FARM MANAGEMENT 401 



machine until careful calculation indicates that the 

 cost of production of a certain crop or product will be 

 reduced thereby. 



Note. If the average annual cost for a corn harvester is $18.62, 

 the acre cost for machinery is 62 cents, if 30 acres are cut, which is 

 cheaper than hand cutting can usually be done. If only 10 acres are 

 cut yearly, the acre cost for machinery will be $ 1 .86, which is consider- 

 ably beyond the cost of cutting by hand. 



The acre cost of harvesting on small fields would be less were the 

 corn harvested by hand, but the wisdom of harvesting corn quickly 

 when matured and the possibility of avoiding frost by cutting large 

 amounts with machinery must be also considered. The larger the 

 acreage to be cut, the cheaper becomes the cost of machinery an acre, 

 though the labor cost will remain about the same. 



CUTTING CORN WITH MACHINE vs. BY HAND 



Corn binder, value $125.00: 



Annual depreciation, ${2.50 



Interest on depreciated investment, 4. 1 2 



Repairs, shelter, insurance, 2.00 



Total annual cost, $18.62 



Corn raised, 20 acres : 



Machinery cost an acre, .93 



Cost an acre of harvesting corn with corn harvester : 



Machinery cost, .93 



Cutting and binding (horse and man labor), .666 



Shocking and tying, .526 



Picking up ears, .249 



Twine, .467 



Total cost an acre, $2.838 



Cost an acre of harvesting corn by hand I acre a day 



each man : 



Labor including board $2.60 a day, $2.60 



Twine general expense, . I o 



Total $2.70 



M. & H. AG. 26 



