Wheat Growing in Australia Part 3

Seven bags at $1.60 per dozen 0.84 ----- $4.89

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE STRIPPER AT WORK.]

If the land is not fallowed and the seed sown immediately after ploughing, the cost is correspondingly less. The above figures are the cost if the work is done on contract. If it is done by weekly hired labour the work comes out about 30 per cent. cheaper, as will be seen by the following figures:--

Ploughing: Wages, one man at $6.00 per week; man's rations, $2.40 per week; feed for four horses for week, $9.60; total, $18.00. One man with four horses in a three-furrow plough will do 22 acres in six days at a cost of less than $0.84 per acre. Drilling: Man's wages, $6.00; rations, $2.40; horsefeed, three horses, $7.20; total, $7.80. He will drill 90 acres in six days at that cost, or less than $0.18 per acre. Other operations cost similarly less, but in all cases wear and depreciation of plant and interest on capital invested in plant should be allowed for.

These figures, however, concern cases where labour is employed. The following figures show the outlay where a man is doing the work himself.

He could plough, cultivate, and sow 250 acres, which would take him twenty-two weeks. The first year he has to purchase his seed wheat and feed for his horses:--

190 bushels seed wheat at $0.80 per bushel $153.60

10 tons chaff at $19.20 per ton 192.00 ------- $345.60

Approximately $1.38 per acre.

At harvest time he would first reap portion of his crop to secure a supply of horse feed for the following year, say, 10 acres:--

Reaping and haymaking, 2 men's wages for three days at $1.92, food $0.48 per day $14.40

Twine (for binding the sheaves) 6.00

Harvesting the wheat crop: One man's wages $1.92, food $0.48 per day for forty days 96.00

One hundred dozen bags at $1.68 per dozen 168.00

Horsefeed, 5 tons chaff at $19.20 per ton 96.00

Cartage, 1000 bags wheat at $0.18 per bag 180.00 ------- $560.40

This is reckoning the crop as averaging 15 bushels per acre, when the returns would be:--

15 tons of chaff (a low estimate) at $19.20 per ton $288.00

1200 bags of wheat, 3600 bushels at $0.80 per bushel 2880.00 -------- $3168.00

Less expenditure ($345.60, $560.40) 906.00 -------- Balance $2262.00

To be thoroughly correct we should allow for:--

Interest on plant, costing, say, $1920.00 at 5 per cent. $96.00

Depreciation of plant, 10 per cent. 192.00

Rent on 250 acres at $1.20 per acre 300.00 ------- Total $588.00

And in addition allow for the value of the farmer's own labour:--

Twenty-two weeks putting in crop at $12.00 per week $264.00

Ten weeks harvesting at $14.40 per week .. 144.00 ------- $408.00

We still have a satisfactory result, viz.:--

Returns $3168.00

Outlay $570.00

Interest, &c. 588.00

Farmer's labour 408.00 ------- 1902.00 -------- Net clear return $1266.00

From this it can be seen that very handsome returns can be obtained where the farmer is working his land properly, and growing a good portion, if not all, of his crop on fallowed land. Then his average would be nearer 25 bushels than 15, and his net return nearly as much again. In the above example, after making full allowance for all legitimate charges, the cost of producing a 15-bushel crop from 250 acres comes out at about $7.44 per acre.

SHARE FARMING.

One of the most prominent and, in a sense, unique features of wheatgrowing in Australia is the share-farming system. In New South Wales, for instance, something like one-sixth of the wheat crop is put in on shares. Under this system the landowner and the worker with limited means co-operate to their mutual benefit. One provides the land and the other the labour, and, under certain conditions, they share the produce. Since it was introduced many years ago, share farming has become popular because it has proved a boon to both parties and to the different States, while providing an exceptionally safe means of giving men the opportunity to ultimately acquire farms of their own.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WHEAT AT COUNTRY RAILWAY SIDING.]

The conditions upon which land is worked on shares differs slightly in different districts, but usually they are somewhat on the following lines. The landowner provides the land ready for the plough, fenced and cleared; the seed wheat, and bluestone for pickling same; bags and twine for his share of the crop. The share farmer usually provides machinery and horses to work the land, put in and take off the crop, all labour and bags and twine for his share of the crop. In the majority of cases the landowner and the share farmer each take half the proceeds, or "bag for bag," each reserving the right to dispose of his share when and where he deems fit. In some cases the agreement is more liberal to the share farmer, and a fixed amount--perhaps 16 to 18 bushels--is agreed upon, which is shared equally, any balance being taken by the farmer.

This is sometimes adopted as an incentive to good farming, and in cases as an inducement to attract the share farmer into new districts some distance from the railway. There have been cases where farmers have secured very good crops, 30 to 36 bushels to the acre, which meant that they received 22 and 28 bushels per acre for their share, while the landowner only received 8 bushels. These are exceptional conditions. As stated, the usual practice is to share equally. The following are sample specimens of the different agreements worked under:--

The landowner finds the land, all seed, and half manure; the farmer finds plant, labour, and half manure. Each takes half the crop.

The landowner provides land, all seed and all manure; the farmer plant and labour, and takes one-third of the crop, the landowner taking two-thirds.

The landowner provides land only, and takes one-third of the crop; the farmer provides plant, labour, seed, and manure, taking two-thirds of the crop.

The landowner provides all stock, land, and half manure; the farmer provides labour, seed, and half manure, and the crop is divided equally.

The landowner provides land, seed, and manure; the farmer does all the work, and the crop is equally divided.