222 Our Farming. 



me over 55 per cent, net profit on the cost of production. Doesn't 

 that go a little above the profits of the Standard Oil Co., think 

 you ? If sold at eighty cents a bushel, it would show a net profit 

 on those large figures above of more than 25 per cent. And this 

 is for the grain alone. No allowance has been made for the straw. 

 But let that go, as I have made no charge for manure put on the 

 clover, some of which the wheat gets, of course, and it costs some- 

 thing to save and apply it. The best crop of wheat I ever grew, 

 that is, the one that brought the most money, paid me 196 per 

 cent, profit on the above cost of production. That is, for every 

 dollar put into the crop on the above basis, I got almost three 

 back. But this was extreme. I may never do as well again. 

 The average is high enough, and please notice, friends, that this 

 is not fine theory, but what I have done, and you have read what 

 great discouragements we started under. I believe our Ohio 

 farmers can grow 25 bushels of wheat per acre, on the average, 

 just as well as not, if they only do their part. Then wheat grow- 

 ing will pay, and as well as most legitimate lines of business. 

 Then, with other crops in proportion, agriculture will boom. 

 I have done, and will do, all I can to bring about this much-to-be- 

 desired state of affairs. It has come on my farm and more, and 

 on not a few others. 



In speaking of spreading straw on wheat, I failed to say that 

 it must be spread very evenly and carefully, or, at least, to 

 emphasize that point. It is no small job to do it. We draw it on 

 when frozen, and throw off of load in forkfuls along, about what 

 it will take, and then spread with a fork. I have known men to 

 draw on, and spread right after drilling, and let the wheat come 

 up through it. We are too busy then . But there is an advantage 

 then, as the wheat will hold the straw from blowing into bunches. 

 It sometimes blows off badly for us. If we can spread just before 

 a rain, or snow, it helps. On large fields of level land, exposed to 

 wind, it would not be practicable to spread straw. It would not 

 be for us, perhaps, only we can do it in the winter, when work is 

 not pressing. It is quite a job. We ought to have a machine to 

 spread straw by the load. Thousands of stacks might then be put 

 back on^he land, instead of standing and rotting down, and some- 

 times being burned, or being sold very cheaply. 



I prefer to cut my wheat when the berries have just gone out 

 of the dough state, but are not quite hard. I can cut them in two 

 with my thumb nail, but they cut dry and white. It is just as 

 well for the grain, I think, to stand until dead ripe, only one can 

 not set up the wheat as well. The heads turn over and straw 

 becomes stiff and the bundles are loose and bulky. In this con- 

 dition it is hard to set up so as to shed rain. Before now, when I 

 have had some get very ripe and in this bulky condition, I have 

 put it right in the barn without setting up at all. If there are no 

 weeds in it, or grass, not even in the butts, and the straw is entirely 



