396 AGRICULTURE EAST OF THE ALLEGHANY MOUNTAINS. 



tion of manure twenty-four bushels of wheat per acre, which 

 is worth Si per bushel. The cost of producing the crop, 

 including twice ploughing, harrowing, seed, sowing, harvest 

 ing, and carrying home, thrashing, dressing, and marketing, 

 will amount to $14, leaving only $10, or L.2, 2s. 6d., to meet 

 the interest of capital employed in the purchase and cultiva 

 tion of the land, taxes, professional profit, and the purchase 

 and application of manure. If the purchase money of the 

 land and capital invested in cultivation amount to $60 per 

 acre, the interest may be taken at $4, leaving only $6, or 

 L.I, 5s. 6d. sterling, for taxes and manure. The cost of 

 manure is scarcely worth estimating, but the expense of its 

 carriage and application are so high as often to forbid its use. 

 On the assumed data there will only remain about 18s. sterling 

 per acre to meet the carriage and spreading of manure. The 

 expense of labour is strikingly exhibited in contrast with the 

 value of the crop. The wages of a labourer may be stated at 

 seventy-five cents per day, and the value of an acre of wheat 

 would employ a man about thirty-two days. In Britain a 

 wheat crop of similar productiveness, at ordinary prices and 

 rates of labour, would employ a man between eighty and 

 ninety days. The same mode of management is obviously 

 not suited to both countries. 



In grass husbandry human labour is but little employed, 

 nature being the chief agent of production, and hence it is 

 remunerating. The difficulty of transporting certain kinds of 

 grass produce from a distance, such as hay and fresh dairy 

 produce, keeps up the price of these commodities, but the 

 small quantity of labour bestowed on their production is the 

 chief cause of their profitableness. 



A man with capital may purchase a farm to the east of the 

 Alleghany range, and occupy it with a prospect of having a 

 good return for the capital invested, if he possess prudence 

 and industry. He must not, however, lavish capital on 

 fanciful improvements, or employ much labour on finical ope 

 rations. Wages are so high that he will require to calculate 

 the value of every day s labour, and render the closest per 

 sonal superintendence, and perhaps also assistance. Unless 

 this is done farming will be unprofitable, as a great many of 



