The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1920-10-20
FARMERS OF IOWA PRODUCE
AT LOSS

FARMERS OF IOWA PRODUCE
AT LOSS
During the last seven months 4 com
mittee made up of Messrs. H. B. Nun
GER Of ,Ames; Fred McCullOch, of Hart
wick: George Koch, Of Brighton: Rec
Rewfern, Ct Yarmouth, and j. Fl
Schroeder, of Arcadia, has conducted
three separate lines OF investigation
TOR the purpose of determining the nc
tual cost of growing wheat, oats ant
corn. This committee has been work
Ing for the Iowa Farm Bureau fedora
ton, and n report has been made OF
the wheat and oats crop, but as the
corn is yet to be picked, no report has
been made on that crop. The question
is asked how long will take an Iowa
farmer to get RICH, selling wheat at
SLIGO per bushel when the actual cost
Of growing it is $1.S8 a hushel? With
oats that cost Is cents per bushel to
raise, now selling at 4l-tcents, there
doesn't seem to be much in it for the
farmer.
It is claimed that according to fig.
ureS announced by the iowa Farm Bit
reau federation's special committee the
farmers of the state selling oats now
would lose not less than $4,000, 900
On their 1920 crop, due to the fact that
the present market price is far below
the actual cost of growing. In the
ed are: Value of the land used in grow
Ing the grain, rental OF, land, cost of
seed, man labor, horse labor deprecia-
ton Of equipment. taxes, insurance,
cost of twine, threshing. fuel and other
Items from the preparation Of the land
to the delivery of the grain from the
threshing spouts. The work of determ
lining the cost of growing wheat was
conducted on 1877 different farms in
Montgomery, Warren and Wanello
counties. Average value of land used
In wheat growing on this group of
farms is placed at the very reasonable
figure Of $282 an acre; use of land, in
terest and taxes at $3.50 an acre: cost
Of seed, $341 an acre; man labor was
charged at IS cents an hour; horse la
Dor at 20fcents an hour; storage and
depreciation of tools and equipment at
5 cents all hour: Irvine at 35 cents an
acre; threshing fuel at 16 cents an acre,
and sundry other items at a nominal
figure.
The total cost per acre was found to
be $35.7S.
Deducting 81 cents for the straw,
leaves an average net cost Of $34.S1 an
acre. This for 1877 farms which, it is
safe to say, are representative OF the
wheat growing interests Of the entire
state. t}sfa#
The yield per acre was 1876 bushels,
ton $1.S8 a bushel
. The cost oil growing oats was studied
upon 1876 farms in Lucas, Floyd and
Buena Vista. counties, located respect.
lively in the south central, northeast
and northwest parts Of tho state.
The value Of the land used in grow.
Ing oats in this group Of farms was
placed at $3.50 an acre; rental of land,
interest and taxes. $15.53 an acre: cost I
Of seed. 1923 an acre: man labor. horse
labor. depreciation, ETC., are approx
mately the same as charged in grow
ing wheat. varying somewhat accord
ing to locality and conditions. /
or producing oats on this group of near.
Iy' 200 farms was rs cents a bushel.
7 There is wide variation in wheat.t
costs on the different farms,
depending on local conditions. such as
weather, insect pests, labor and other
factors. On forty farms the cost did
not exceed $3.50 a buslel- But while
these forty growers get by with a Slight
profit 1875 Host money->i in slzabe wads,
the cost Of production ranging from
$1.60 bushelto $3.50. while to one UNI
fortunate grower in Wapello county
the cost was 500 bushel. local con
ditions cutting the yield down to only
four bushels an acre. But while this
Is an exceptional case it illustrates the
ever present risk from wind weather +
and other influences the grower has to
face year after year. /
Montgomery county made the best !.
even with higher priced land
and rentals, due to the fact that the
average yield was PIT bushels to the T;
acre. against ia bushels in Warren !.
and II bushels in Wapelo., Three farms
In this county got by at a cost of 81
bushel. on fifteen the cost was below
The present selling price. while on TWEEN. f:
ty.nine the cost ranged from SLIGO to /,
$500 a bushel
Fifty.four farms were included in the
study in Wapello county. Twelve of