Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-08
COST OF HAULING.
Limit Of Distance With Which Profit
able Farming Can Be Used

Figures have been compiled by the De-
partment of Agriculture concerning the
cost of hauling farm products from the
farms to the nearest market point or point
on the railroad. The object of the publica-
ton Is to show the limit of distance within
which profitable farming in the various
products studied can be carried on.
The average cost to the farmer of haul
ing wheat from farms to shipping points is
given as cents per 100 pounds. the aver
age distance hauled is "a miles and the
average wagon load of wheat is 1928
pounds, thus containing about 55 bushels.
For cotton the average load is 1,702 pounds,
distance from shipping point 11.S miles, and
cost of hauling 16 cents per 100 pounds.
Reduced to terms of cost per ton per mile.
the rate for wheat is 10 cents and for cot
ton q cents.
The highest cost of haul is for WOOL which
is carried on an average 1913 miles from
farm or ranch to shipping point at rate
of A cents per 100 pounds for the entire
distance. The lowest cost for any one
product is for hemp. which is hauled from
farms to shipping points at an average cost
of cents per 100 pounds. the average dis
lance hauled being SO miles and the aver
age load Of hemp weighing 1888 pounds.
For the entire distance from farm to ship
ping point corn. oats and barley are each
hauled at an average cost Of cents per
100 pounds; hay, f1axseed, rye and timothy
seed, cents: wheat, potatoes and beans,
8 cents: tobacco and live hogs, 10 cents,
rice, hops and buckwheat. IL cents; apples
and peanuts. IL cents; vegetables (other
than potatoeS) and cotton seed, Is cents:
cotton and fruit (other than apples), IS
cents, and wool, A cents.
Except in the case of wool, practically all
costs represent the expenses incurred by
farmers in hauling their own produce
Wool Is hauled in the Rocky mountains
largely by regular freight wagons, and the
wool growers pay for the hauling at vary
ing rates per 100 pounds.
The total tonnage of farm products hauled
on country roads iu-the United States is
not known. but of twelve leading products
It is estimated that nearly 50,OOO000 tons
year 1866. at a cost of about $50, OO0, O0O
or more than per cent of their value at
local markets. OF this traffic 10000 900 tons
represent the weight Of corn. wheat and
cotton. and the cost Of hauling these three
products was S7O.O0O.0OO.
certain product Is hauled in small quanti-
ties may be easily several days hauf from
a shipping point; but the product hauled,
unless itself valuable. must usually be taken
on the same load with goods of relatively
high price. A few bags Of corn or potatoes
may be hauled sixty or seventy miles over
mountainous roads to local market and
sold without loss to the producer IL the
same wagon carries also a considerable
quantity of poultry and dairy products.
From one community in the Rocky noun
tains wheat and oats are hauled on wagons
a distance of 100 miles. cotton is hauled
from one county in the southwest Ito miles
west of the Rocky mountains gives 165
miles as the length Of the longest wagon
route over which wool is taken from shear
ing camps down to q railroad station.