WHEAT CULTURE. U 



ing for the straw and refuse, which are required by, or 

 should be returned to, the soil to leave it in fair condi- 

 tion. This gives little over one-third profit on the cost 

 of the crop. 



But, as a business transaction, what per cent of inter- 

 est does it afford on the fixed capital invested ? It gives 

 four per cent on the value of the land at one hun- 

 dred dollars per acre; certainly rather less than active 

 business men are generally contented with. It will do 

 for large capitalists, millionaires, who have bank and 

 stock investments, and who give no labor or toil to earn 

 and secure their incomes, but is too small return for 

 working men with only limited investments of a few 

 hundreds or thousands of permanent capital. 



Now, suppose that by doubling the expense of produc- 

 tion in labor and manure to twenty dollars per acre, and 

 thereby the crop or yield is doubled to twenty-eight 

 bushels per acre of wheat, and, as in the other case, the 

 wheat is worth one dollar per bushel, the profits will be 

 eight dollars per acre instead of four, and the interest on 

 the capital will be eight dollars, or eight per cent, just 

 double, without doubling the capital ; a showing that 

 will tell pleasantly on the prosperity of the operator. 

 These calculations can be carried out to any extent and 

 on any farm operation by any school-boy or the farmer's 

 children. Suppose, for instance, a farm of one hundred 

 acres, on which it is desired to raise one thousand bush- 

 els of wheat every year ; at twenty bushels the acre, fifty 

 acres would be required for the desired crop ; but at forty 

 bushels, which many obtain, only twenty-five acres would 



be required for one thousand bushels. 







WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SHOULD DO. 



The results improved agriculture and increased yield 

 of wheat which this little work is endeavoring to bring 

 about, should be a leading object and an important part 



