The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-14
ACTUAL COST OF PRODUCING
CROPS IN STATE OF minnesota
.aI management of railroad.

lcai management or railroad.
Cost CT Iorse Labor Reckoned.
Tor instance, how many farmers in
Minnesota know what is the actual cost
of horse labor by the hour or the
day?
The rental value of land is not
usually considered by farmers as an
item of expense in the production of
crops when they own the land. 1t is
legitimate item of expense, however,
and must be included in those costs
which when subtracted from the gross
receipts will give net receipts. Land
rental, as the term is popularity used,
refers to interest on the investment,
and, as used in this bulletin, includes
interest on investment, taxes and in
surance. The average selling value of
the land at Mortified is $40, Marshall,
500; Halstad, $35, and the l,S2O-acre
farm, $50. With an interest rate of
) per cent at Mortified and Marshall,
and per cent at Halstad and the large
farm, and rental amounts to $3.50 at
Mortified, So at Marshall, $2l0 at
Halstad, and $3.50 on the large farm
Farm land values in the United
States as a whole have increased
enormously, as shown by figures here
with from bulletin 43, bureau of Stats
ties. United States department of ag-
riculture. From 1890 to 1900 the aver
age increase in the value of all farm
lands was % per cent, or an average
annual increase of 2.5 per cent. From
1900 to 1905 the average increase in
the value of all farm lands was 1876
per cent, or an average annual in
crease of 81 per cent. The increase
was remarkable in some of the newer
states, Oklahoma values increasing
76.7 per cent, or an average annual in
crease of 1913 per cent. North Da-
kota's total increase was 706 per cent,
annual increase, AL; Texas, total in
crease, 7O6 per cent, annual increase,
8 per cent; and many other states in
western divisions show rapid advance
i'll tie value of land.
For she years i3OI- 1907 the aver
age monthly wages paid farm laborers
, during the eight ''crop- season" months,
; April | to Nov. 80 were approximately
as follows: Mortified 9O5-l907)
$26.l6, Marshall, $2664; Halstad 1856
and the large farm in northwestern
Minnesota, $26.77. During the months
of December, January, February and
March the average monthly wage at
Mortified was $3.50; Marshall. $l42O;
Halstad, SLIGO, and the large farm in
northwestern Minnesota, $l4.36.
! The depreciation in value of all
classes of farm machinery is approx
mately 73 per cent annually. The
annual depreciation of the most uni.
versally used farm machinery is as
follows: Grain binders, 7.9l per cent
grain drills, 6.75 per cent; corn bind
ers. 1908 per cent; corn cultivators
1925 per cent; mowers. 7S per cent
hayrakes, rs per cent; sulky plows
S.4 per cent; wagons 4S9 per cent
harrows, S.72 per cent, and harness Gil
per cent.
The total cost per acre of producing
number of the staple field crops OF
Minnesota is as follows, including seed
labor of men and horses, Irvine, ma
chinery depreciation and land rental
Corn husked from the standing stalks
Mortified, Sll.65S; Marshall, 1862;
corn, cut, shocked and shredded. North
field, $l5.297; corn grown thickly and
sliced. Mortified, $2O.627; Minnesota
agricultural experiment station, $I9.lS7
flaXseed threshed from the windrow
Mortified, $l0.072; Halstad, $7.272
large farm in northwestern Minnesota
$6.2S3; fodder corn. cut and shocked in
the field. Mortified, $lO,733; Halstead
$S.9l2; hay, timothy and clover, one
cutting, Mortified $G.lS5; Marshall
1858; Halstad. $4.567; mangIes. Min
nesota agricultural experiment station
$32.6s2; oats, fall plowed, Mortified
1854; Marshall, 5000; Halstad, $7.llO;
large farm in northwestern Minnesota
S6O73; potatoes, machine production
large farm in northwestern Minnesota
$26366; intensive culture, S37. 72l;
wheat, fall blowing, Mortified, $9.S6l
Marshall, $3.50; Halstad $6977; larg,
farm in northwestern Minnesota, $6.O56
i Mich cows in Minnesota were main
! tanned at an average annual cost pei
head of $40. 81, exclusive of the cost oil
/ shelter, which will range from 81 to So
The total cost was made up of the fol
! lowing items: Grain $3.50; roughage
STOPS; pasture, $4.02; labor, $l7,O3S
interest on investment, $lS46 The av.
erage annual value of the product from
mich cows $3.50 in number) was $5O.95
leaving a net value of product of $9.9S