COST OF GROWING CORN 295 



the cost of growing corn, based on "estimates" supplied 

 by "over 28,000 practical farmers" in all parts of the 

 country. The methods followed in securing the in- 

 formation were crude in the extreme, and the statistical 

 treatment of the data secured very unsatisfactory, 

 leaving the results of so little value as to hardly merit 

 analysis. In presenting the conclusions reached it may 

 be pointed out that mere personal estimates and not 

 exact records are the basis of the work, and that the 

 only items of cost considered are "rent of land, ma- 

 nure, seed and labor." The official conclusion of this 

 investigation, averaged for the whole country, was: 



Per acre 



Rent of land $3-03 



Manure 1.86 



Preparing ground 1.62 



Planting 42 



Cultivating 1.80 



Gathering 1.22 



Housing 50 



Marketing 1.26 



Total $11.71 



Cost per bushel (22.5 bushels per acre) .52 



In view of the fact that this statement does not 

 include taxation, depreciation of horses and machinery 

 and other items of cost, and yet shows an average cost 

 of $2.69 per acre greater than the average value per 

 acre of the crop for the ten years preceding, as re- 

 ported by the same authority, further consideration of 

 this "official" estimate of the cost of growing corn is 

 unnecessary. 



AN ILLINOIS INVESTIGATION 



In 1898 the Illinois experiment station published 

 a report prepared by Mr Nathan A. Weston, giving 

 the results of an investigation undertaken to ascer- 

 tain the cost of growing corn in 1896. Unfortunately, 

 the circular issued to secure the data was so drawn as 



