10 



BULLETIN 222, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



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 

 75 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 

 repair of the binder at 15 cents per acre. No allowance is made for 

 the 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 for the item of twine, but this variation is not 

 sufficient to materially affect the relative total cost of production 

 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 re- 

 quired 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. 



Table II. — Average cost per acre x of the farm operations involved in growing barley 



in the Great Plains area. 



[The wage scale assumed is $2 per day for each man and $1 per day for each horse.] 



Operation. 



Force employed. 



Men. 



Horses. 



Day's 

 work. 



Item 

 cost. 



Cost per 

 acre. 



Plowing 



Disking 



Harrowing 



Subsoiling 



Drilling 



Cultivating 



Listing 



Harvesting: 



Cutting and binding 



Shocking 



Twine 



Binder wear and repair. 



Acres. 

 3§ 

 8 

 35 

 3£ 

 15 

 16 

 10 



80.40 



.13 

 .25 

 .15 



SI. 71 

 .75 

 .17 

 1.43 

 .40 

 .38 

 .60 



.93 



i The cost of thrashing is not included in the cost per acre, but it is estimated at 6 cents per bushel and 

 deducted from the price of 47 cents in the granary, thus giving a value of 41 cents per bushel in the shock. 



The average farm price of barley used in these computations is 

 based on the data given in Table III, furnished by the Bureau of 

 Crop Estimates. The four States of North Dakota, South Dakota, 

 Nebraska, and Kansas were selected because then extensive grain 

 production has given them established market prices which are not 

 greatly influenced by local conditions. 



