SMALL GRAINS 97 



in rainy weather. To avoid deterioration, when there is a 

 long wait for a threshing machine, for instance, the wheat is 

 sometimes taken from shocks and stacked. The extra labor 

 involved is regarded by some farmers as less costly than 

 possible losses. 



In arid regions, such as the Pacific Coast, non-shattering 

 varieties of wheat are grown and these are allowed to ripen 

 fully. Here, a header a machine which removes the heads 

 only is frequently used for cutting. Sometimes on large 

 ranches, cutting and threshing are performed in one oper- 

 ation. 



Cost of wheat production. The following is an estimate 

 of the average cost of producing an acre of wheat in Indiana, 

 in 1918: 



Preparing the seed bed $3.25 



Fertilizing 2.25 



Seed 3.75 



Seeding 0.80 



Harvesting i . 50 



Threshing 2 . oo 



Marketing 0.75 



Use of land 5 . 50 



Total $19.80 



The prices of the items in the above tabulation are high 

 because of war conditions. The cost of wheat production 

 varies from year to year. This illustration merely indicates 

 the various items to be considered in estimating the cost of 

 producing an acre of wheat. This will become lower as prices 

 for labor, fertilizer, seed, twine, etc. are reduced. 



This estimate is, doubtless, nearly correct for the other 

 states of the Corn Belt. In the states of the Wheat Belt and 



