The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-01-08
The Cost of Raisinr wheat

the chances on the government doing the
work well and honestly.
The Cost of Raising Wheat.
Baltimore Commercial Record In thest
columns have appeared recently two esti
mates OF the cost OF producing wheat-ont
based on calculations made by Chicago
writer, and the other by the editor of the
London Economist. These were approx
mately correct, but lacked the precision
which characterizes an official statement
The latest and most satisfactory effort il
this direction has been made bv the secre.
tary OF the Detroit Board Of Trade. He
submitted series of questions to many
parties in IS counties Of Michigan, and the
returns have been used as basis Of calcu
lation.. Although there was disparity in
The views off correspondents, q genera
average was pitched on the returns for each
ltem.of the service, resulting as follows
Flowing, per acre, $1.6S; seed, at 81 pei
bushel, SLIGO all cultivation, from blowing
till seed is sown, $170; reaping and bind
ing, $3.50; stacking OF carrying to barn,
50 cents threshing, $1.24 total SS.52, as
the average expenditure per acre for pro-
ducing wheat in those Is counties Of Mich
igan. The average there for a period of
five years has been HIP bushels. The re-
suit given as to cost per bushel is 1922
cents, which is on basis Of 1857 bushels
no - ~
direct cost per bushel. Besides, it is cal
culated that there is an annual average
cost for repairs, rent, &C., of 1856 cents,
making the total cost per bushel 66.7S
cents. The total cost, including all items.
Of getting a bushel to Detroit is IS cents.
This makes the cost of q bushel of wheat
in that market about 80 cents, the farmer
having out of this indemnity for all fea.
lures of expenditure, rent, or its equiva-
lent in interest for use of land, sc. Just
now the farmer is getting only Il cents in
Detroit for his wheat, leaving only $2.05
per acre, instead Of $2.70, to cover the
rent account, which is reckoned at 1923
cents in the cost.
1t is stated that the average price of
wheat in Detroit for eight years, from
1876-1SS3, inclusive, has been about $1.15
per bushel, which gavea good margin above
cost of production. The Michigan farmer
has had yield exec eding the average for
the entire country in late. years. For six
years, 1S79-1SS4 inclusive, the annual pro-
duction of the United States has averaged
460 million bushels of wheat, on an average
area of So 10000 acres,-making an aver
age yield Of 124 bushels per acre. If Mich
gan farmers can put wheat into market at
so cts, virgin lands producing Is to 20
bushels per acre with the best labor-saying
appliances can do so at less cost, although
the present price in Kansas, say 40 cents.
gives the grower no margin. The fact
that prices are below cost of production
just now ought not to discourage farmers,
since later on in the current season prices
will probably change for the better. At
any rate, it is evident that the average
seasons have given wheat farmers a good
compensation.
The compiler of this report says in his
introduction
81 am persuaded that this country can
deliver food products Of all kinds in West
ern Europe cheaper than they can be pro-
duced there or imported from any other
country, and l am as fully persuaded that
it is for the interest of our producers that
this fact should be made known as widely
as possible. Some consideration given to
the subject has led me to the belief that
farmers clubs and agricultural journals
are disposed rather to magnify cost, in the
hope that this will in some way influence
the foreign consumer. We have no mo-
nopoly of supply in any single article of
food, and it is perfectly immaterial to the
consumer whether we are losing money on
our wheat or not, if he can buy for less
money elsewhere. The best policy would
seem to be to figure cost as low as possible
consistent with truth. that wheat-growers
in Western Europe may be advised of the
hopelessness of competition and reduce
their wheat acreage. If convincing proof
be given that the United States cam in
series of years, ship wheat from the At
antic seaboard within certain figure, the
result might be q reduction from the
wheat area in England of 100000 acres,
and 100000 acres in France, and this
would leave $4,000, 600 bushels, in addition
to present requirements, to be supplied by
this country and other producers, quite
enough to save us from panic prices for
many years to come"