Bryan morning eagle and pilot. (Bryan, Tex.) 1909-1909, 1909-02-06
Cost Of Raising Gotten.

weeks issue of the Farm and Ranch
the actual cost OF raising cotton, w. 3
Weary of Farmersville. Texas, give
some interesting figures and Com
ments:
In dealing with this question" sail
Mr.. Weary, there are so many ele
ments OF uncertainty that enter int
the cost of making a bale Of cottor
that We must base our estimates OF
ideal weather conditions; or, in Other
words, We must be able 10 work oul
cotton whenever it needs working
chop it and pick il at the right times
Ideal weather conditions give us
production al minimum expense.
ANY variation from this standard will
cause an extra cost of production, or
"a decreased return from the soil.
My estimate must also deal with
the average black land soil and the
average black land farmer. The bet
ter equipped a man is the cheaper
he can produce his crop. We must
also have smooth piece OF land that
has been cultivated so that an average
days work may be done. Broken
land will, of course, be more expen-
sive to work.
Let the value of man and his
team be SO per day. Then the cost
per acre for handling the crop TO the
time of picking will be: cleaning land
20 cents; breaking, So; narrowing, 20
cents; bedding up the land, 80 cents;
planting, 80 cents; seed, 25 cents: first
blowing (carefuD, 80 cents; first
chopping, Is cents; second chopping.
30 cents; second, third and fourth
plowings, 81.
The average production per acre
in our part of the country is about
one-third of dale. On this hypothe-
sis. we find the following costs: pick
ing at 10 cents per hundred. season
average, 1913; time of man and team
at gin, 90 cents; ginning expenses. 81;
time consumed in marketing. 30 cents:
rent of land, s.. This makes a total
cost of s16.75 to raise one-third of a
bale of cotton.
f'cotton sells at 10 cents per pound
and seed at SIS per ton, the farmer
VIII get s19.16 Tor his one-third of a
bale and its seed. His profit in this
instance is s2.41 per acre.
With cotton at cents per pound
and seed SIS per ton. the profit is
10 cents per acre.
With cotton at cents and seed al
Sl5 per ton, the loss is 1922 per acre.
The small scale OF computations
may be made for whatever price cot.
on and cotton seed will bring or for
whatever yield may be obtained. The
cost of raising one-third of bale is
ust as great as raising a bale to the
'cre up to the time of picking. Then
he cost is proportionate for the ouan.
ity of the yield, but the total returns
IRE very much greater.
This estimate has not included the |
wear and tear of machinery nor the
expense of fertilization, replanting,
echopping from excessive rain. These
re expenses that must also be provid-
d for. Every few years new nipple
nents must be bought and about
very ten years a new team must -,
provided.
From these figures, which be-
eve are nearly accurate in our part
l the state, ii may be readily seen
nat the farmer cannot afford to farm
otton unless he can obtain a price
etter than 9 cents, and can raise
lore than one-third of a bale to the
Gre
i find that the only man who can
ford to raise cotton with conditions
they now prevail, is the man with
large family of children, who is will.
ng to keep his children out of school
Id work them in the field.
The cost of living on the farm dur.
g the last ten years has increasedI
early 90 per cent. Prices for farmi
'oducts have not met this increase.
ne business man cannot afford to
Use the crop. 1t must be done at the | {
st of the child Farm and Ranch.
Attorney General Davidson has ad.
d the topknot of the American Book
mpany to the string of trust scalpst
nplinp from h;e 1,oIt ,r1 ..s