1042 
ills success in producing crops, and without this 
drainage his farm would not pay, so that a little 
later we may give his ideas about drainage. These 
figures may not be of great value to farmers outside 
of Central Michigan, but we give them for what 
they are worth, and would like comparative figures 
if you have them. Of course in sections where 
fertilizers are needed the cost will be greater and 
in New Jersey, at least, land cannot le plowed for 
less than $5. 
SOIL CONDITIONS—“My farm is a clay-loam 
soil. The land is generally level. The soil does not 
bake, as it is termed; some sand mixed with the 
clay-loam. It produces a crop quickly, if conditions 
are right as to drainage. The farm is thoroughly 
under-drained and in a productive condition. The 
drainage is the secret of its productiveness. Drain¬ 
age has liberated the natural fertility of the soil, 
which was unavoidable for plant growth in an un¬ 
drained condition. Labor cost in production of crops 
was as follows: One man by the year, the equiva¬ 
lent of $60 per month, and one man by the year, the 
equivalent of $75 per month. These men each re¬ 
ceive in addition a house in which to live: day men 
$2.50 per day: man and team, when hired. $5 per 
day. I own all my tools, teams and stock. Books 
of account are kept of all farming operations in 
accordance with the United State Income Tax 
accounting. Our Michigan climate will produce 
under the above conditions profitable crops with but 
few failures, if any. Holding these matters in mind 
I furnish the following figures of the actual cost of 
producing beans, sugar beets and wheat for the 
reason of 1017:” 
BEANS 
ESTIMATE BASED t T PON AX ACRE 
Plowing of soil per acre. 
Rolling the soil. 
Harrowing, floating, dragging, four times. 
Drilling . 
Cultivating, four times... 
Pulling weeds, limited work with hoe. etc. 
Pulling beans . 
Harvesting, weather remaining good for harvest. . 
Seed at $10 per bushel (3 peeks per acre). 
Marketing. 2 miles haiil.•_. 
Thrashing out of barn in Fall or \\ inter. 
Interest upon money advanced to produce crop.. 
Overhead of farm expenses based upon an acreage 
of 240 acres and including $500 a year for my¬ 
self as manager of the farm.. 
Insurance on crop pending marketing. 
$3 00 
.50 
2.00 
.75 
1.60 
1.00 
.60 
3 50 
7.50 
.75 
4.25 
.40 
7.50 
1.00 
Total cost of production of acre of beans.$34.35 
FURTHER DETAILS.—“The foregoing is figured 
upon a yield of 25 bushels of beans to an acre. No 
fertilizer was used or was needed. The field ripened 
evenly and was harvested before October rains. I 
think the whole of the 52 acres were in the barn 
before October first. The yield was very high. Cost, 
of course, would be less if yield per acre were to 
be less/’ 
SUGAR BEETS 
ESTIMATE BASED t^PON AX ACRE 
Plowing, per acre. $ 3 -90 
Rolling soil, two times. 1.00 
Floating and picking grass, stubbles, stones, etc.. .SO 
Harrowing and dragging, four times. 2.00 
Drilling . . . .. : . 
Cultivating, four times. -oo 
Seeds, IS lbs. per acre (15c per lb.). 2 <0 
Plowing out beets for harvest. 2.00 
Hauling beets to market. 2V» miles, at $1 per ton. 13.00 
Overhead charges, figured as on beans. 7.50 
Interest upon money advanced to produce crop. .. .35 
Cash paid for all hand labor, rows 24 ins. apart.. 22 00 
Total cost to produce crop per acre.$57.60 
CROP CONDITIONS.—“The beets yielded 13 tons 
gross per acre, and cost of production based upon 
this yield. No fertilizer was used. The beets, if 
hauled when topped, would have yielded probably 
from one to two tons more per acre. They were 
poorly covered and badly dried when delivered. The 
above total would vary according to tons per acre. 
Note price of delivery as $1 per ton; otherwise not 
affected.” 
