556 



Bulletin 317 



them show any extreme tendencies they may be considered fairly accurate. 

 Resuhs obtained during a series of years arc more reliable than those ob- 

 tained by several persons in the same year, because the yields of corn are 

 subject to climatic conditions. 



COMPARATIVE COST OF CORN AND MANGELS 



At the Cornell station. — ^Why mangels cost more for each acre or for each 

 ton than com fodder can best be understood by studying the cost items 

 of crops of com and of mangels grown on the Cornell University farms 

 during 19 10 and 191 1. The items for the 19 10 crops were as follows: 



Comparative Cost per Acre of Corn and Mangels, 1910 



Autumn plowing 



Spring plowing 



Manuring, 1909 (one quarter cost) , 

 Manuring, 19 10 (one half cost) . . . 



Fertilizers 



Fitting and planting 



Seed 



Cultivation 



Harvesting 



Total. 



Corn 



$2 81 



8 64 



14 26 



3 26 

 o 62 



4 32 

 7 99 



$41 90 



Mangels 



$4 18 

 2 81 

 8 64 



19 



87 

 90 



26 25 

 20 04 



$76 88 



The deep autumn plowing was thought to secure the best possible seed 

 bed for mangels. The field had produced corn in 1909 after having re- 

 ceived a heavy application of stable manure. The residual effects of 

 manure on this soil were recognized by charging one half the cost of manur- 

 ing to the crop for which it was applied, and one fourth the cost of 

 manuring to the second crop following its application. Good practice 

 requires the use of fresh manure for each crop of corn on this soil and the 

 use of commercial fertilizers for root crops on previously manured fields. 

 The cost of fitting the seed bed for mangels is greater than that for com 

 because the surface must be fined and leveled with a Meeker harrow in 

 order to make the use of the garden drill possible. The cost of mangel 

 seed is several times that of corn for the same area. The difference in 

 cost of cultivating and harvesting the two crops is mainly responsible for 

 the great difference in their economy. Corn is cultivated and harvested 

 for the silo mainly by horse power; mangels are cultivated and harvested 

 very largely by hand where the best yields are grown. 



