| Show Wide Variance in Cost 0 of Potatoes Study Depart ment Carried on by Depart Department DEpartment ment of Agriculture in in Big Producing States Prepared by tho the United States Department of or Agriculture Yield per acre Is the principal cause of or variation In the cost of producing potatoes the United States Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Agriculture points out In a acost acost acost cost study in Important potato producing producing producing pro pro- sections of Minnesota l Wisconsin Wis Wis- Wisconsin Michigan New York and dealt with costs InlOW in Maine The survey lOW 1019 but the conclusions drawn are generally applicable ll to other years I Partners who received better hetter than bushels of potatoes per pel acre ocre produced produced produced pro pro- them at nt an on average of 72 cents while those who ho hail had a a yield of less than 70 bushels had bad an ayera average e cost costI per bushel of nm Tile The cost per I bushel of potatoes grown on farms I ranged from 30 cents to with most farms producing at nt a cost of SI S1 or less per bushel Important Cost Items Man and horse labor horse labor were the most Important Items of or cost In areas studied In Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan and New Kew York whereas he commercial fertilizer was the largest largen Item of or cost in Aroostook ok county Maine In InA Aroostook county the I fertilizer cost was larger lorger per acre than the combined cost of man and horse labor The rhe cost per acre was lowest In Clay county cO Minnesota being 78 09 00 and alia higher In Aroostook county Maine wire rc the acre cost was 00 roO The Tilt yield per acre in Clay county count county coun coun- t ty Minnesota was vas bushels making mak mak- lug ing the cost per bushel 70 76 cents while n a yield of bushels In Aroostook i Maine resulted In an average a cost I Il l er r bushel of 7 79 70 cents Potatoes fitted Into a n fairly definite crop rotation In all nIl areas arens except In Clay Olay county count Minnesota where wheat heat and oats were not grown grown In any definite rotation with potatoes In Inthe Inthe Inthe the other areas arens ha hay potatoes corn where corn Is grown and a small grain seeded to grass constituted the rotation The per cent of farm receipts receIpts receipts re re- re- re corning coming through the sale of potatoes potatoes potatoes po po- po- po varied from per cent In Barron county Wisconsin to per percent percent percent cent In Aroostook Maine Man and Horse Labor In areas where none of oC the picking labor was wass contracted for and as a result the hours of picking up potatoes po po- potatoes were Included the total hours of man labor expended In raising an acre of potatoes varied from hours In Anoka county Minnesota to 0 hours per acre In Barron county county county coun coun- ty Wisconsin The hours of horse work worl used p per r acre were t the he lowest or In In Cla Clay count county Minnesota nn anti highest In Monroe count county New NewYork NewYork York York- where 1100 1160 hours were used Commercial fertilizer was applied at atthe atthe atthe the rate of or 1980 l SO pounds per pcr acre upon potato land In Aroostook county Maine None of the tho other areas studied approached ched this quantity of commercial fertilizer application The amount of man labor and horse work wont together with v the cultural practices practices practices tices for each area are given gen g en In detail detail de de- tail tull In Department Bulletin 1188 Cost and Farm Practices In Producing Potatoes Potatoes Po Po- copies of which may mar be obtained obtained ob oh- tamed free upon request to the Department Department Department De De- of Agriculture Washington D. D C. C |
