4 BULLETIN 1000, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



used in this discussion, includes all items of expense except the charge 

 for the use of land; namely, the cost of man and horse labor, the 

 cost of materials (such as seed, manure, fertilizer, containers, and 

 chemicals used in the treatment of seed or for controlling insect 

 pests), machinery and equipment costs, taxes, insurance, thrashing 

 charges, and overhead. Total cost takes into account the items 

 which have been enumerated and includes, in addition, interest, 

 or rent charge for the use of land. 



As an aid to estimating total expense of production, it is important 

 to know what part the cost of labor and materials is of the total 

 operating expense. In each of the following tables this percentage 

 has been indicated. In a few cases it was not possible to determine 

 the percentage for each district, but in these instances the relation- 

 ship for the region has been worked out and these percentages can 

 be applied in estimating the total operating expense. For several 

 crops the labor and material requirements constitute rather uni- 

 formly from 65 to 85 per cent of the total operating expense. 



In studying the various tables which follow it may be desirable 

 to know how each item of cost compares with other items of cost, 

 with the total operating expense, or with the total cost. A table 

 therefore has been prepared for each crop, showing the percentage 

 distribution of the total operating expense, and also of the total cost, 

 among the various items of cost. In the production of a crop like 

 wheat or barley the percentage distribution of the total operating 

 expense may not vary greatly in two distinct regions, one of which 

 has high land values, the other low land values. When total cost 

 is considered, however, there will be a wide variation, because in 

 the district having high priced land the interest charge will consti- 

 tute a comparatively large part of the total cost. . 



In connection with each table certain significant differences in the 

 quantity requirements shown for the respective districts are pointed 

 out. If field practice influences requirements appreciably, especially 

 if such practice happens to be somewhat unusual, the practice in 

 question is discussed briefly, so that the reader may be able to inter- 

 pret results accurately. It is not possible, however, to discuss in 

 a bulletin of this character all the methods involved in the production 

 of each individual crop. 1 



METHOD OF PRESENTATION. 



The acre requirements for different crops are given in tabular 

 form. The distribution of labor for each enterprise is also shown 

 graphically in figures 1 to 14. The purpose of these graphs is to 



i Several bulletins relating to the cost of producing special crops have been issued by the Office of Farm 

 Management and Farm Economics. These publications describe the more important methods of produc- 

 tion in some detail. (See reference lists which accompany tables.) 



