The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-09-21
Cost Of Raising Corn.

Many farmers have recently received
circulars from the department at
Washington asking them to give the
cost of producing an acre of corn. The
figures asked have to embrace every
item of expense from the lowing to
delivering it in the market. Such esti.
mates must differ with different iocali.
ties and their distance from market,
that item having an influence on the
value or rent of land and the cost oil
hauling to market.
My estimate came out at $1l.50 pei
acre, figuring land at 81 and hauling IA
distance of 10 niles 10 cents per
bushel. AS an average yield will not
exceed 80 bushels, it is clear that the
farmer will not gain independence
rapidly by growing corn and selling it
at 30 cents per bushel. Although it
may seem an arithmetical error, he
will make more money by raising only
90 bushels and selling at so cents.
For 80 bushels he would get $1,000; for
20 bushels he would get $40, an appar-
ent loss of so cents, but as in the latter
case he would save one>third the cost
of hauling, or$1, making an actual
gain of 80 cents on the smaller crop,
but still selling his produce from an
acre at so cents less than its actual cost.
The advance in the price of corn
will come pretty hard on city folks
who have to buy all their stock feed,
but they must not allow themselves to
believe that they are the victims of a
conspiracy between the farmers and
the feed merchants. The farmer may
make small profit this
year when corn goes above
30 cents, but not till then, and at no
time, no matter how high corn may
be, does the fair dealing feed merchant
get more than legitimate return for
his labor and investment.
1t is amusing to hear some business
men talk about farming and the
profits of the farm. Speaking to one
the other day on this subject of cost
of raising corn and giving him figures
he took exception to them as stand :
ard of cost on the ground that l had
charged up every expense involved,
when all the labor had to be paid out
of pocket. 1 said l failed to see how
the cost could be arrived at in any
other way. oh" said he, your
figures may be right from your point,
but take the man who owns his own
land and makes the crop with his own
labor and that of bis children, it does
not cost him more than half what you
say" According to his reasoning l
don't see how the crop cost anything,
aud whatever it sold for must be clear
profit. If rent of land and human
labor because supplied by the owner
and his children is not to count,
no more should the wear OF
horses, plows and cultivation
because they belong to the owner and
consequently the crop costs its FORUM
ate owner nothing. Such an argument
coming from backwoods farmer.
might be smiled at as piece OF rustic
innocence and ignorance, but is not
worthy of anyone acquainted with
the rudiments of political economy.
The corn crop of Travis county will
hardly average 90 bushels per acre this
year, and nearly one-fourth will be
inerchantable. 1t looks very we'll as it
hangs in the field, but turns to shucks
to nubbihs when handled. A bushel
of ear corn should weigh u pounds.
but the bulk of the present crop will
be less than 81.