1896 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
9 
HORSESHOE FARM NOTES. 
CHAPMAN “ TALKS BACK” ABOUT POTATOES. 
Comments, Criticisms and Catechisms. 
On page 743 (November 9), of last year’s R. N.-Y., 1 
gave the following figures as the cost of growing an 
acre of potatoes on my farm : 
Plowing: in the fall. 
Harrowing three times, spring 
Cultivating twice. 
Seed. 
Cutting seed. 
Marking. 
Dropping_^. 
Dropping phosphate. 
Covering. 
200 pounds phosphate. 
Digging. 
$1.50 
.06 
.40 
4.00 
,&5 
.25 
.25 
.25 
.25 
3.00 
7.00 
Cost per acre...$17.81 
Average yield of 10 acres, 200 bushels. 
Cost per bushel, nine cents. 
My object was not, as some assumed, to see how 
cheap I could “make it out,” but to show that a 
change must be made by those who grow this crop by 
the ordinary methods, if they wish to get pay for 
their labor. Had I wished to make a “big story,” I 
would have given the example of four acres of 
Orphans which yielded 1,647 bushels at a cost of six 
cents per bushel; or of one acre of Rose of Erin 
which gave 408 bushels at a cost of $20 ; but I was 
trying to be fair, and gave the average for my own 10 
acres. My critics seem to misunderstand the terms, 
cost and profit. I gave the cost, not the profit. A 
manufacturer gets the cost of the material for a 
wagon, adds to this the cost of labor, and finds that 
the finished wagon costs, say, $20. He adds the 
interest on his investment, the cost of selling the 
wagon, what he considers a fair return for his time ? 
skill and vital energy ; divides this sum by the number 
of wagons made, and finds it to be $5 each. All he 
can get for the wagon over $25 is clear profit. If he 
cannot sell it for $25 because some other fellow is 
smart enough to make the cost $15, he has to take less 
for his -skill—[Or form a combination with the 
other fellow.—R. N.-Y.] The farmer cannot fix the 
selling price of his products, so I purposely left out 
skill, and vital energy. Who can fix a price on them ? 
They are worth, to me, what they bring me—what I 
get from them—and that is my profit. “ But,” says 
one, “you did not figure interest on investment; 
such land is worth a good deal.” Another says, “You 
made no allowance for fertility carried away.” 
What Do We Buy a Farm For? —What makes it 
valuable ? The plant food the soil contains. If there 
is none in it, no one would give a dime for it. In some 35 
experiments made to determine the average composi¬ 
tion of soils, it is claimed that the plant food found in 
the first eight inches, consisting of nitrogen, potash and 
phosphoric acid, is worth, at the prices usually paid 
for those articles, $1,687 per acre. I paid $30 per acre 
for my land. What is the cost of the 200 pounds or 
less taken by my crop ? But it is further added that 
the great bulk of the plant food is insoluble and 
worthless as plant food until changed by some process. 
In other words, our investment in plant food is as 
worthless as a silver mine, unless worked. Do we get 
any interest on shares in an unworked silver mine ? 
No ! Neither has any one a right to charge interest 
on money invested in a farm. Why charge for culti¬ 
vation ? That has nothing to do with the plant. Most, 
if not all plants, would be better off if never culti¬ 
vated at all, especially where the big, root-cutting 
implements and time-honored, ridge-piling system are 
still in vogue. One field of four acres did not have 
an atom of cultivation, after the plants came up, and 
were tne rankest I ever saw. I did cultivate once in 
a row one way about August 1, to kill some summer 
grass ; but the potatoes had made their growth before 
that. I cultivate to keep out other plants that would 
rob the potatoes, but the principal reason is to make 
that worthless plant food available, and provide 
water to put it into circulation. You get pay for 
making this worthless plant food valuable, why charge 
for it a second time ? If it is worth any more than 
it costs, you get it in the dividends. The miner gets 
pay for his labor, the owner what is left. Either 
leave out the value of fertility taken away, or the 
cost of cultivation, or else get two profits. 
Another says, “ Board should be considered.” As 
my help is mostly boys, and month hands costing 
from 25 to 50 cents per day, I considered that the 
wages given were sufficient to cover the cost of board. 
We are not running a boarding house, and counting 
in the profits on the boarding to help make the 
estimate show better. 
Are Cheap Potatoes Possible ?—Another asks, 
“What good are these controversies?” None, to 
those who have written me politely or otherwise, that 
I lied, because they will not study for themselves. 
