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WHEAT PRODUCTION.
Farmers Work Out Cost.
5/6 a Bushel Needed to Pay.
ALBURY, (Tuesday. — Following tho
producers' ciiiforcneb nt. Brithurst, ex
perienced farmers went into tlio cost of
producing wheat, and prepared reports.
Their figures were based on a .700 acre,
holding, at an average distance of six.
miles from rail.' 400 acres, including 250
acres or worked fallow, being cropped,
annually; and superphosphates used with
half the crop. The land was valued at
the average ol cleared improved- wheat
land — £7. 10/. per acre, or . a ' total of
£5250. -. To this was added a capital of,
£800 invested in : working ' stdck and
plant, and £250 invested in 200 owes/or,
a capital outlay of £6300.
The average nmiuul expenses were set
down as follows: — Interest' at VVs per
cent., £400 10/; wages, one permanent
hand, including harvest, £230;'- one casual
for one- week ' at liny making. £5; 1410
wheat bags, £72; twine for hay and bags,
£6; insurance, fire, £lV 5/; workers'
compensation, £7 10/; hail 'insurance'- on
half the crop, £27 ; cost of chaff bags
and chaffing half the bay (40 acres used
for hay. half usc-d long), £30; shire rates,
£20; seed wheat (-100 bushels at, 0/),
£120; supdrphosphates and pieklhig com
pound, £27; spares, discs, duplicates, &c.,:
£25; blacksinithing,. shoeing,. Saddlery,,
repairs, £10; sundry freights, telephone,'
and travelling expenses, £10; deprecia
tion at 10 per cent., £80; total; £1087 0/,'
to which . was added £300 to allow for
wages and keep for the owner for Ins
work and management, and from which
was deducted £200, as the. annual net
income from sheep. The net result was
£1187 »/. As the- average yield for Xew
South Wales was twelve bushels per acre,
tho compilers found that 300 . acres of
wheat, or 4320 bushels, cost £1187 0/ to
produce, a fraction under 5/G per bushel:
"If," it was stated in conclusion, "trie
farmer getn less than 5/6 per hitslid he
will not get £300 per annum for the risks
he takes, tho free labor of his wife and
family, and the long hours well over 60
per week, which, on the average, ho
works." '
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