COST OF PRODUCING WHEAT. 41 



Spink County, S. Dak. ; the thrasherman usually furnished the thrash- 

 ing crew, and the average rate for thrashing was 27 cents per bushel 

 in both counties. 



In the Kansas areas the farmers furnished the bundle haulers 

 and teams and the thrasherman furnished field pitchers, where 

 shock thrashing was done; where the grain was thrashed from the 

 stack, the grain pitchers were furnished by the thrasherman. In 

 any case, the crew furnished by the thrasherman did not vary to 

 any marked extent, and the rate per bushel was fairly uniform, 

 being slightly higher for stack thrashing. 



In Saline County, Mo., 63 per cent of the production was thrashed 

 with the farmer's crew and 37 per cent with the thrasherman's crew. 

 The rates were 16 cents and 29 cents a bushel. In the other winter- 

 wheat areas the thrashing crews were furnished by the farmers in 

 nearly every case and the rates averaged from 8 cents to 11 cents a 

 bushel. 



The average cost per acre varied in each region according to 'yield 

 and rate per bushel. The average acre cost for all winter wheat 

 was 52 cents greater than the average for all spring wheat, but the 

 average bushel cost was 4 cents less for winter wheat. 



USE-COST OF LAND OR LAND RENT. 



An estimate of the value of the land on which wheat was grown 

 was obtained from each farmer visited. The current interest rate 

 on first mortgages was also determined for each district. The result 

 obtained by multiplying the investment in wheat land by the 

 interest rate was used as the charge for use of land on owned farms. 

 If the land was rented on a cash basis the actual cash rent paid per 

 acre was used. If the land was share-rented the value of any items 

 furnished by the landlord, such as seed, twine, thrashing, crop 

 insurance, etc., was charged as a cost to the operator; these items 

 were then deducted from the value at thrashing time of the share 

 of wheat given to the landlord, the difference appearing as the 

 operator's cost for the use of land. The one-half share rent system 

 predominated in the Spring- Wheat Belt, and the one-third share 

 rent system was most common in the Winter- Wheat Belt. Approxi- 

 mately 30 per cent of the spring-wheat acreage was rented on a 

 one-half share basis and 62 per cent of the wheat land was owned 

 by the operator. About 47 per cent of the winter-wheat acreage 

 was one-third share-rented and 42 per cent of the wheat land was 

 owned by the operator. 



On owned farms the market value of the wheat land influenced 

 the land-rent charge. On share-rented land the yield per acre, 

 the share given as rent, and the part of the expenses paid by the 

 landlord are the dominating factors. 



