Show Wide Variance in Cost of Potatoes Study St Carried on by D Department Depart Depart- ment of Agriculture in Big Producing States Prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture Yield I ld per pcr acre Is the principal cause of yar variation In the cost of producing potatoes the tho United States Department Department Depart Depart- ment meat of ot Agriculture points out In a acost acost acost cost study In Important potato producing producing pro pro- sections of ot Minnesota Wisconsin Wis Wis- cons In Michigan New York and antI Maine The survey dealt with costs In 1019 but the con conclusions drawn ore are generally applicable to other years ears Farmers who received better than bushels of potatoes per per acre produced produced produced pro pro- them at an average of 72 cents while those who had a yield of less than 70 bushels had an average cost per ler bushel of The cost per bushel of potatoes grown on farms s ranged fr from m 30 cents to with most farms producing ng at a cost of 1 i or less per bushel Important Cost Items Man and horse labor abor were the most Important Items of cost In areas Studied pinched In Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan and New York whereas commercial fertilizer was the largest Item of cost In Aroostook county Maine In Aroostook county the fertilizer cost was larger per acre than the combined cost ost of of man and horse labor The cost per acre was lowest In Clay county Minnesota being 78 09 and ond higher In Ar Aroostook county Maine w H re the acre cost was 60 Go The yield per acre In Clay county county coun count ty Minnesota was bushels makIng making mak mak- ing the cost per bushel 76 70 cents while a yield of bushels In Aroostook Maine resulted In an average cost l' l per par r bushel of 7 79 cents Potatoes fitted fitt d Into a fairly definite crop rotation In all areas except In Clay Olay county Minnesota where wheat and ond oats were not grown In any definite rotation with potatoes In Inthe Inthe Inthe the other areas hay potatoes corn where corn Is grown and a small grain se seeded ded to grass constituted the rotation The per per cent of ot farm receIpts receipts receipts re re- re- re coming through the sale of potatoes potatoes potatoes po po- po- po v varied ried from fron per per- percent cent In in Barron Barren county Wisconsin to per percent percent percent cent In Aroostook Maine Man and Horse Labor i In areas where none of the picking labor was contracted for and as a result the hours of picking up potatoes potatoes potatoes po po- po- po were nere Included the total hours of ot man man labor expended In raising an aare acre of potatoes potatoe varied from hours In Anoka county Minnesota to hours per acre In Barren Darron county county county coun coun- ty Wisconsin The hours of horse work used per acre were the tl e lowest or In Clay county Minnesota 1 and anil highest In Ia Monroe county NewYork NewYork New New- York where 1160 hours were used Commercial fertilizer was applied atthe at at atthe the rate of 1980 pounds per acre upon potato land In Aroostook county Maine None of the other areas studied d approached this qu quantity of ot commercial fertilizer 1 The nt amo of man labor and horse work together with the cultural practices practices practices tices for each area are given In de detail do- do tail In Department Bulletin 1188 Cost and Farm Practices In Producing Potatoes Potatoes Po Po- Po- Po copies of which may be ob tamed free upon request to the De Dc- Department of Agriculture Washington D. D DC D.C. O. O S |