Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1921-03-31
ALLEN SPEAKS
Sugar Factory Manager Gives Val
ues of Farm Crops.

have heard il said very often by
nrominent agriculturists that there
Is no general farm crop which the
farmers of Michigan raise, whose
average is paying crop. This ! be-
lieve to be more than true with any
of our general crops, excepting sug-
ar beets and beans. IL you will send
TO Lansing and get crop report,
Michigan Annual Summary, for the
year 1920, you will find from this
that for the last twelve years the
main crops raised in Michigan have
averaged the farmers money value
per acre as follows: Corn $2S.24,
wheat S23.66, barley s2s.25, hay
1888, oats S1616, rye $14.92, buck
wheat Sl277, sugar beets $6l.S0.
The total average cost of the beet
crop per acre for the last twelve
years could not possibly be reckoned
at over $4,000 per acre for the whole
period, which leaves a surplus OF
$3.50 after deducting cost, or in
other words, this $3.50 surplus per
r.ere is greater than the total aver
age price per acre for the twelve
wears of the five crops, namely, bar
lev, hay, oats, rye and buckwheat,
which includes the whole cost of
seed. labor, Irvine, thresh bill and
marketing of these five crops.
Certainly no sane person can say
that these crops have in the last
twelve years compared in any way
with the sugar beets for the same
length of time.
Then again, the surplus left from
the average beet crop for the last
twelve years, of $21S0, is within
Sls6 of the total value Of the per
acre wheat crop for the same period.
Can any sane person claim that the
average wheat crop for the last
twelve years has cost only S1.86 per
acre which is what it would have had
TO cost if it made as good a showing
as the beet crop for the same period :?
Once more, the surplus $3.50 af-
ter deducting the cost of $4,000 per
acre for the beets compared with the
total value of the corn crop for
twelve years, leaves S6.44 per acre
for the cost of raising the corn and
you must certainly know that the
average corn crop of Michigan for
the last twelve years has cost much
more than this to plant, harvest and
market the same, per acre.
Now from these facts | believe the
average beet crop this year will pay
for its raising and have a much larg-
err surplus than will the average of
any of our other farm crops.
We have not a single farm crop
but which has lowered more in price
in the last year than the beets and
you have no guarantee but what the
other farm crops will be much lower
another year than now because there
will be no foreign outlet for our ag-
ricultural products for the next two
years or more as there has been and
on account of the industries, many
Of them not running fifty per cent,
and hundreds of young men who
have worked in. them going back to
the land, our farm crops viii in
crease IN volume which cannot help
but decrease the price.
Now, brother farmer, read these
few lines over twice, think about
these facts, send to Lansing and get
the bulletin and verify them, if you
do not believe what l have said anC
then act in this matter as your con-
science tells you. and not as some
.neighbor or crank tells you, for none
Of your neighbors nor any cranks
will support your family the coming
year. This duty is entirely upor
your shoulders, wholly up to you
and you must assume the respon
sibility.
Farmer Allen.
March 2H 1921