Cost of Production, Yields, Profits 217 



There is no charge for fertilizer in this estimate, since most 

 of the strawberry-planting in the Ozark district is on new 

 ground. 



The average return to the crate in the Ozark district 

 now is $1.50 to $1.75. It is considered not profitable 

 to ship if the price falls to $1.00 or below ; then the berries 

 are sent to the cannery. A yield of 175 to 225 crates an 

 acre is considered good, 150 crates fair, 75 to 100 crates 

 poor. Yields of 300 to 400 crates are not uncommon. 



One of the best records of cost-accounting with straw- 

 berries was reported by C. McNallie, of Missouri, in 

 1913 : 1 



Report for First Crop 



Cost of Growing Plants 



Number of acres reported on .... 20 

 Cost of plowing ground two times ; one 



in Sept., 1910, and again in Feb., 1911 $ 50.00 



Cost of harrowing and dragging . . 16.02 



40,000 plants ; then used 35,000 to reset 350.00 



Marking off land and planting . . 76.43 



Resetting (labor) 19.16 



Cost of hoeing four times .... 260.12 

 Cost of cultivating (part of bed 19 times ; 



part 20 times, and part 21 times) . 136.50 

 Running weeder over 2 times; 



rolling 6 times 22.50 



Cost of mulching material .... 54.87 



Cost of applying mulch 63.43 



Rent 80.00 



Picking blossoms 8.75 



Hauling rock 4.20 



Sharpening tools 4.00 



Cultivators, hoes, weeder, etc., assuming 



three years' use 27.00 



Total $1172.98 



1 Bui. 113, Mo. Exp. Sta. (1913), pp. 298-9. 



