The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, June 28, 1920, Page 9

Wheat Produced at Loss in Kansas State Board of Agriculture Statistics Show How High Cost of Materials Hits Farmer 'ATISTICS secured by the Kansas state board of agriculture show that the 1920 wheat crop of that state was produced at a loss. The average return per acre from wheat in Kansas during 1919 was found to be $24.77. The average cost per acre was $25.20, leaving a net loss of 43 cents per acre. ~It is interesting to note how this cost figure was reached. The various cost items in producing an acre of wheat were found to be as follows: Use of land and buildings..$ 7.15 Use of machinery ........ 1.69 Seed i Joi i il vre Fon 5289 Seed bed preparatlon ..... 2.87 Harvesting ....coocevennn. 3.37 Threshing .......c.c0.... 3.85 Hauling to market ....... 18 . Insurance ..........0...n 58 JORFtINZEX. vivvc ciemia s ioiniiin s iy § Interest on seed and seed bed .40 Orop risk {ovieieviveisa 1.28 Management .... egreren 1.67 Grosg: CoBt veeenisovenaes $26.74 Credit by straw and pasture 1.54 Net cost ceeees.$26.20 The figure for “use of land and buildings” was secured by charging only 5 per cent interest on capital in- vested in lands and buildings, in cases where the farmer owned his own prop- erty, and in using the average rental figure for tenant farmers. The pro- portion between farm owners and renters taken was that shown by the government census report for 1910. The figure thus reached is undoubted- ly much too low—first, because the going rate of interest is much higher than 5 per cent, government bonds now selling at prices to give a yield of nearly 6 per cent; -second, because there is now a much larger proportion of tenant farmers in Kansas than in 1910 and charges for rent are higher than interest charges on a farm own- ed by the operator. Using the “go- ing” rate of intefest and taking into consideration the fact that more than half of Kansas farmers today are ten- ants, undoubtedly would result in in- creasing this item to at least $9 and probably to $10. NO “OVERTIME” PAY ALLOWED FARMER The labor costs entering into the other items are also admitted by J. C. Mohler, secretary of the Kansas board of agriculture, to be too low, because nothing was allowed the farm- er for “overtime” pay for his long working days. The “management” item covers pay at the rate of only $2.50 per day during the time actually devoted to the wheat crop. Nothing was allowed the farmer for depletion of the fertility of his soil, the “fertilizer” item only representing the average expenditure for fertilizer, while most of the farmers were unable to make any expenditure of this kind. Similarly the “insurance” item rep- resents the average amount paid out for insurance, thotigh most of the farmers did not take out any. The item “crop risk” represents the av- erage losses throughout the state on lands from which no crop was secur- ed, either as the result of haxl drouth, insects or other losses. It is worth while notlcmg that if the Kansas farmers had lived in North Dakota the insurance item wou'd have been only 28 cents, in- stead of 58 cents, and all of the farm- ers could have been protected at this cost instead of only a small portion of them. If all farmers had been pro- tected by hail insurance the item of - state-owned mill at Drake, N. D., $1.28 per acre for crop risk would have been_ reduced considerably. By getting pay for their dockage and honest grading, the North Dakota farmer also receives a greater return per bushel for his wheat than does - the Kansas farmer. DRAKE MILL PRICES The following prices are bemg paid by the for wheat: Dark northern spring—No. 1 (58-pound), $2.96 ; No. 2 (57-pound), $2.91; No. 8 (556 to 56- pound), $2.86; No. 4 (54-pound), $2.81; No, 4 (53-pound $2 