MASS. BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 521 



Average Cost of Grain and Root Crops, in Hampden 



County. 



Hon. M. P. Wilder, President of Mass. Board of Agriculture. 



Dear Sir : — Having forwarded to you a copy of the transac- 

 tions of the Hampden Agricultural Society for the past year, I 

 am induced to offer some further statistics connected therewith, 

 and which would have been presented in connection with the 

 other details, had the importance of them been as apparent 

 then as they now appear to my mind. Permit me to inquire if 

 some such statement is not of sufficient importance to be made 

 a requirement from every society in the Commonwealth, draw- 

 ing funds from the State treasury, in their future reports? It 

 appears to me, this method would furnish a much more correct 

 data of our agricultural products and of their actual value, than 

 the present very indiiferent reports furnish. The inquisitive 

 mind would see at a glance the results, which, under the pres- 

 ent system, are ascertained with much difficulty, and the in- 

 formation thus furnished to the commissioner of patents, for 

 the national government, would be more reliable and furnish 

 more satisfactory evidence of the real state of our agriculture, 

 than could be obtained in any other manner. Other reasons 

 will readily suggest themselves, without my enumerating them. 

 I have made a full detail of our premium crops, so that if any 

 mistake has occurred in my figures, it may be detected readily. 



Expense of producing Wheat per bushel, in Hampden County. 



Horace Smith, 236 bush.— entire cost, $128 81 per bush., 54 .3-10 ct. ] 



Justus Bagg, 223 " " " 159 74 « 71 2-10 " 



Walter Cooley, 38 " " " 23 50 " 62 « 



John Stiles, 37^ « " " 17 00 » 45 5-10 " „ 



(Add interest on land, to his statement.) f ^ 



R. H. Barlow, 44 bush.— entire cost, $24 00 " 54 6-10 " | 



Col. Silas Root, 914 " " " 60 50 " GQ " t 



(Add interest on land, to his statement.) j "^ 



Corn, per bushel. 



Horace Smith, 350 bush.— entire cost, $203 50 " 58 2-10 " 



Walter Cooley, 82i " » « 40 75 " 49 7-10 " 



Josiah Hooker, 225 " " « 122 25 « 54 3-10 " 



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