The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-01
He COINS MONEY.
An Instance of Profits in Kansas
Farming.
Mr.. Laing's Record Covers
Fifteen Years.
EARNINGS % PER CENT.
Average Net Production Per
Acre Was $5.45.
Land in Russell County Used for
Wheat Only.
EARNINGS % PER CENT.

turns with thanksgiving and congratu-
late themselves upon the sagacity and
business acumen that brings gold to
their wallets in such good measure. But
the banker or capitalist who gets only
6 per cent, or who, perchance, by some
lucky stroke gets s or even 10 per cent
on money invested, is, as comGared
with the profits obtained by the pro-
gressive Kansas farmer, a pauper and
the lil1eliest candidate for the poor
house, of which Kansas has small need
except for the storage of surplus
grain. This declaration is substantial
ted by a statement recently furnished
Secretary F. D. Coburn, of the state
board Of agriculture by H. NJ. Laing,
of Russell county, Kan, regarding the
1 cost and returns of his wheat crops Tor
each of the past IL years.
Mr.. Laing has kept careful account
! of cost of production, yields and pro
fits during this time, and his books
show that fer the Is years ending with
1903 the annual yield per acre aVerag-
ed Is lis bushels and the price per
bushel for which it sold averaged 6215
cents, making the value per acre 1913,
while the cost to produce was S4.30,
leaving net profit of 1915, or lacking
just cents of being p per cent on
land valued at $25 per acre. These fig
ures of cost are based on hirin= teams
and men at the prices of labor then
I prevailing, and blowing two years in
three. AS strengthened. too, two to-
tai failures are recorded in the Is years,
one caused by hail in 1885, and the
| crop Of 1893 was doomed, as the SOW
ing in the fall of 1892 did not germfn-
ate, leaving the field in excellent con-
dition for corn planting in the sDrinS.
] Also in 1892 the wet weather cut the
yield to less than two bushels per acre
ana in 1900 the wheat was damaged in
: 1t a
lower price The lowest price per
bushel mis- wheat sold for was As cents
in 1891; the highest price, 81, in 1897.
For the crop of 1904 Mr.. Laing sowed
on land freshly ploWed, 40 acres on
wheat stubble, and 10 on miliet stub
bic.
His itamized statement of cost and
profit is as follows:
Flowing $50 acres at 81. 25........ $187 so
Narrowing, $50 acres at 15c...... 22.50
Drilling, 200 acres at 40c.... 80Oe
I Seed for 200 acres at 85c.s. 49,. 1900
Harvesting 200 acres at $1.75...... 350OO
| Threshing, 143z bushels per acre, 6
cents per bushel .......-.......- 174.O0
Total cost Of 200 acres. $685.. .$o87OO
1 The total cost of one acre was $4.94,
and the average yield per acre of Il q
/ bushels sold for IS cents per hushel,
I S12.54, leaving a net profit of $3.50 per
/ acre, or 80 2-5 per cent-on land valued
at S25 per acre.
In 1905 the average yield per acre
was II Y bushels, testing SO pounds,
and, as we'll might be imagined, it is
not yet sold, as Mr.. Laillg ike other
! prosperous Kansas farmers, with a
place to store it and no pressing need
for money viii hold the crop until the
most seductive price is offered.
And this is of but one crop If MT
Laing did nothing else but raise
wheat, which, however, is not the case,
IL o. Il
thave about nine months leisure each
! year to tour the countr-T in an auto
mobile, school his mind and repose in
/ the bosom of his family For this IS
I the schedule of the wheat raiser:
4 For recreation in the latter days of
summer he plows his land; for inspira-
/ ton. suca as is only impaired by the
enchanting days of autumn he goes
forth to SOW his field This done and
there being no cares until harvest in
/ the following year, he employs the in
/ terveDing time for education, although
the while he may rent his land to
some of his neighbors for pasturing
] the growing wheat, which usually af-
fords excellent grazing for several
months in the year. This alone might
bring him in enough to pay for the
work OF putting in the crop, and, IN
cfdentaIIy, this IS an important item
not enumerated by Mr.. Laing, who, in
/ the aggregate doubtless wished to be
conservative by its omission.
For perspiration he helps harvest the
Icrop~ in the galdsome summer days,
and putting it in the stack for his
comfort awaits the coming of low
Temperatures for threshing unless the
market is satisfactory earlier. And
when the crop is finally sold he has
much fine gold added to his accuTnu-
1 IarioIs.
AS animated before. as compared
with the mOney-making Kansas farm
er. bankers, capitalists, ct al, are OBJ
/ ject of charity and commiseration.
/ Nothing surpasses the Kansas farmer s
degree of prosperity EXCEPT possibly
1.-THE Increment from Standard Oil or
/ AmaIgamated Copper holdings, but
/ these are not nearly SO accessible to
the public as a wealth-producing tract
/ of Kansas land. In the sphere called
position" the Kansas farmer also oc-
cupies place not available to those of
the tainted money class. End to
I Kansas ''whosoever will mas come
It might not be amiss to note that
yields of 40 bushels per acre are not
uncommon in Kansas and Mr.. J. c.
Ort of Cove county raised 6 bushels
to the @cre in 1903.