COST OF PRODUCTION 217 



have a loss of material or time. For instance, 

 it costs less relatively to heat houses holding ten 

 thousand plants than it does to neat houses hold- 

 ing five thousand. The same will hold true for 

 labor, for soil, for fertilizers, and in fact for all 

 matters connected with the work. 



Under ordinary conditions, such as we find in 

 the vicinity of many of our large cities, we may 

 place the cost of ground and houses sufficient for 

 ten thousand plants at three thousand dollars. In 

 some respects this is an over-estimate, but it is 

 based on the fact that ground used for this pur- 

 pose is worth not less than five to seven hundred 

 dollars an acre and that the houses are of the 

 same kind as those we have already described. 

 We have therefore to estimate as one of the items 

 of the cost of production the interest on the 

 money invested in houses, ground, and other 

 fixtures connected with the work. We may put 

 this as a total at three thousand five hundred 

 dollars, so that the interest at six per cent would 

 be two hundred and ten dollars. There is also 

 to be considered the question of wear and tear on 

 the houses and other materials used in connection 

 with growing the plants. This may be placed at 

 not less than eight per cent a year. In other 

 words, renovating walks, replacing broken glass, 

 painting, and other necessary repairs will cost 

 not less than two hundred and eighty dollars a 

 year. 



