FIELD CROPS. 113 



372. Have these costs increased in your locality or de- 

 creased during the last few years? Would these costs 

 and changes in costs have any influence in determining 

 the kind of farming you would do ? 



373. Determine the cost of producing an acre of the 

 crop in which you are most interested. Include all opera- 

 tions. (1) From plowing to marketing, (2) maintenance 

 of land and tools, (3) interest on the investment. Is the 

 growing of this crop open to any improvements which 

 would make for economy in production? 



Important truth. The cost of producing any crop 

 varies with the richness of the land, the time of planting, 

 the effectiveness of the tillage, the cost of labor, the quality 

 and quantity of fertilizer used, the climatic conditions, 

 and the skill and knowledge of the producer. Every 

 farmer should keep an accurate record of every item of 

 expense for each crop grown. He should study these fig- 

 ures and profit by them. He should experiment with 

 a view to discovering what is for him. all things consid- 

 ered, the best practice. He will thus adjust his farm- 

 ing to the local conditions, and will learn many things no 

 book or outside observer can tell him. 



