52 



BULLETIN 659, U. S. DEPARTMENT of AGRICULTURE. 



These data indicate thai approximately three days of horse labor 

 per acre gives the most profitable amount of tillage, either more or 

 Less than this amount showing a decrease in the net returns. The 

 number of work animals making up the various crews will have 

 some bearing on this figure; the larger the crews the less horse labor 

 is required to accomplish the same results. 



In figures IT and 18 are shown types of implements utilized in 

 cotton production. Each of these machines requires the use of two 



Fig. IS. — A new typo of stalk cutter which works on the principle of the lawn mower. 



or more animals; by such utilization large acreages are covered in 

 a day's work. 



A stud} 7 of figure 19 brings out the relation of the various items 

 of cost to each other and to the total acre cost of cotton. It will be 

 remembered that- the average yield of cotton is 241 pounds of lint 

 principal crops found on the 114 farms of Ellis Count} 7 on which 

 the various items are as follows: Man labor, $10.04; rent of land, 

 $5.08; horse labor, $4.47; ginning, per acre, $1.40; equipment. $0.73; 

 seed, $0.50 ; and interest on cash to operate the farm, $0.34. 



A comparison of these items of cost with the same items for the 

 average acre cost shows that man labor is considerably higher than 

 the average and horse labor and equipment costs are slightly higher. 

 Knit of land and seed cost of cotton are slightly lower than the 

 average. 



In Table XXI are given a summary of costs and values for the 

 principal crops found on the 114 farms of Ellis County on which 

 costs were determined. The average cost of cotton per acre is $22.G5, 

 the yield being 241 pounds of lint and 456 pounds of seed (Table 



