The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1920-12-27
COST rs CENTS PER
POUND TO RAISE
TOBACCO IN 1919
Kentucky University Experts Compile
Figures On Investigation Showing
Cost Of Growing the
Tobacco.

The average cost of producing and
marketing Burley tobacco in 1919 was
twenty-six cents per pound and that
Of dark tobacco 17.2 cents per pound,
according to a preliminary report Of a
study of eighty-one farms in the Bur
ley district and seventy in the dark
tobacco district of the state, soon to
be issued by the College of Agricul-
ture of the University of Kentuckyy.
The report was compiled by w. d.
Nichols, head of the Department of
Farm Management of the college, and
F. W. Peck, of the office of Farm
Management and Economics of the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture.
The study was continued through
the 1920 season, but owing to the fact
that the tobacco grown this year has
not been marketed, no estimates of
the final cost are yet available, ac-
cording to officials of the department
The 1919 report is expected to be off
the press shortly after January l.
The summary of the report follows;
Tobacco cost studies were conducted
on 81 farms in the Burley area, cover
ing 625.5 acres of tobacco, producing
1852 pounds. This acreage consti-
tuted approximately s per cent. on the
average, of the total acres in these
farms.
"The average tobacco acreage On
the farms included in this study in The
Burley district was az acres, the
largest acreage was S6.6 and the
smallest 1.2. In the dark tobacco area
the average acreage per farm was 81
acres. the largest AZ acres and the
smallest 2.5 acres
"The highest yield per acre on the
farms studied in the Burley district
was 2,224 pounds; the lowest 27S
pounds, and the average 1,l41 pounds.
Similarly, in the dark tobacco area.
the highest yield per acre was 1876
pounds, the lowest SO4 pounds and the
average S25 pounds.
"The total cost per acre, including
land rent, on the farms studied in
the Burley district ranged from
s16606 to s4031S, averaging S2S9l0,
with over one-half of the acreage be
ing produced at between $500 and
$500 per acre, while in the dark to-
bacco area the total cost per acre
varied from slO003 TO sSOS.19, aver
aging s141.76. Over one-half the acre
age was grown at cost of SIPS to
$3.50 per acre.
"The cost per pound in the Burley
district varied from Is cents TO 81
cents. averaging approximately &c
cents. Nintey per cent of the tobacco
was grown at a cost of 81 cents or
less. In the dark tobacco area the
range in cost per per pound was from
9 cents to 3S cents, averaging H.
cents. Over 80 per cent of the tobacco
was produced at % cents or less.
"Of the total cost in the Burley dis
trict man labor constituted AZ per cent
land rent 34.3 per cent, barns and
sticks 9.6 per cent, horse labor 60
per cent, insurance 4 per cent, and
other: and machinery costs amounted
to 2.9 per cent Without land rent as
cost, man and horse labor constituted
approximately rs per cent and the
other items rs per cent: of the total
cost. In the dark tobacco area man
labor constituted 49.4 per cent of the
total cost, land rent IL per cent,
horse labor 1875 per cent, barns and
sticke, IL per cent, insurance "A per
cent, and other items 81 per cent.
Excluding land rent as cost, man and
horse labor amounted to approximate
ly rs per cent. and the other items 20
per cent. of the total cost.
an each district the combined op-
Grafton of stripping and marketing
was the principal item of labor with
cutting and housing second in the
Burley district and topping, worming
and suckering second in the dark to-
bacco district"