38 WHEATGROWING IN AUSTRALIA. 



To be thoroughly correct we should allow for : 



Interest on plant, costing, say, $1920.00 at 



. 5 per cent $96.00 



Depreciation of plant, 10 per cent. . . . . 192.00 

 Rent on 250 acres at $1.20 per acre . . . . 300.00 



Total . . . . $588.00 



And in addition allow for the value of the farmer's own labour : 

 Twenty-two weeks putting in crop at $12.00 

 per week . . . . . . . . . . $264.00 



Ten weeks harvesting at $14.40 per week . . 144.00 



$408.00 

 We still have a satisfactory result, viz. : 



Returns $3168.00 



Outlay $570.oo 



Interest, &c 588.00 



Farmer's labour . . . . . . 408.00 



1902.00 



Net clear return . . . . . . . . $1266.00 



From this it can be seen that very handsome returns can be 

 obtained where the farmer is working his land properly, and grow- 

 ing a good portion, if not all, of his crop on fallowed land. Then 

 his average would be nearer 25 bushels than 15, and his net return 

 nearly as much again. In the above example, after making full 

 allowance for all legitimate charges, the cost of producing a 

 15-bushel crop from 250 acres comes out at about $7.44 per acre. 



SHARE FARMING. 



One of the most prominent and, in a sense, unique features of 

 wheatgrowing in Australia is the share-farming system. In New 

 South Wales, for instance, something like one-sixth of the wheat 

 crop is put in on shares. Under this system the landowner and the 

 worker with limited means co-operate to their mutual benefit. One 

 provides the land and the other the labour, and, under certain con- 

 ditions, they share the produce. Since it was introduced many years 

 ago, share farming has become popular because it has proved a 

 boon to both parties and to the different States, while providing 

 an exceptionally safe means of giving men the opportunity to> 

 ultimately acquire farms of their own. 



