SQUASHES, HOW TO GROW THEM, ETC. 11 



that the profits can only come after the cost of production 

 is paid. 



The cost of producing an acre of squashes, independent 

 of the cost of the manure, will be : 



Plowing $600 



Distributing Manure 5.00 



Cultivating in Manure 3.00 



Seed 400 



Mixing Manure in Hills 2.00 



Planting Seed 1.00 



Three Cultivatings in course of season 5.25 



Two Hoeings 3.00 



Lime and Liming 1.50 



Hand-weeding of large, scattered Weeds, after Runners have 



started off 1.00 



Gathering of Crop into Heaps ready for Carting 2.00 



Interest on Land 9.00 



Wear and Tear, and Incidentals 2.00 



Total, exclusive of Manure $44.75 



Add cost of four Cords of Manure, at $8.00, landed in Field 32.00 



Cost of Guano, or some equivalent, to mix in Hills 5.00 



Total cost of Crop when four Cords of Manure are used per Acre. .$8.1.75 



Now, as we stated above, the average yield of Hubbard 

 squashes, under such manuring, would be about four tons. 

 The average price of Hubbard squashes in the Boston 

 markets, for the past four years, of such a size as four 

 cords of manure to the acre would produce, has been about 

 $25 per ton. At this rate, the returns (not deducting 

 the cost of marketing) per acre would be $100, from which 

 deducting the cost of production, $81.75, we have $18.25 

 as the profits on the acre. 



If, now, by adding two cords more of manure, or $16.00, 

 to the cost of production, we obtain two tons more 

 squashes, then the income is increased $50, (this supposes 

 that we get but the same price per ton, but, in fact, I get 

 from $5 to $10 more per ton for such squashes,) and we 

 have a profit of $52.25. The two cords of manure extra 

 have nearly trebled the profits ; in other words, by ad- 



