216 INDIAN CORN CULTURE. 



removing the tassels was by giving them an 

 upward pull by hand, which caused the stalk 

 to break off above the upper joint without in- 

 juring the leaves at all. 



Cost of growing a crop.— Much has been 

 published in the agricultural press on the cost 

 of growing a crop or acre of Indian corn. Of 

 course, as might be expected, there is a great 

 diversity of opinion on this subject. Many 

 statements have been printed and often these 

 have been quite imperfect in detail. No inter- 

 est may be allowed on mon^y invested in land, 

 tools, buildings; no account is taken of taxes 

 and loss of soil fertility in many instances, yet 

 all these facts bear on the cost of producing 

 the crop. Says Sanborn:* 



"We wish, to repeat again, what we in effect have already 

 said, that we have not seen by any writer a fair statement of 

 the cost of a crop. Such cost must include something -of the 

 manager's time, something for the use of machinery and its 

 breakages, something of the time lost in purchase and sales, 

 and loss of time in dull weather and winters. A true calcula- 

 tion will add, probably, at least 25 per cent to the apparent 

 cost." 



The following figures bearing on the cost 

 question are from some of the most complete 

 statements secured by the writer. These are 

 given simply as evidence along a line in which 

 the corn-grower takes much interest. None of 

 the figures are really conclusive, but are more 

 or less interesting and suggestive. 



*M,rror and Farmer, Dec. 6, 1894. 



