The Bulletin. 63 



average work animal would have 23.4 acres to care for. Under the condi- 

 tions and practices prevailing in 1909 these farms had only 24.92 acres each 

 devoted to crops. This means that the average work animal cared for 15.1 

 acres of land. Should the farmers expect more than this from one horse? 

 Can they get more than this amount of productive work from each horso 

 kept? These are points to be considered. 



The crop system followed on the average of these farms called for 10.14 

 acres in corn and 2.87 acres in cotton; by adding .99 of an acre for miscel- 

 laneous spring planted crops to the above, there would be 14 acres of land 

 per farm requiring breaking and preparing for spring planting. If this 

 breaking is done with one-horse plows it should require from 16 to 20 

 days for one horse. All the harrowing given should not require more than 

 four days. Laying off rows and putting down fertilizers should not take 

 more than six days work for one horse. Six days again for bedding and 

 planting brings the horse work on the 14 acres up to 36 days at the time the 

 last seed goes into the ground. The time required to cultivate these crops 

 should not exceed five days for one horse each time they are gone over. If 

 they are worked five times in the course of the spring and summer a maxi- 

 mum of 25 days for a horse will be required after the crops are planted and 

 by the time they are laid by. A liberal allowance at harvest and market 

 time should call for not to exceed 10 days of horse work. Thus in making 

 14 acres of cultivated crops as grown per farm in 1909 may possibly demand 

 71 days of work for one horse. 



This farm, though, has 7.1 acres in wheat, 2.2 in oats and 2.6 acres in hay; 

 or a fraction less than 12 acres in all these crops. Pall preparation and 

 planting is called for in case of the wheat and better yields may be expected 

 from fall planted, oats. These two crops occupy 9.3 acres. Allowing 20 days 

 for one horse on wheat and oats and 9 days on the 2.6 acres in hay, we 

 get a total of 100 days of horse work actually required in taking care of all 

 the crop work on the average of these farms. 



The farm has 1.65 work animals to do 100 days work per year. This 

 means that the average work animal (horse or mule) does only 60 days of 

 farm M'ork per year. Is it reasonable to expect more than this from him? 

 Will it pay his owner to exact more days work and more acres cultivated for 

 each horse or mule? 



Fortunately we have records on a number of farms in the Piedmont sec- 

 tion of North Carolina which throw some light on this point. Let us look 

 to one of these farms. On this farm we find 288 acres of crops grown; corn 

 100 acres; cotton 75; wheat 50, hay and miscellaneous crops making up the 

 rest. Ten head of work stock taking care of all this, or an average of 28.8 

 acres for each horse or mule on the place. After every expense, including 

 interest on the investment, is paid, this farm shows a clear profit of $2,900, or 

 $290 00 profit for each head of work stock used. Other farms, some much 

 smaller, show proportionately as good results. 



It is reasonable to expect more than 60 days work from each horse or 

 mule kept on the farm in the Piedmont section of North Carolina as well as 

 other southern states. It should pay the farmer to exact more days of 

 productive work from the work stock, and thereby make a greater quantity 

 of valuable crops. 



The farm should be organized to allow each head of work stock to care 

 for a minimum of 23 acres of land in crops of commercial value. Such a 

 system should call for not less than 100 days wor\ per year from each head 

 of work stock kept. In all probability the farm would be more profitable if 

 150 days of work at productive enterprises could be exacted from each 

 horse. The South may not be ready for such a system at the present, but 

 her farmers should begin to plan for it and gradually grow to it. 



'Doubtless it is more difBcult to organize a small farm on the better basis 

 than a large one. It is not easy to get more than 75 days of work annually 

 for a horse at profitable enterprises on farms as now organized and grow 



