be; and with these two items,
q fairly reliable estimate could
be reached. Farming on large
scale, and by the aid of capital, can
probably be done ut a cheaper rate than
by the small farmer who does Ills own
work, within certain limits, but no
further. For farm IS not factory,
where, when once the machinery and
outfit are set in motion, tho products
can be increased many hundred, or even
many thousand times at small additions
al expense, Every 100 acres or there
abouts requires new and nearly COM
plete outfit Of horses and machinery,
and every section in crop, will involve
an expense for overseers, etc. The
more area is spread over, the greater
the waste of time in going back and
forth; the more men are employed the
the more idle skulkers, time killers and
eye servers will be found, who, when
not under immediate supervision will
find it easy to add to the owners ex-
penses, and diminish his prospective
profits.
These things add to the expense as
the business assumes unwieldly proper
tions. To offset this, the large farmer
is usually able to obtain his teams, ma
chinery, supplies, at the lowest cash
figure; while the small farmer. not hav-
ing ready means, pays higher prices,
interest, and other expenses. But he
has the great advantage of having his |
farm or his work all under his own SUI
pervision; lie has the labor of his own
hands, and usually that of some of his
family, which although it may be, and
is, worth money, does not cost money;
and the amount it would have cost, is
put into his own pocket.
Probabably the greatest success in
raising wheat at minimum cost can be
attained on farm of 500 to l 900 acres,
worked with capable superintendent,
and adequate capital. 1t is large enough
to Justify the having on the farm, all the
buildings, machinery and outfit re-
quired, grenery, wagons, thresher, &c.
so that there il 70 waiting on any out
sider's motions for anything. u ia not
so large but What Che whole can be
properly supervised and the crop Saved
in good time; and if the working CAPT.
tai is adequate, the machinery and sup
plies can he purchased at the lowest
rates.
1t is not to be supposed that Red
River soil, any more than land else.
where; will bear ce4tihqots cultivation
iveness. The fertility will not sosn he
exhausted, but the land will become
weary; it will require rest, or rotation
of crops. And as it is not q corn coun-
try, and no athep cultivated oraps are
raised on so large scale as wheat, the
only recourse will he summer following.
BY this method, apart of the land will
be plowed in midsummer, there being
then no other work to he done, after the
farm is under the pillow. A much smaller
area will remain to be plowed in the
short and busy periods subsequent to
har>est; a MUCH less force will be suf-
ticient. and the expenses thus much re-
duced; while the yield per ache will
probably be largely increased. Proba.
lily an average Of fifteen bushels Der
acre can be increased to twenty or more;
and as the additional s to 8 bushels
represent is nearly alrthe profits, it is
easy to see that . system that will pro.
duce these res4iis, Will reduce the ex-
pense per b4sheI, to the lowest hoint.
1t is true th9t q considerable amount OF
land will he 44prqduotiye each year,
and to the eastern farmer, where land
is high. it may seem wasteful TO leave
it unornpped. But the conditions arc
different here. Land IL still very
cheap in this region, and q large area
represents frequently but q very few
dollars. It is tho outfit, machinery and
working expenses that cost. If the ex-
pense of raising CROP $40 so per acre,
it is sq!tal to file cost Of the land, and OF
breaking it, in many cases.
Land which costs s5.OQper acre, rep.
resents only 80 cents per acre annual
rent, Tor interest at 10 pep cont, and
that is I'LL 1t costs TO let it lie fallow;
and this expense single additional
bushel of wheat the next year will more
than repay. /
Will, these preliminary remarks, we
will take a faeli. Of 800 acres under piow,
and See what should be the expense Of
raising wheat on this system. We will
suppose that two thirds of the 500 acres
are ready for crop, and that one third
is ta " .VHm,er-fal!owed for the fol.
lowing year, and another third tall
plowed, leaving one.half the stubble
land for the next years summer fallow:
thus resting one third the land every
year and bringing it all under cultiya.