166 POTATO GUI/TURK. 



acres. But $100 per acre would certainly show a net profit 

 of $60 per acre, not charging for the headwork of the man- 

 ager. I think we actually did make about 200 per cent profit 

 that year on the cost of production. But suppose one gets 

 but 200 bushels, he still has more than 100 per cent profit, 

 which is good enough don't you think so ? In such a year 

 as 1881, when we were m-king so much, I actually felt as 

 though it was wrong to take the market price for our crop, 

 and I did sell to neighbors for less than regular market rates. 

 With a net profit of $100 per acre I could not take full price 

 from individuals, even if they did have the same chance to 

 grow a paying crop that I did, and failed to make full use of it. 

 Now, friends, please compare these two sets of figures, and 

 learn the lesson they try to teach. Do not do it with a spirit 

 of criticism, or trying to find fault with them. They will 

 not be exactly right, of course, under all conditions ; but the 

 general verdict they give is as true and trustworthy as the 

 g )spel of Christ. You may say 1883 was a wonderfully good 

 season. So it was the best one we have ever experienced ; 

 but others had the same season, and averaged but $35 per 

 acre. The year 1881, when we made a still larger profit, en 

 part of our land at least, was the poorest one for potatoes, 

 perhaps, that Ohio has seen in a lifetime. Would that you 

 could be made to see that average crops, managed in average 

 ways, no longer pay any profit ; nor will they ever again. 

 Two things the successful farmer of the future must do : He 

 must get larger returns per acre than the average, and re- 

 duce the cost of production. If you will think the matter 

 over you will see that every thing that is said in this book 

 comes under these two heads. Let us look at this a moment. 

 If you drain the wet places, you will get more per acre. The 

 clover rotation gives you cheaper and safer food, and hence 

 reduces the cost of production. Cutting to one eye saves us 

 money (seed), and is managed so as to give as good results. 

 Drill culture and long straight rows enable us to cultivate at 

 about half the cost. Level culture saves plant-food and 



