New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-28

However soil mining of fertility is the grea
est single item OF cost in wheat production
and because it s invisible and intangible II
an item which very few, outside of the labora
tory of the soil chemist, ever appreciate.
The soil chemist finds that the elements in
bushel of wheat are as follows:
csps
g pounds potash at sc a pound. a
s. poands phosphoric acid at &c pound. l6
2475\
With an average of fifteen bushels an acre
then each crop contains, in the grain alone,
fertility which, at market value of the chemi-
Gals. amounts to S3,7l5.
In addition there is an average OF l,500
pounds of straw an acre (or 100 pounds OF
straw to bushel of gra;n) which also contains
the same chemicals. follows: 4
5 pounds of phosphoric acid at &C.. 10
81 pounds of potash at l.5c.....,.......'. 3lo
81 725
That is, the 100 pounds Of straw with each .
bushe contains lis cents worth OF fertility.
Hence the crop fertility an acre, on the basis
of fifteen bushels Of wheat and 500 pounds OF
straw, is So us plus 81 72s-s544.
II is the woful practice OF most OF the
grain farmers in the wheat belt, who have little
livestock as a rule, to make bonfres OF their
straw. On farm of $50 acres Of wheat from
100 10 1873 tons of straw, containing fertility
worth approximately $3.50 to 1892 so, are an l
nually burned.
The chemist says that If all the grain and all
the straw were fed to stock, or the straw used
as bedding and all returned to the land. III
would be possible to restore 81 81 year an
acre; but this is only an interesting theoretcs
or academic statement. for, OF course, wheat
costing over 81 a bushel cannot be used as
stock food and little of the manure. and less
of the unused straw, ever gets out upon square J
miles of wheat fields. Farmers protest that y
is impracticabe TO rot the straw, 1t 1t o
powed under in the fall, for the winters OF IN
north are too devoid of available moisture.
HERE is PROOF OF THE Loss IN
WHEAT.
Hence. TO sum up the actual cost an acre OF
wheat production as practised in the great
wheat areas is as follows: 4
Seed .........,,.,.,.....''''' 10
Loss in fertilizer. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. b ~
Interest on land at $50 at per cent?. 800
Interest on equipment and horses $1,000
for $50 acres or $40 per acre at per cent COZ
Depreciation equipment and horses at 10
cents ...s''''''.s'''-..s
Total ...'....'''''''''''''' '''.''''si'
A crop OF fifteen bushels therefore costingA
Sl7 20 per acre. costs 81 lS2 bushel one o
thirteen bushels costs 81 80, and one OF ten
bushels 81 70 bushe More farmers produce
wheat at ST 80 or higher bushel than can
raise il at less cost. The actual average yisld |
of the spring wheat states in 1914 was less(
than eleven bushels--costing 81 81 bushel on
the farm--a price not yet reached even by !
highest war prices.
In states like New York, where the labor an
acre is double the average in Minnesota. the
acre-cost OF the labor is double In yields Of
over fifteen bushels the loss in fertilizer is pro-
portionate.
Nevertheless farmers who have seldom re-
ceived 81 a bushel upon the farm are being
swept of their feet by prices at terminals how
ering close TO 81 so, which means less thai,
81 80 on the farms. They will come nearer
getting cost price than this generation has
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