WHEAT 
ESTIMATE BASED UPON AN ACRE 
Plowing . $3.00 
Rolling, barrowing, floating, dragging, four times. 2.55 
Drilling .. • • • 
Harvesting, including hauling in barn or stacking Ann 
Thrashing . 3 |0 
Hauling to marked. two miles. .00 
Overhead chargee, figured as in case of beans and 
beets . 7 -;™ 
Interest on money advanced. ... . . . -•> 
Seed. 1% bushels per acre at $2.2o per bushel.. . 3 94 
Total cost of producing an acre of wheat... .$25.09 
HOW FIGURED.—“I cannot explain in a letter 
of reasonable length some things which will arise in 
the mind of the farmer in figuring out the cost of 
the production of these crops. If the farm is not 
under-drained, and the soil is wet and dependent 
upon drying weather to permit cultivation, the cost 
of production will be greater. It may become 
necessary to remake the seed bed two or more times. 
The cost of harvesting and thrashing depends upon 
The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
the yield per acre: the cost of marketing upon the 
distance from market. It is to be noted that no 
rental of the land is included in the foregoing 
figures. Land of the description of my farm is rea¬ 
sonably worth for farming purposes today at least 
$200 per acre, if not more. Allowing for highways, 
fences, ditches and yards, the rental per acre should 
be at least on present conditions $14 per acre. 
Adding this to the cost of production as given above 
and we have the following result: 
Tost of producing an acre of wheat. $39 09 
Cost of producing an acre of sugar beets. 71.60 
Cost of producing an acre of beans. 4S.35 
The price of producing an acre of oats is about $3 
per acre less than wheat. Barley and rye about same 
as oats; varies slightly. 
MAXIMUM CROPS NEEDED.—“The foregoing 
cost may seem high to some fanners who have not 
carefully kept books of account. My work is done 
mostly by employees, but closely under my super¬ 
vision. It must be apparent to the keen observer 
that with these costs of production soil not adapted 
to the production of maximum crops affords poor 
prospects of profit. This suggestion is made to 
impress the importance of cultivating soils adapted 
so far as possible to production of maximum crops, 
or at least lands in best possible condition for crops. 
Efficiency, I say again, because it cannot be said too 
often, is at the basis of successful agriculture now 
as never before. The idea that anyone can be a 
farmer is painful and lamentable. The fact is that 
the business is too worthy an enterprise to demand 
other than the best. We should impress the public 
A Eioe and Her Family. Fig. 29.'f. 
1 enclose picture of a ewe with four lambs, three 
.months old. Two I raised on a bottle. All are doing 
well. The ewe is a grade Hampshire Down, three 
years old. Her mother is five years old, and never 
had less than three lambs at a birth. 
Ulster Co., N. Y. james d. conklin, sr. 
July 5, 1919 
Cows and beef. 404.00 
Hogs . 95.00 
Seed grain . 70.00 
Potatoes and fruit. 108.00 
Wood aud lumber. 363.00 
Outside labor. 425.30 
$5,514.34 
EXPENSE ACCOUNT. 
Labor . $752.45 
Feed . 724.88 
Fertilizers . 70.00 
Taxes . 125.68 
Cows bought . 415.00 
Carrying milk. 41.35 
Horseshoeing . 12.80 
Grass seed 1. 75.00 
Seed corn and Soy beans. 50 00 
Sundry expenses . 107.30 
$2,374.46 
Total inventory Jan. 1st.$12,050.00 
Total inventory Dec.«31st. 12,150.00 
You may question such items as wood and lumber 
and outside labor. Two-thirds of the receipts from 
wood and lumber represent labor, mostly team, and 
as far as the woodlot is concerned. 1 can cut this 
amount each year. Outside labor receipts are larger 
than ordinary on account of a road job here, on 
which I used my teams, and partly to an old engine 
and thrasher which I had on hand and rigged up 
for a man to run on shares; also to some taxi work 
with my auto. We make most of our milk in the 
Winter, as we have more time then to look after the 
work. 
I hire one man by the year; I pay a fair salary 
and furnish house rent, wood, land for potatoes and 
beans, milk and a horse'to drive once in awhile. I 
hire extra help as needed, and I can get it. I try 
to plan my work so as to do it with the fewest 
motions, and it is certainly surprising how much 
time can be saved in this way. T do no better than 
some of my neighbors, but perhaps better than the 
average in this one line. 
