COSTS AXD FARM PRACTICES I2J PRODUCING POTATOES. 13 
COST OF PRODUCTION. 
A summary of the important items of cost in the production of an 
acre of potatoes for the areas studied is found in Table 8. The items 
of cost were charged at the rates prevailing during the year 1919. 
The yields used in computation were those obtained that year in 
each section. • 
Table 8. — Average cost per acre and per bushel of potatoes, 1919, 461 farms, 8,161.5 acres. 
Minnesota. 
Wisconsin. 
Michigan . 
New York. Maim '. 
Clav 
Co". 
Ano- 
ka 
Co. 
Bar- 
ron 
Co. 
Wau- 
paca 
Co. 
Mont- 
calm 
Co. 
Grand 
Trav- 
erse 
Co. 
Steu- 
ben 
Co. 
Mon- Aroos- 
roe took 
Co. Co. 
51 
2.558 
260, 302 
103 
$19.93 
54 
870 
90,012 
V)i 
$22. 0s 
47 
50 
49 
•55,216 
109 
$23.85 
16.91 
13. 31 
7.62 
.10 
1.95 
.04 
7.11 
7.44 
3.83 
1.50 
.17 
.23 
.05 
52 
497.5 
61,298 
'124 
$27.60 
15.44 
11.81 
11.91 
"~L73 
""*6.'i7 
7.04 
4.11 
1.49 
.16 
.63 
.16 
. 5- 
50 
50 58 
Total acres planted 
Total production bushels. . 
Average yield per acre harvested . .bushels. . 
Labor: 
381. 614 
57.790*75,419 
152 123 
$31. 9/1 $24. 52 
19.99 15.26 
13. SO' 12.2> 
12.22 12.26 
.15 
3.06 1.99 
.12 
8. 06 6. 29 
10. 72 9. 67 
4. 87 3. 98 
560.5 539.5 
79, 046 59, 245 
141 110 
$26. 30 527. 62 
1,633 
414,-332 
278 
$41.88 
15.05- 16. bo 
23.67 
11. 25 
11.18 
L81 
1.31 
.07 
7. 35 
4.79 
6.05 
.95 
.17 
.50 
.15 
.03 
.06 
27.34 
14.87 
13. ft9 
1.68 
1.00 
25.44 
Material costs: 
3.95 
12.55 
8.62 
11.21 
4.72 
Seed 
21.86 
79.90 
l.-'4 
5.39 
8.39 
2.64 
1.32 
.06 
3. 9s 
.08 
.6- 
1.72 
.24 
.79 
2.47 
.10 
7. 4* 
11.95 
3.06 
1.20 
.12 
1.41 
.09 
.05 
1.09 
""."49 
4.57 
.01 
9.40 
11.54 
6.92 
1.31 
.25 
.63 
.01 
""."38 
9.10 
10.93 
14.27 
Other costs: 
1.71 
.12 
.32 
""."21 
.13 
.03 
.19 
1.26 
.12 
.29 
.05 
1.82 
.24 
2.70 
Storage — 
Fuel 
.71 
Cash 
.28 
U-e potato building 
.05 
.06 
.23 
1.00 
.18 
Loss on abandoned acreage 
7S.09 
.76 
69.70 
.6ft 
88.27 
.85 
76.32 
.73 
107.60 
.71 
96.88 
.64 
.72 
7S.41 
.64 
84.34 
.78 
76.90 
.70 
89. -5 
. 72 
82.81 
.6; 
96.14 
.68 
91. 35 
.65 
116.85 219.60 
Total cost per bushel 
Not including a land charge: 
Cost per acre 
1.06 .79 
105.31 208.67 
Cost per bushel 
.96 
. 75 
Man and horse labor was the most important item of cost in all 
areas with the exception of Aroostook County, Me. In the Maine 
area the fertilizer cost was greater than the combined costs of man 
and horse labor. 
The cost per acre for each item was computed by diyiding the 
total cost for that item on the farms studied by the total number of 
acres, thus obtaining a weighted average for the region. This method 
resulted in a relatively low regional cost per acre for items that did 
not occur on the entire acreage. In the areas of Clay County, Minn., 
and Aroostook County, Me., for instance, manure was applied on only 
about one-third of the acreage planted to potatoes, resulting in a 
low charge for manure per acre when distributed over the total potato 
acreage. The costs of fertilizer per acre are low for the Barron and 
Montcalm areas for the reason that only one farmer in each area used 
fertilizer on his potato land. 
A wide range will be noticed in the average costs per acre for the 
different regions studied. There is, however, a relatively slight range 
