WHEAT.

(1) Plowing.-Oat stubble, soon after harvesting, land allowed to lie fallow until about October 1; when wheat follows potatoes or corn the ground is plowed (sometimes only disked) immediately after the harvesting of those crops. (2) Rolling or planking. After plowing, sometimes also before seeding. (3) Harrowing.-Majority of the farmers visited use disk followed by spring-tooth or spike-tooth harrow; many use spring-tooth harrow only, working two or three times; when disk is used instead of plow, the ground is worked four to six times. (4) Seeding.-With drill. (5) Harvesting.—With 3-horse 6-foot binder. (6) Hauling-To stack or mow. (7) Thrashing.— Done at barn, occasionally in the field.

TIMOTHY AND CLOVER.

(1) Manuring.-As top dressing on sod, in fall or winter; on new seeding, in summer. (2) Plowing. Often soon after wheat harvest. (3) Rolling or planking.—After plowing; sometimes again before seeding. (4) Harrowing.-Nearly 50 per cent of the farmers visited use disk, followed by spike-tooth harrow; many use spring-tooth harrow only; a few use disk followed by spring-tooth harrow. (5) Liming.—Usually after wheat harvest when the land is prepared and seeded in August. (6) Seeding.—Timothy is seeded with wheat, and clover the following April; about 23 per cent prepare wheat stubble and seed in August. (7) Harvesting.—With 5-foot mower; hay fork is used and hay loader frequently.

ALFALFA.

(1) Manuring.—About 12 tons per acre as a top dressing or at seeding of previous crop. (2) Plowing.-Disk gaining in favor. (3) Rolling or planking.-Immediately after plowing; again between harrowings and often after seeding. (4) Harrowing.Disk is generally used by these farmers, working twice after plowing; double disk three to six times when plow is not used; spring-tooth harrow sometimes follows disking, but more often follows plowing without disking. (5) Liming.—With the distributor, except in a few instances. (6) Inoculation. (7) Seeding.—With drill or wheelbarrow seeder, 20 to 25 pounds per acre. (8) Cutting. (9) Tedding.-Tedder not always used when followed by side-delivery rake. (10) Raking.-Side-delivery rake generally used; some of the smaller farms use a dump rake. (11) Cocking.—Immediately after raking when the hay is to be protected with hay caps; in this case hay stands in cock for one to three days and is opened up two hours before hauling. (12) Hauling.-Where a loader is used the hay is picked up from the windrow. (13) Top dressing.-Manure sometimes applied in fall; fertilizer in early spring or immediately after first or second cutting. (14) Harrowing.—Disk or special sharp-pointed spring-tooth harrow often used after cutting, to eradicate blue grass and weeds.

CREWS AND MACHINERY.1

In order to determine the amount of labor in man-days and horsedays necessary to perform any operation, it is necessary to know the crew, that is, the number of men and horses, the number of acres covered in a 10-hour day, or the number of tons or loads handled in the same period of time, and the average length of the work day. If these data are in tons or loads, by knowing the capacity of the wagon, the rate of application, and the yield of crop, the acreage covered can be obtained. From these data the day's work per acre for man or horse can be determined.

1 See U. S. Department Bulletin No. 3, A Normal Day's Work for Various Farm Operations.

TABLE III.-Crews and duty of machinery in plowing and preparation of soil (average of 165 farms).

2 Spread by hand.

A plank drag is often used instead of a roller with the same duty per acre.

4 On the basis of 14 tons per acre.

Table III gives crews and duty of machinery as the average on 165 farms for plowing and preparation of seed bed for the principal crops of the region. By duty of machinery is meant the amount of work accomplished in a day. For example, one man with a 14-inch plow and two horses will plow on an average 1.8 acres of land. Dividing 1, or the number of men, by 1.8, the result will be 0.55, which means that it takes 0.55 of a 10-hour day, or 5.5 hours, for one man with a team to plow an acre. In the same way, dividing 2, or the number of horses, by 1.8, or the acreage plowed in one day, the result is 1.1, which means that it requires 1.1 days, or 11 horse-hours, to plow an acre. This is expressed in horse-days, or a fraction of a horse-day, rather than team-days, in order to have the figures on a uniform basis, as a crew may be made up of two or more horses. In the same manner, the day's labor per acre is given for the average length of day devoted to field work in that region, which is 9 hours per day, except in July during harvest, when full time is made.

In hauling manure with a crew of one man and two horses, or two men and two horses, a manure spreader was used. The second man in this case helped load and did not make full time, but the day was so broken that very little other work could be accomplished. In the case of a crew of three men with two horses, two wagons were used, one man loading and two men spreading by hand.

