AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE PRODUCTION OF CANNING 

 CROPS IN NEW YORK 1 



L. J. NORTON 



The investigation described herein was conducted for two general pur- 

 poses. The first was to obtain basic information regarding the production 

 and cost of production of the principal crops grown in New York for 

 canning factories. The second was to study some of the factors influencing 

 the economical production of these crops. 



METHODS OF INVESTIGATION 



The da.ta on cost of production were collected by the survey and the 

 accounting method. In the survey method a number of the farmers 

 growing the crop under consideration in some of the important centers 

 of production were visited by representatives of the New York State 

 College of Agriculture. Detailed information was obtained from each 

 farmer concerning the methods practiced in growing the crop and the 

 costs of production. A copy of one of the blanks used is shown on pages 

 79 to 82. 



In the accounting method, farmers were furnished with blank account 

 books with simple directions as to the records to be kept. In these books 

 the farmers kept a record of all the items of expense incurred on the crop, 

 of all receipts from the crop, and of the hours of human, horse, and tractor 

 labor on the crop. At the end of the season the farmers were visited 

 by a representative of the College of Agriculture, who checked the accounts 

 and obtained the additional information necessary to calculate costs. 

 This method does not entirely eliminate estimating. Such items as land 

 values, rates of application of manure, and the cost of labor per hour, 

 must be estimated. Since the results obtained by the survey method 

 check closely with those obtained by the accounting method (tables 

 38 and 73, pages 40 and 66, respectively), all cost figures include data 

 obtained by both methods unless otherwise stated. 



COST OF PRODUCTION 



The term cost of production, as used in this study, refers to the total 

 expenses incurred directly or indirectly in the production of a crop. In 

 addition to the actual cash outlays, it includes a return to the farmer for 

 his labor, based on the outlay that would be necessary to hire a similar 

 grade of labor, and a six-per-cent return on the investment in land, horses, 

 and machinery used in producing the crop. Risk also should be included 

 as an item of cost. In making comparisons between crops, consideration 



JAlso presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Cornell University, September, 1921, as a 

 thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy. 



AUTHOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The investigation was conducted under the direction of Professor G. F. 

 Warren. It was made possible thru the cooperation of the New York State College of Agriculture with 

 the New York Canning Crops Cooperative Association. New York growers of canning crops furnished 

 the data on which the study was based. H. S. Mills, of the Department of Vegetable Gardening, assisted 

 in obtaining and summarizing the data. To these and to many others who furnished valuable assistance, 

 the writer is indebted. 



