296 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 May, 1916. 



COST OF PRODUCTION OF FIELD CROPS. 



1.— WHEAT. 



JJ// //. C. Wilson, Manar/er, Central EesearcJi Farm; and 

 A. J. Whelan, Field Officer, Werribee. 



(Continued from page 413, July Journal, 1915.) 



In the July number of this Journcd last year, the costs of prepara- 

 tion, including seeding of a wheat crop at the Central Research Farm, 

 Werribee, was discussed. The present article deals with harvesting 

 expenses of this crop, and presents a balance-sheet. 



The results should correspcnd with costs under similar conditions of 

 soil and climate in other localities. 



The July article gave full detailed costs of the operations leading 

 up to and including seeding. (See Table 1.) The field of wheat, which 

 was approximately 345 acres, was looking well and stooling freely when 

 the former article was written. 



Harvesting has now been completed, and the detailed costs can be 

 seen in Table No. 2. 



In harvesting this field, three separate series of operations were 

 conducted. This was found necessary, because nothing but pure seed 

 wheat was sown, and the crop, comprising some thirteen varieties, was 

 gathered for seed. The three operations consisted of: — 



(1) Harvesting 12 acres of headland for hay. 



(2) Harvesting with binder 309 acres for threshing. 



(3) Stripping and winnowing 24 acres, comprising three varieties, 



the areas of which were not large enough to be harvested 

 by the threshing method. 



Harvesting Headlands for Hay. 



A headland of J chain of King's Early wheat was sown around 

 this field, and the total, 12 acres, was cut for hay on 20th to 22nd 

 October, 1915. This headland acted as a break for wind and ravages 

 of pests, as well as a protection from the pcssibility of mixing grain at 

 the ends of the several plots of different varieties sown 



Hay was harvested very early in the season, and valued in the 

 stack, on 10th November, 1915, at £5 per ton. 



The total hay harvested from the 12 acres, and weighed over thn 

 farm weighbridge before stacking, was 26 tons. Therefore, the gross 

 value amounted to £130. 



The cost of all operations connected with the production of this 

 hay, including rent of the land, and a share in the whole of the inci- 

 dental expenses incurred, was £35 7s. 5d. ; which means £2 18s. ll^d. 

 per acre, or £1 7s. 2|d. per ton. It seems, in the face of these figures, 

 that, unless the farmer can realize approximately 30s. per ton for his 

 hay in the stack, even though he has a normal season and a fair 

 crop, tlie occupation would be unprofitable. 



Cutting Crop for Grain, and Threshing. 

 Harvesting by means of the threshing machine seems the most 

 popular method of handling a wheat crop for grain in this locality. 



