NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



61 



ter. See to it that some provision is made, at 

 once, to advance education in agriculture. 



In this branch of industry alone are wo behind 

 the age. In this branch of education alone, does 

 the old world excel us. In almost every state in 

 Europe, are there in successful operation agricul- 

 tural schools and colleges. In arts and manufac- 

 tures, we are fast outrunning the world, and 

 simply because we employ "intelligent labor," 

 while the operatives of Europe are ignorant and 

 degraded. In Agriculture, as in manufactures, 

 the contest with other nations is soon to be de- 

 termined by the intellectual and moral power 

 rather than the manual force of the laborers." 



For the New England Farmer. 

 THE CORN CROP, 



BY SCRUTATOR. 



Mr. Editor : — I have read in your paper, the 

 New England Farmer , of Dec. 6th, a comparative 

 statement of the net profit of an acre of corn in 

 some eastern and some western States, by which it 

 is made to appear that an acre of corn in Massachu- 

 setts yields more profit than an acre in Illinois. I 

 have no inclination to disturb any comparisons that 

 may be made favorable to this State. Neither my 

 feelings nor my interest, nor the desire to sustain 

 any theory or prejudice, would draw me into a dis- 

 cussion upon this matter. But conceiving that the 

 remarks of your correspondent, Mr. Brooks, backed 

 by his figures, are likely to lead to wrong impres- 

 sions, and that it is always a good office to correct 

 errors, I take the liberty of presenting some facts 

 which should not be overlooked in making correct 

 estimates on this subject. A most important ele- 

 ment in such a comparison, in order to arrive at 

 a correct result, is wholly overlooked by your cor- 

 respondent, which I will show presently. But 

 first a word or two on two items of his calculation. 



His statement is thus : 



Cora, average crop in Mass., 40 bushels the acre. 



price the bushel, 80c, is $32,00 



" " value of stover per arce, 7,00 



Cost of cultivation including interest, 



39,00 

 20,00 



#19,00 



Profits per acre, 



Corn, average crop in Illinois, GO bushels the acre. 



" " price 26 cents, is $15,60 



Value of stover, 1,00 



Value of whole crop the acre, 16,60 



Cost of cultivation, including interest on land, 7,20 



Profits per acre, 



$9,40 



First, I am not prepared to say that the value of the 

 stover (or estovers) in Illinois is or is not accurately 

 stated. But in quantity it is from 70 to 100 per 

 cent, more than that of an acre in Mass. If it is 

 ecpial to half a ton of hay, in Mass., it is nearly 

 double that in Illinois. If it is not worth more 

 than a dollar, it is because hay can be obtained 

 at a cost of $1 or $1,50 in labor. And this shows 

 how easy and profitable is stock raising. Again, 

 I think your correspondent has much overrated the 

 cost of an acre of corn in Illinois. But I will now 



show you that very important oversight, as I con- 

 sider it in his estimate. And in doing this I shall 

 take his figures, in the two items just alluded to, 

 to be correct. He states the cost of cultivation in 

 Massachusetts at $20, in Illinois at $7,20, or the 

 cost of cultivating one acre in Massachusetts equal 

 to nearly the cost of three in Illinois. Now, the 

 cost of the crop, and not the area of cultivation, is 

 the true basis of a correct estimate. If a farmer 

 in Massachusetts for an expenditure of $20 can ob- 

 tain a profit of $19, what can he obtain in Illinois? 

 Taking his figures, the quantity would be so very 

 near to three acres that I shall take that area. 



Corn, average crop on 3 acres in Illinois, 180 bush. 



" " ■ price 26 cents, is $46,80 



Value of estovers, 3,00 



Whole value of 3 acres, 

 Cost of cultivation, 



49,80 

 21,60 



$28,20 



Thus an expenditure of $20 in Massachusetts 

 gives $19 profit ; an expenditure of $21,60 in Illi- 

 nois gives $23,20 profit. The expenditure, in each 

 case, is of course about the measure of the labor. 

 I think it is stated rather favorably for Massachu- 

 setts, and that the labor of cultivating one acre in 

 Massachusetts is generally equal to that of culti- 

 vating four in Illinois. Bat I have chosen to take 

 your correspondent's figures for the basis rather 

 than my own. It will not be so liable to be contro- 

 verted, and is sufficient for the purpose of showing 

 the error of the calculation. I think very exact 

 estimates would show a result more favorable to 

 the west. A more correct view would be shown 

 thus : 



I can buy 10 acres of tillage land in Mass. at $50 



per acre, $500. 

 I can buy 100 acres of tillage land in Illinois for $5 



per acre, $500. 

 Cost of corn, 10 acres in Mass., at $20 per acre, 200 

 Value of crop $39 per acre, 390 



Profit of 10 acres, 



Cost of corn, 100 acres, in 111., at $7,20, 

 Value of ci'op, $16,60 per acre, 



Profit, 



Or, cost of corn on 30 acres in Illinois, at 

 $7,20, equal to $10 in Massachusetts, 

 Value of crop, $16,60 



$720 

 1660 



$940 



216,00 

 498,00 



Profit of 30 acres, in Illinois, 282,00 



Against $190 for the same labor in Massachusetts. 



Scrutator. 



Breakjng Steers. — Very few oxen are now used 

 on farms, compared with the number employed 

 years ago, when the country was new. The time 

 was, when every farmer had one or more yokes of 

 oxen or steers, and many a winter day used to be 

 employed by the boys in breaking the latter — learn- 

 ing them to "haw" and "gee," &c.,and too often 

 the whip was constantly in use. But kindness and 

 patience will accomplish more than the lash, and 

 when an animal understands what is expected of it, 

 it will soon learn to perforin its duty. Oxen are 

 more prefitable for many kinds of work on the farm 

 than horses, and we hope many a farmers' boy will 

 break his yoke of steers the present winter. — Ru- 

 ral New-Yorker. 



