COST OF GROWING CORN 



307 



for fertility directly applied, and in such cases the full 

 cost has been charged to the crop in question. This 

 course undoubtedly makes the charge allowed for fer- 

 tilization higher than it actually averages, but no other 

 course seems open without the introduction of personal 

 estimate into a calculation which is intended to be an 

 actual record. In the schedules fertilization was re- 

 ported on some parts of 1639 acres, requiring 635^ 

 days of labor and 483% days of team service. There 



Fig 91— Saw-toothed Grain Beetle 



Silvanus surinamensis : », adult beetle; b, pupa; c, larva — all enlarged; d t an. 

 tennaof larva— still more enlarged (after Chittenden) 



were used 9100 pounds of commercial fertilizer, cost- 

 ing $86.85, an d 5977 loads of homemade material, val- 

 ued at $2413.95. 



Planting — Planting methods included the whole 

 range from hand dropping and hoe covering to the use 

 of hand planters, and up through machines of varying 

 efficiency to the best modern horse planters. As a 

 result the efficiency of a day's labor varies widely, 

 from .71 of an acre in New Hampshire to 12.44 acres 

 in Nebraska. The acreage regularly planted was 3491 