None, to those who have thought about the items 
given and go on just the same. They are great good 
to those who are wise enough to profit by them, who 
are able to see the difference between their methods 
and mine, and combine the two; and to him who is 
induced to stop if unprofitable. I am afraid that the 
discussion will tend to produce the impression that 
there is-great profit to ordinary growers of potatoes, 
and that -the crop can be slighted. To those unac¬ 
customed to quick, effective work, the items charged 
would seem;-to call for very little work ; but good 
crops cannot be secured, except in unusually favor¬ 
able conditions, without thorough culture. Remem¬ 
ber, with an average crop (100 bushels), the cost 
would be doubled—or 18 cents—without anything for 
skill, vital energy, interest on tools, taxes, losses in 
unfavorable years, rot, blight, grubs and fertility re¬ 
moved. In short, do not go into any business expect¬ 
ing always to attain the exceptions. 
I could not haul 250 bushels three miles in one day, 
(page 841), and would not for $3. If the roads were 
good enough so that a team could di’aw 62 bushels 
per load (two tons with crates), they would have to 
make four trips. One man could not load and unload 
that many in the time left. No man can afford to dig 
potatoes for $1.25 per acre. We charge $2.50 ; at that 
price, I would better be at home. It may be well to 
print such figures, but I shall be sorry if any one get 
the idea that he can pay for a farm with nine-cent 
potatoes, and tries it. I do not believe that even Mr. 
Currier, with his favorable location, has seen an aver¬ 
age of 300 bushels per acre more than once or twice 
in a lifetime, and never for the whole town. Nearly 
all statements have been somewhere near $20 per 
acre, and I think that I have learned that potatoes 
must bring 20 cents per bushel to meet all demands, 
taking one year with another. c. e. chapman. 
R N.-Y.—Now let some of our western friends 
describe their rigs for hauling great loads of grain or 
potatoes with six or eight horses. The truth about 
this may sound as large as the stories about harrow¬ 
ing 40 acres a day ! 
CAUGHT IN THE CHRISTMAS MARKET! 
Holiday times make lively work in the city markets. 
The great stores are crowded with shoppers for many 
days before Christmas, in the quest for gifts. The 
grocers lay in an extra stock of choice goods, and 
make more tempting than ever their attractive win¬ 
dow displays. The choicest cuts of meat are now in 
demand, and the best of the poultry is sent forward. 
Fruits and nuts—all of the choicest and most showy— 
are brought out. The greenery and the Christmas 
trees are on sale on every side, and few so poor as not 
to make some extra purchases and, in some way, to 
celebrate the day which commemorates the birth of 
Him who came to bring peace on earth, good will to 
men. Only a sentiment, say you ? But if it be, ’tis a 
sentiment that is founded deep in the hearts of our 
people, and which is growing deeper and deeper, and 
being exemplified more and more each year. 
The practical part of it is that this season creates 
an extra demand for the products of the farm, the 
orchard, the poultry yard and the forest, especially 
those products which are often looked upon at other 
times as luxuries and extras. The season just past, 
brought out its full share. The weather was ex¬ 
tremely unfavorable for the handling of meats and 
poultry, but favorable for fruits and vegetables. 
J ust a few days before Christmas, the weather turned 
warm, and was extremely soft and sticky just at the 
time the bulk of poultry shipments was received. 
Much of the latter was in extremely bad shape, and 
was necessarily sold for low prices, if indeed, it was 
not so far gone as to be unsalable. A great deal of 
poor poultry was received—that insufficiently fat¬ 
tened. It never pays to ship that. There is also little 
demand for live fowls. Choice turkeys are always in 
demand. Geese and ducks meet a larger demand at 
the Christmas holidays than at other times. There is 
also a good demand for game, but almost everything 
in this line, except western partridges and rabbits, 
was scarce. 
There was much loss, as usual, from improper dress¬ 
ing and packing. Much of this might have been 
avoided. Of course, the weather can’t be controlled, 
but much of its unfavorable effects can be overcome. 
Some of the receipts were evidently insufficiently 
cooled, and much too carelessly packed. A number 
of instances of loss from other causes also came under 
our notice. A box marked poultry was opened in one 
commission house which was neax-ly swamped under 
tons of all kinds and conditions of birds. This was 
the second day before Christmas, and there was little 
demand for chickens and fowls unless of the best. 
When opened, all that was visible was a lot of half 
rotten chickens. No one wanted them at any price. 
The box stood there until the next morning, when in 
clearing up what was left, this box was overhauled. 
When the top layer of chickens was removed, the 
bottom of the box was found to contain choice ducks 
which would have sold the day before for 15 or .16 
cents per pound ; but the demand was gone, and they 
had to go for 12 cents. A precisely similar case hap¬ 
pened with a barrel partly filled with nice turkeys, 
bxxt topped out with sci’awny chickens, which no¬ 
body wanted. As the commission merchant remarked, 
“We know poultry when we see it, but we can't see 
clear down through a barrel to see what is in the 
bottom. Evei-y package should be mai-ked with just 
what it contains.” In another case, a barrel which 
apparently contained chickens, was sold for such, bxxt 
proved to contain txxrkeys in the bottom. As prices of 
the two wei’e aboxit the same, and as the buyer coxild 
xise the turkeys, no great harm was done. Bxxt sup¬ 
pose that, as sometimes happens, the price of turkeys 
had been a great deal higher than chickens ! Who 
woxxld have lost, and who would have been to blame? 