The figures for plowing include both sod and stubble, hence for sod the acreage plowed will be a little less and for stubble land slightly greater than the average. Very inconclusive data were obtained on the working of the 2-gang plow, as only a few are in

use.

It is quite possible also that the acreage plowed in July and August, when the ground is dry and compact, will be less than the figures given.

The average disk harrow has usually 12 disks in the single and 24 disks in the double acting harrow, from 14 to 16 inches in diameter, with a cutting surface about 8 feet wide. The spike-tooth harrow is usually 2 to 3 section, with a cutting surface of from 8 to 12 feet, and the spring tooth has a cutting surface of from 6 to 8 feet in width. The plank drag is usually made with three planks overlapping, and the man usually rides. Following a deep-working harrow the drag is an excellent tool for leveling and breaking clods. TABLE IV.—Crews and duty of machinery in cultivating and harvesting corn (average of 24 farms).

Table IV gives crews and duty of machinery as the average on 24 farms for planting, cultivating, and harvesting corn. Planting is usually done with a 2-row planter. The figures used do not include the drilling of fertilizer in the row at the time of planting, which consumes extra time, and allowance should be made in the acreage planted where fertilizer is applied. The figures for spike harrowing in this table are for harrowing after planting.

Field corn is usually checked 3 feet each way by most of these farmers, though a number of good corn growers are planting in drills. Silage corn is planted either in drills or in hills. No figures were obtained for hand planting, as the 2-row planter is universally used. Corn is cut and shocked by hand except where it is to be put in the

silo. "Horses" or "gallows" for supporting each shock, which are made by tying the tops of four hills, are often made a number of days before cutting, if there is any danger of the corn blowing over.

The figures for filling the silo are for a large crew that will keep a 16-inch cutter continuously running. Smaller crews often are used to advantage, however. Where a small crew is used, three men cut and load the corn without dropping it in bundles on the ground. Three teams are required. At any given time one will be loading, one unloading, and the third on the road. In unloading, the drivers hand directly to the feeder. No extra man need be employed where a gasoline engine is used. It will be of advantage to keep two men in the silo. Altogether the crew will consist of nine men and six horses, and the day's work per acre, when 21 acres are cut per day, will be 4 man-days and 2.66 horse-days. Four teams will be required for long hauls.

TABLE V.-Crews and duty of machinery in planting, cultivating, and harvesting potatoes (average of 33 farms).

Table V gives the crews and duty of machinery as the average on 33 farms for planting, cultivating, and harvesting potatoes. The potato planter is used by most of these farmers, but small areas are often planted by hand. These are of two types, the so-called picker machine, and the machine where a second man sits behind and regulates the dropping.

On small areas Paris green, mixed with plaster, is ordinarily used for beetles, but where 4 acres or more are planted, a liquid sprayer applies Paris green or arsenate of lead. A few farmers are spraying for blight.

Digging is done with a potato plow or other digging implement. One man can pick up in barrels or bags behind an elevator digger, on a field free from weeds yielding about 200 bushels per acre, about 100 bushels a day. Under Chester County conditions, however, and particularly after a potato-plow type of digger, 60 to 75 bushels is an average day's work. A few farmers sell immediately after digging, but the greater number store their potatoes and wait for a special market.

TABLE VI.-Crews and duty of machinery in seeding and harvesting oats (average of 19

farms).

1 All the farmers visited hire thrashing done at from 2 cents to 3 cents per bushel, furnishing fuel and board for the hands. Three to five men in addition are often furnished.

Table VI gives the crews and duty of machinery as the average on 19 farms for seeding and harvesting oats.1

TABLE VII.-Crews and duty of machinery in seeding and harvesting wheat (average of 33

farms).

1 Timothy can be seeded at the same time that the wheat is drilled, at no extra labor expense. All these farmers hire thrashing done at 4 to 5 cents per bushel, furnishing fuel and board for the hands. Three to five men in addition are often furnished.

Table VII gives the crews and duty of machinery as the average on 33 farms for seeding and harvesting wheat. In most cases the wheat is hauled to the barn and thrashed whenever it is convenient

1 Some of the farmers in this region who were visited expressed their opinion that oats were unprofitable and a number of farmers are substituting soy beans for this crop. However, as but few farmers are growing soy beans, the data obtained were insufficient to present as an average for this crop. The figures given for preparation of land will apply for soy beans. When the crop is planted in rows the acreage planted per day will be greater than for potatoes and less than for corn. The figures given for wheat will apply to soy beans when this crop is drilled broadcast. In harvesting for hay, labor requirements about equal those given for alfalfa.