214 CORN 



From the foregoing reports from corn growers the cost per bushel 

 ranges from 23.6 cents to 36 cents, and the cost per acre from $14.14 

 to $21.60, the average for the six farms being 32.4 cents per bushel or 

 $18.89 per acre. These accounts however do not include any charge 

 for manure, and, many other items included in Mr. McCuUoch's re- 

 port are omitted. 



PROFITS IN CORN GROWING. 



The difference between the cost of producing an acre of corn and 

 the value of the product is the profit. Figuring this cost on the basis 

 of 5 per cent on the investment would naturally make considerable 

 difference in the different localities, due to the value of the land, but 

 on the whole, it may be very conservatively stated that, in the heart 

 of the corn belt, it is quite impossible to raise an acre of corn for less 

 than $15.00, figuring S per cent on the mone}^ invested in the land and 

 the operating expenses. 



Of course it is not necessary to double the yield in order to double 

 the profit. Suppose it costs thirty bushels of corn to grow an acre of 

 corn, then if you had a yield of thirty-one bushels you would have one 

 bushel profit; if your field was thirty-two bushels, you would have 

 twice the profit. It will be seen that the percentage of net profit re- 

 ceived from an acre of corn increases rapidly with an increase over and 

 above the actual number of bushels of corn it costs to produce the acre. 



For example, here are some figures taken from the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, wherein they figured the average value of 

 a bushel of corn over a period of years, at 42.4 cents, while the grow- 

 ing cost per acre was figured at $14.63, with the following results: 



40 acres of corn yielding 75 bushels per acre makes as much net 

 profit as 104 1-4 acres, yielding 50 bushels t'o the acre, or 293 acres 

 yielding 40 bushels per acre or 3,270 acres of corn yielding 35 bushels 

 per acre. 



The increased net profits are quite alarming when you stop to con- 

 sider that a forty-acre field of corn, yielding 75 bushels to the acre 

 will produce more net profit than five sections of corn, producing 35 

 bushels to the acre. 



This clearly shows that it is more bushels of corn to the acre and 

 not more acres that really make most for a increased net profit. 