76. Northern sprmg—No (58-pound), $2.86; No. 2 (57-pound), $2.81; No. 8 (556 to 56-pound), $2.76; No. 4 (54— pound), $2.71; No. 4 (53-pound), $2.61. The following are prices on products: Flour —Patent, car lots, $16 per barrel; 500-pound lots, $16.20 per barrel ; straight, car lots, $15.20 ; bakers, car lots, $12. Bran—car lots, $49 per ton; less than car lots, $50 per ton. Shorts— car lots, $64 per ton; less than car lots, $56 per ton. Note the steady, even flow of stra straw in the ‘‘Save-all-the-Grain’’ Ideal ADVERTISEMENTS = $1200°BalinoProfit 71 ik son sty ik g 0o soWOTalng says Itural Coll D. J. » Egerton, Mo., mmd:umoo a dn;g:fi th an; Admiral Hay Press T. 7. .!on an Admiral owner, he ex: Bt u'xansnm?mlu;ssbal in one hou{—"hs"o élg"ki" as, es in ns in 10 hours. 'For 80 years the rnlhnboent'utest.limp s}’gt,moltpo 1baler: - ing fast work after 16 years service, F mSend l;]a}ne forbi Fe@ 23 buing profit of our trial ofler-—cuh or time. ~ ADMIRAL HAY PRESS COMPANY Box 123 Kansas City, Moy ' We want one exclusive repre- £ sentativein each locahg and sell the new Mellinger xfra ly, ires. Guarantoe Bon 207 Front St. § Fort Madison, fowa ‘;"éu"c‘a“é’é"ofi“"FREE = from factory fnm prices before you buy (en HIGH QUALITV FENCE—LOW PR!OES You can not afford to miss this opportunity. our nearest factory today UNITED FENCE COMPANY OF STILLWATER 306 Malin St. Stiliwater, Minn, WE PAY SIX PER CENT INTEREST on certificates of deposit for 6 or 12 months. All deposits in our bank are guaranteed by the state of North Dakota under the depositors’ guarantee law. FARMERS STATE BANK, Grenora, N. D. The Ideal Separator R ® - OVIaGesS — Greater Grain Saving—-A special grate design, tight-behind and beneath the cylinder—the Ideal traveling rake, that carries the straw from the cylinder in a steady, even” flow—the Ideal straw rack, with its series of lifting fingers that tear the straw open, rake it, beat it from beneat.;, all contribute to compelling complete separation in the Ideal. . Cleaner Work—rhe extra large chaffer area, the adjustable sieve in the shoe and the Ideal system of wind control, guarantee a perfect job of cleaning without waste under every_ condition. does the kind of cleaning that eliminates “dockage” at the elevator. The Ideal Larger Capacity—wnh the greatest grain saving device in the world the Ideal Secures over 90% of the complete separation almost immediately after the bundles enter the machine. This with the unusually long straw racks and the extra long sieves, explains its larger capacity. Easier Operation—You don’t have to crawl inside the Ideal to adjust and regulate the svparator. All bearings, concave adjustments and regulations of the blast are on the outside of the machine, also all oil ard grease cups, where you can take care of them even while the Ideal is running. Stronger Construction—The Ideal frame has no spliced or bolted members—it is practically a one- piece job—sills, posts, deck rails. It simply can’t pull apart, sag or rot. This, with the heavy, substantial trucks, and all shaker hanger bearings running in adjustable boxes, gives a con< struction that insures long life. NO Vibration—in the 1deal the cylinder is perfectly balanced and all moving parts are counterbalanced. This makes for steady, smooth running that eliminates harmful vibration, minimizes wear on the bearings, preserves alignment of shafts and greatly lengthens the life of the machine. You have a choice of five sizes—22 x 36, 28 x 44, 28 x 48, 32 x 52 and 36 x 60. Rumely dealer or have us send you further mformauon. ADVANCE-RUMEII:I THRESHER COMPANY, Inc. Billings, Mont. Lincoln, Neb. Porte, lndlana PAGE NINE Eye i See your Pocatello, Idaho Minneapolis, Minn. Fargo, N. Dak. Spokane, Wash, Aberdeen.s Dak. Madison, Wis. ° Mention the Leader When Writing Advertisers -