We had no apples in 191S, and also lost our corn 
<jrop largely. These two items would have helped 
out several hundred dollars. o. m. hazard. 
with the worthiness and honor of the undertaking. 
Properly conducted, the farm will make its owner 
independent financially and personally, not. of course, 
rich as the modern so-called business man under¬ 
stands it. My observation is that men of very ordi¬ 
nary capacity and skill often succeed in so-called 
business and are rated by the unthinking as saga¬ 
cious and wise. Many may even acquire riches, as 
so often happens, by so-called luck or fortuitous 
circumstances, or seemingly so. Not so upon the 
farm. Here success is at all times reserved for the 
worthy. With the successful farmer the love of 
outdoor life and enterprise and of nature must pre¬ 
dominate. Work must be conducted by the farmer 
because he loves it; it must not be a burden. If 
otherwise, he becomes a slave, and failure is swift 
and certain. Love the work, and this will lead to 
the other indispensable requisite to success upon 
the farm, namely : Knowledge to do it correctly and 
well: that is efficiency.” 
The Business of a Vermont Farm 
On page 934 G. M. Hazard tells of obtaining what 
seems to me a remarkable income from his farm. Will 
be not give us items of income as well as itemized 
expenses? 8 . B. B. 
Y OU ask for an itemized statement of our farm 
business, and below you will find # same for 
&918: 
INCOME OF FARM. /■ 
113,000 lbs. milk.. $3,417.81 
Calves sold. 250 00 
Receipts from poultry. 128.23 
Maple sugar and syrup. 253 00 
Field Meeting of the Holmdel Potato Club 
The Holmdel Potato Club of Holmdel, Monmouth 
County. N. .1., is a live institution. It was organized 
by potato growers for the purpose of covering every 
phase of the potato business, from producing the 
seed to selling the crop. Of course that’s a large 
contract, as any farmer can understand, but this 
club is building up from the ground, and doing great 
things for Monmouth County growers. On July 12 
there will be a Potato Field Day at Holmdel. This 
meeting will be different from anything of the sort 
ever held before. This year the U. 8. Agricultural 
Department and the Experiment Station at New 
Brunswick are conducting experiments which are 
developing in the most ...icresting way. These Mon¬ 
mouth County growers are after a new variety of 
potato, which can take the place of the American 
Giant. This variety is a good yielder in that section, 
but is not of high quality as a table potato. What 
these growers want is a variety which will yield 
as well as or better than the Giant, come in at the 
right time, and give high quality potatoes. This 
high quality would enable the growers to obtain a 
.higher price than they now obtain from the Giants, 
and also give them a better reputation for table 
potatoes in the market. Considerable work has 
already been done along this line. There are 32 
varieties now being tested out. and from this list 
it- is hoped that something worth while Mill be 
obtained. In addition to this new strains of the 
familiar old varieties are being tried. Fertilizer 
tests are also being conducted, with different com¬ 
binations of fertilizers, and also forms of potash 
taken from different sources. The object of all this 
is to find a combination, if possible, best suited to 
the sassafras loam soil found in Monmouth County. 
Then there are spraying tests. A feature of this 
meeting Mill be practical instruction for making 
Bordeaux mixture by a new and superior method. 
Dr. Headlee of the New Jersey Experiment Station 
will be on hand with a power sprayer to demonstrate 
the use of a fine mist, and he m' i 11 also slnuv a new 
poison, superior to most other forms of arsenic. 
Dr. Cook, also of New Brunswick, will have an 
exhibit of sick potatoes: that is. plants afflicted with 
various diseases, and he Mill show the difference 
betM T een these ailments so that farmers can distin¬ 
guish them. Prof. Stewart of the Department of 
Agriculture will be on hand to talk potato seed, and 
other experts will be right in the field all ready to 
answer questions. There will also be speaking, and 
a general discussion and talk over on potato grow¬ 
ing. On the whole, this promises to be about the 
biggest and best potato meeting ever held in the 
Eastern States. 
