SPRING WHEAT IN THE GREAT PLAINS AREA. 9 



been used in compiling this table. This is equivalent to a record of 

 44 years at one station. An accurate record has been kept of all the 

 farm operations performed under the various methods under trial. 

 These have been averaged for the eight stations. The amount of 

 work required for some methods of treatment varies with the season 

 and with the soil, and the expense of some operations varies with 

 the soil. The amount of labor performed under each of the methods 

 was neither more nor less than that which the man in charge believed 

 to be necessary to bring about the results sought. 



In computing the cost of the various operations a fixed wage of 

 $2 per day for a man and SI a day for a horse was adopted. This 

 may be above or below the actual labor cost in any particular locality, 

 but it is believed to be a fair average and one that will afford a profit- 

 able market to the farmer for his labor. The time required for men 

 and teams to cover a given acreage in each of the several farm opera- 

 tions obviously varies with soils and other conditions. The average 

 shown in Table II has been determined from the actual experience 

 of a large number of men connected with these investigations, which 

 experience has extended over a wide range of conditions and many 

 years of time. 



The factors included in the cost of production are calculated on 

 an acre basis for each of the separate operations performed, beginning 

 with the preparation of the land and ending with the harvesting and 

 shocking of the grain. To these items are added the cost of seed at 

 85 cents per acre, interest and taxes on the land investment, calculated 

 at 8 per cent on a valuation of $20 per acre, and the deterioration 

 and repairs of the binder at 15 cents per acre. No allowance is 

 made for deterioration of other farm equipment, as it is believed 

 that the wages allowed for men and teams are sufficient to cover 

 this item for the remainder of the equipment. The above-mentioned 

 items are fixed charges per acre; that is, they do not vary greatly 

 with the yield per acre, except the item of twine, but this variation 

 is not sufficient to materially affect the relative total cost of produc- 

 tion under the several methods. 



Table II shows the cost per acre based upon what is considered 

 an average day's work for each of the farm operations involved at 

 the above-mentioned wage. As before stated, the type of soil and 

 seasonal conditions will determine to a certain extent the labor 

 required and the consequent cost per acre. The cost of production 

 as computed in Tables II and IV is not offered as being absolute 

 for any locality, either in the amount of labor required or its cost, 

 but is given as a working basis for the comparison of the results by 

 different methods of preparation, 