Cai’elessness doesn't pay, and these are only examples 
that could be duplicated by the dozen in the experi¬ 
ence of every receiver of poultry in the city. The 
aggregate losses are something enormous. And who 
are the losers ? 
There is always a demand at Chx’istmas for a few 
nice hothouse lambs, at good prices, though the price 
is less than formerly. Among the first to come in this 
year, was one from westeim New Yoi’k, fx’om a man 
who has been quite successfxxl in producing these 
lambs, and who has shipped a good many to this mar¬ 
ket. For some reason, the lamb was not properly 
dressed, had not been properly cooled, and came in in 
such condition that it was entirely unsalable. At 
last accoxxnts, the lamb was still unsold, the highest 
offer x*eceived, being the express chai’ges paid in 
blunging it here. Fx*om the same coxinty, a few hours 
later, two more lambs came to the same commission 
merchant, no better lambs than the other, bxxt nicely 
dressed, and arriving in fine shape, and were sold 
almost at once for $10 each. Cai’elessness didn’t pay 
here, and although the l’eceiver felt very badly to 
have an old shipper lose in that way, he couldn’t 
help it. Few of these lambs sold this year at $10 
each, the bulk going at $6 to $8. In former years 
these lambs sold for $12 to $15 frequently, and, in 
some eases, even more. But times are close, and 
prices genei-ally lower. 
Fruits, especially choice ones for the table, are 
usually in great demand, but this year, the supply 
of most of them was so large that prices were 
low. Apples were very plentifxxl, and prices were 
lowex-. Cranberries, which have been selling for ex¬ 
treme prices, dropped materially, and the demand 
declined considei’ably. Grapes were extremely dull ; 
we ax-e getting plenty of fine Californias in the mar¬ 
ket, as well as Catawbas from New York and Almerias 
fi-om abroad. Oranges from Florida are scai’ce and 
high. Many are coming fi-om California, and are well 
liked here. 
The streets have been filled with hucksters. Sales 
of all kinds of Christmas decorations ai’e made to 
all classes of peoples. Never before have the markets 
been so filled with evergreen trees and all kinds of 
greenery used in decorating. These come by the car¬ 
load and ship-load from far-off Maine and other dis¬ 
tant points. Many of our streets have been txirned 
into perfect bazars where all kinds of toys and fancy 
articles are sold. Wagons on which were great 
mounds of candy—hundreds of pounds—were here 
and there—“ 10 cents a pound, three pounds for 
25 cents.” Any one could get up a glorious headache, 
or a royal fit of indigestion for very little money, as 
well as stock up with the substantials of life for a 
good-sized family without going bankrupt. Christmas 
was almost a spring day, and although it comes but 
once a year, it certainly brought good cheer to many 
homes, and left memories that will linger for many 
days. 
BUSINESS BITS. 
Dr. S. A. Tuttle, 27 Beverly Street, Boston, Mass., still sends a 
sample bottle of his elixir for three two-cent stamps to cover 
postage. It is one of the most popular liniments made, and is a 
good thing to have in the house and stable. 
You don’t need to pay a great big price to get a good harness. 
Send to King & Co., 10 Church Street, Owego, N. Y., for catalogue 
of harnesses. They prepare the leather and make the harness, 
and sell it direct to the farmer—no middleman profit in that deal. 
Tub Great American Tea Company, 33 Vesey Street, New York, 
are sending quarter-pound samples of their best teas for 15 cents. 
Don’t be afraid to send the 15 cents. We believe that there is no 
other place in this country where good teas can be bought so 
cheap. We never think of getting tea anywhere else. 
For what vocation in life am I best suited? That question must 
come up to every boy and girl when approaching manhood and 
womanhood. Fowler & Wells Company, 27 East 21st Street, New 
York City, can give some valuable advice on this matter from an 
examination of your bumps. They will tell you all about it if 
you write them. 
Many farms have water facilities that their owners do not ap¬ 
preciate, much less use. It is probably because they do not know 
the possibilities of the hydraulic ram. These automatic engines 
have now been so perfected that it would surprise many to know 
just where they can be used. If you have a running stream at 
any place on the farm, send to the Rife Engine Company, 126 
Liberty Street, New York, and ask for a catalogue. This company 
have recently moved from Virginia. 
