18 BULLETIN 1198, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
With interest included, the division was as follows: Labor, 30 per 
cent; materials, 10 per cent; threshing, 9 per cent; interest, 29 per 
cent; and other costs, 22 percent. The average net operating expense 
was $1.25 per bushel, varying from an average of $0.90 in Thomas 
County, Kans., to an average of $1.96 in Woodward County, Okla. ~ 
With interest on equipment and land included, the average net cost 
per bushel was $1.80 with a variation of from $1.26 in Thomas 
County, Kans., to $2.57 in Clay County, Nebr. 
The operating expense per acre to tenant-operators (Table 14) 
was relatively lower than to owner-operators, because in some coun- 
ties, more especially in the two Missouri counties, a part of the 
“materials”? and ‘‘other costs’’ items were paid by the landlord. 
On the other hand, because the cost to the tenant operator was 
based on his share of the cost divided by his share of the crop, the 
operating expense per bushel was relatively higher to tenants than 
to owners. In all counties except Pike County, Mo., and Cheyenne 
County, Nebr., the expense for labor was slightly greater for tenant 
than for owner operators. The percentage distribution on tenant 
farms was about the same as on ownedfarms. For all tenant farms 
the average net cost per bushel was $1.83 as compared with a net 
cost per bushel of $1.80 on owned farms. 
In a study of the average costs on owned and on rented land it 
should be kept in mind that many of the cost items are noncash. 
Studies of the cost of producing wheat in other regions indicate that 
about 50 per cent of the cost of producing an acre of wheat is repre- 
sented by money actually paid out. 
TaBLE 13.—Summary of average net cost per acre and per bushel to owner operators, 
winter wheat, 1920. 
(216 owned farms.) 
Missouri. Nebraska. 
Items. Pike Carroll -Gage Clay Cheyenne 
County. County. County. |- County. County. 
Average yield per acre (bu.).--.......-..-- AES 17.6 21.5 13.1 19.0 
Operating expense per acre: 
Labor and power— 
Prepare land and seed— 
Man labor......-. Sue kee mae $1. 99° $1.94 $1.77 $1.57 $1. 02 
F¥orse POWe?: . 2.4... 5-2-5223. 3. 69 3.93 3. 30 3. 08 . 61 
Contracklaborkce so. snc. seke sacl eceee eens BOS ih Seeaeasoeaee . 06 .79 
Harvest and market— 
Mara bone aaee es eae Beier. 3. 54 4,81 4, 83 3. 83 2. 83 
IETOLSE POWels a. soe e noe ace Se 1.64 19 1, 82 1.45 1.00 
Contractlabor-Var2.223=- 2: 25- - 08 - 08 <063\25-<5:6 see S98" 
Material costs— 
Sed eas eee ae? ee oes 2. 86 2.65 2.73 250 1. 67 
iIBINGerRWIMNC= ooo sas se ee cee . 30 .32 .41 .38 . 30 
Manure and (Straws-cc..csss-s2+ eae - 95 -39 . 36 ~ 20 . 09 
MICHGHHIZCT S444 42S ae Ft es Sees oe 2:65 |eciecass Se) Shee Ss Sass pee eee eee 
PRNTESHIN Geers sae et esr oo. cans awe 1.61 2. 80 2. 28 TE 1.78 
Other costs— 
WaxeQan@dInNSuranGe. =. <4. -ceses eee ol . 54 . 96 aA . 40 
Special cropinsurance............. - 09 . 16 . 20 ~27 SS: 
Use ofgeneralfarm machinery..... 2. 25 2. 44 212. 1. 26 2. 37 
Use oftractor and combine........ . 29 528! LO esa aa 2. 50 
Loss on abandoned acreage..-....- OOH Ser Sewer . 08 1.33 .18 
Overheddeer os. acne we ease ee 2. 26 2. 25 2. 06 1.74 1. 54 
AROLAI SR Cees Seen ee eno ae 25. 40 24.78 23. 08 20. 22 18. 64 
Credit se ee see erates maces 1.09 7A . 48 .19 . 30 
Net operating expense: 
BLACKER Ee horse ee aeons senate cee 24, 31 24, 07 22. 60 20. 03 18. 34 
IR CrDUSNE sates as eee eae eee 1. 81 1. 36 1. 05 1. 54 96 
Interest on investment: 
Land and machinery .-.-...-...----- eens 285255 11.30 14. 64 13. 57 8.91 
Net cost,including interest: 
IPCracre 2 ciety eo ee ane eens _ 32. 56 35. 37 37. 24 33. 60 27.425 
Peribushelec. 3226 ee eee 2.41 2. 01 fhe Peay! 1.43 
