No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 383 



The statistics given in the table were collected from a large po- 

 tato and grain farm in Clay county, Northwestern Minnesota, where 

 300 to 400 acres of potatoes are grown annually. During the years 

 1902-7 no fertilizers were used. These figures allow no charge for 

 superintendence, which might be permitted to pass on a small farm 

 where the farmer worked himself, but would be a factor on a large 

 farm. 



COST OF PRODUCING POTATOES ON UNFERTILIZED LAND 



Seed (12.1 bus.) ,5.804 



Plowing, l[l90 



Harrowing, : .184 



Cutting seed, .801 



Planting, "620 



Weeding (horse weeder) .544 



Cultivating, 3 times, .294 



Spraying, 3 times, *294 



Paris green , 1.282 



Bluestone ' .52(8 



Digging, 1.338 



Picking up 127 bus. at 3^ per bu. and board, 4.806 



Hauling and storing, 2,(103 



Machinery cost , ' 596 



Land rental, 3,000 



26.366 



The actual cost of production was 21 cents per bushel. It is not 

 stated whether the above yield was total crop or saleable, but if 

 the former then the actual cost of saleable potatoes per bushel would 

 be nearer 30 cents than 20 cents. I think you will agree that this 

 cost is low. 



COST OF PRODUCING POTATOES ON FERTILIZED LAND 



Spring plowing, 1.017 



Harrowing , 4 times , .765 



Cost of seed (14.1 bus.) 8.472 



Cutting seed , .376 



Treating seed , .120 



Corrosive sublimate , .277 



Planting, 689 



Fertilizers , 6.500 



Weeding, twice, .327 



Cultivating, 3 times ^ . 1.814 



Spraying , 4 times , .446 



Paris green, i 



Lime, V 1.833 



Bluestone, ) 



Digging, 1.810 



Picking up 162 bus. at 3*c per bu. and board , 6.362 



Hauling, storing and sorting, 3.317 



Machinery cost , .596 



Land rental , , 3.000 



37.721 



The interesting thing, however, is the fact that even when ferti- 

 lizers were applied the cost of growing a bushel was greater by 

 2| cents per bushel than when no fertilizer was applied. The in- 

 crease was not sufficient to pay for the cost of the fertilizer. An- 

 other point is that not all of the gain is saleable. I do not sup- 

 pose the saleable potatoes were produced for less than 30 cents 

 per bushel. Do you think you can produce them for less? This 



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