Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-03-29
Farm Operating Cost
Figured by Experts

o. 49, -
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of crop production. The average cost
per hour of horse labor, 1904-1907, was
5.25 cents at Northfield, $3.50 cents at
Marshall, 1852 cents at Halstad and
7.46 cents on the large farm in North
western Minnesota. The annual cost
of maintaining the farm horse has been
divided by the total number Of hours
of work in year to obtain the coN
per hour.
The depreciation In value of all
classes Of farm machinery is approx
mately 7.3 per cent annually. The an
nual depreciation of the most uni
versally used farm machinery is as
follows: Grain binders, 791 per cent;
grain drills, 6.75 per cent: corn bin
ders, 1908 per cent; corn cultivators,
7.25 per cent; mowers, 7.8 per cent;
hayrafts, rs per cent, sulky plows, 8.4
per cent; wagons, 4.89 per cent, har-
rows, S.72 per cent, and harness, GIT
per cent.
The annual values consumed per
acre in number of the most uni
versally used farm machines are az
follows: Grain binders, 1871 cents;
grain drills, rs cents; corn binders,
82.6 cents; corn cultivators, 1916 cents;
mowers, 20.6 cents; hayrakes, 8.5
cents; plows, 81 cents, and harrows,
IT cents. The term values consum-
err includes the machinery cost items
of depreciation, interest on investment,
and repairs. The average annual acre
age covered by each class of machin-
cry is divided into the total cost to
obtain the cost consumed per acre.
The value in farm machinery con-
sumed per acre for the corn, grain and
hay crop is as follows: Mortified,
corn, $1.748; grain, SIT cents; hay,
54.S cents; Marshall, corn, $1.44S,
grain. 55.S cents; hay, Az cents; Hal
stad, corn, $1.143; grain, 372 cents;
hay, 20 cents; large farm in North
western Minnesota, grain, 27.7 cents;
threshing outfit, 1876 cents; hay, 20
cents.
Cost Of Field Crops.
The total cost per acre OF producing
q number of the staple crops of Min.
nesota is as follows, including seed,
labor of men and horses, Irvine, ma
chinery depreciation, and land rental:
Corn husked from the standing stalks,
Mortified, $11.56S; Marshall, $9.662;
corn cut, shocked and shredded, North
field, $15.297; corn grown thickly and
sliced, Mortified, $20.627; Minnesota
Experiment station, 49,
1877; flax seed, threshed from the wind
row, Mortified, $10.o72; Halstad, ST.
272; large farm in Northwestern Min
nesota, $6.2S3; fodder corn, cut and
shocked in the field, Mortified. $10.-
1888; Halstad, 1892; hay, timothy and
clover, one cutting, Northfield, $6.1S5;
Marshall, $3.50: Halstad, H.5e7; man.
gels, Minnesota Agricultural Expert
ment station, $685.; oats. fall plowed.
1884: Marshall, 5000;
$7.11o; large farm in North
western Minnesota, $6.073; potatoes,
machine production, large farm in
Minnesota, $26.366; in
tensive culture, $37.721; wheat, fall
blowing, Mortified, $9.S61; Marshall,
$3.50; Halstad, $6.977; large farm in
Northwestern Minnesota, $6.056.
The net feeding value of forage crops
per acre, as determined from statis-
teal and feeding investigations, is
$3.50 per acre for 213-ton yield of
and clover, $4.79 per acre for
a 3h-ton yield of cured fodder corn:
while the net loss on ten tons to the
acre of ensilage is 80 cents, and for
2C-ton yield of mangels, $6.68. One
dollar expended in capital and labor in
hay production gives return of 1921;
fodder corn, $1.3S; ensilage, SO cents,
and mangels, 70 cents Under condi-
tons of higher land values and rela-
lively higher prices for feeds than are
assumed in table XXI, these relative
net values or net losses would not ap-
ply.
Cost Of Potato Crop.
Potato production by machine meth
DDS has greater possibilities in Mime
sofa for large profits per acre than
grain crops. The cost per acre of pro-
ducing potatoes as determined from
large potato farm in Clay county; Min
nesota, is $26.37, this cost including
seed, labor, machinery cost, land
rental, and the cost of labor and ma
terials to spray the crop three times
for blight and the potato beetle.
The average yield per acre was 1877
bushels, which, at 40 cents per bushel,
gives gross income per acre of 5000,
or a net profit of $2443. The rate of
profit on land valued at $50 per acre is
489 per cent. Where fertilizers and
more intensive methods are used the
cost is increased to $37.72, with an in
crease in yield to 1852 bushels per acre.
and at 40 cents per bushel give net
profit of 54.2 per cent on $50 land.
The cost per acre of fall blowing, as
averaged from 4,773 acres at North
field, Rice county, is $1.256; from 5.947
acres at Marshall, Lyon county, $1.141;
from 7,186 acres at Halstad, Norman
county, $1.133, and from 1893 acres on