WHAT AN ACRE MAY PRODUCE 57 



yields. The following are actual averages in the United 

 States Twelfth and Thirteenth Census Report, respectively. 



Flowers and plants, $2014 and $1911 ; nursery products, 

 $170 and $261 ; sugar cane, $87 (4 tons per acre) and 

 $5540; small fruits, $81 and $110; hops, $72 (885 Ib. per 

 acre) and $175 ; sweet potatoes, $37 (79 bu. per acre) and 

 $55 ; hemp, $34 (794 Ib. per acre) and $54 ; potatoes, $33 

 (96 bu. per acre) and $45; sugar beets, $30 (7 tons per 

 acre) and $54; sorghum cane, $21 (1 ton per acre) and 

 $23; cotton, $15 (4-10 bale per acre) and $25.70; flaxseed, 

 $9 (9 bu. per acre) and $14; cereals, $8 and $11.40. 



Specialties, however, often do much better. For example, 

 R. B. Handy, in Farmers' Bulletin No. 60, United States 

 Department of Agriculture, tells us that a prominent and 

 successful New Jersey grower says : 



" I cannot give the cost hi detail of establishing asparagus 

 beds, as so much would depend upon whether one had to 

 buy the roots, and upon other matters. Where growers 

 usually grow roots for their own planting the cost is prin- 

 cipally the labor, manure, and the use of land for two years 

 upon which, however, a half crop can be had. 



" The cost of maintaining a bed can only be estimated per 

 acre as follows: 



Manure (applied in the spring) $25.00 



Labor, plowing, cultivating, hoeing, etc 20.00 



Cutting and bunching 40.00 



Fertilizer (applied after cutting) 15.00 



Total $100.00 



"An asparagus bed well established, say five years after 

 planting, when well cared for should, for the next ten or 

 fifteen years, yield from 1800 to 2000 bunches per annum, 

 or at 10 cents per bunch (factory price) $180 to 



