TALKS ON MANURES. 



CHAPTER I. 

 FARMING AS A BUSINESS. 



" Farming is a poor business," said the Deacon. " Take the com 

 crop. Thirty bushels per acre is a fair average, worth, at 75 cents 

 per bushel, $22.50. If we reckon that, for each bushel of corn, we 

 get 100 Ibs. of stalks, this would be a ton and a half per acre, worth 

 at $5 per ton $7.50." 



Total receipts per acre for corn crop $30 00 



Expenses. Preparing the land for the crop $5 00 



Planting and seed 1 50 



Cultivating, three times, twice in a row both 



ways 5 00 



Hoeing twice 3 00 



Cutting up the corn 1 50 



Husking and drawing in the corn 4 00 



Drawing in the stalks, etc 1 00 



Shelling, and drawing to market 2 00 



Total cost of the crop . 23 00 



Profit per acre $7 00 



" And from this," said the Deacon, *' we have to deduct interest 

 on land and taxes. I tell you, farming is a poor business." 



"Yes," I replied, "poor farming is a wry poor business. But 

 good farming, if we have good prices, is as good a business as I 

 want, and withal as pleasant. A good farmer raises 75 bushels 



(9) 



