FIELD CROPS. 135 



Labor cost of producing corn in Ohio, L. H. Goddard and W. L. Elser (Ohio 

 Sta. Bui. 266 {JOl.r,, pi). 8o-J2-',, figs. ^//).— The work reported in this bulletia 

 was carrie<l on in cooperation with the Ollice of Farm Management of this De- 

 partment, and consists of data compiled from a survey comprising nearly 200 

 fields, with a total of more than 2,000 acres, representing 23 counties of the 

 State. 



The rate of wages paid farm laborers ranged from S3 cts. to $1.55 per day 

 with board, and from $10.28 to $25.42 per month with board. The total cost of 

 labor required for producing corn that yields an average of 36.57 bu. per acre 

 is given as 33.7 cts., and for that yielding an average of 74.85 bu. per acre as 

 28.8 cts. per bu. 



" The labor cost is the largest single item in the total cost of producing com. 

 From the fields under consideration it is found that the total labor required is 

 48.18 man hours and 55.44 horse hours, or, at 16 cts. per hour for man and 8 cts. 

 per hour for horse labor, the cost is $12.14 per acre. Replies from 34 Ohio 

 municipalities having an average population of 5,831 show the average wage 

 per hour for common laborers to be approximately 19 cts., for the common 

 laborer with team 44 cts. Wlien figured at these rates the labor cost per acre 

 of producing corn for the State is $10.08. . . . 



" In many cases the crop jield is not sufficient to pa}^ for the single item of 

 jabor I'equired to produce it unless the labor is figured at an extremely low 

 rate. Within certain limits, at least, tlie labor cost per acre is less on large 

 fields than on small ones. The man labor per acre of replanting, which is still 

 a common custom, is more than is required to make the first planting by ma- 

 chine. A large amount of hand labor, especially in cultivating, is done on the 

 corn crop. It would seem that much of this could well be avoided. The labor 

 cost of harvesting is more than one-third the total labor cost. An appreciable 

 amount of labor is therefore saved when the crop is harvested by live stock 

 in the field." 



Data are also included as to the cost of various methods of harvesting the 

 crops and the relative amount of labor expended in growing it on fields of 

 various shapes and sizes. 



Improving cotton by seed selection on the farm, R. Y. Winters (North 

 Carolina Sta. Circ. 21 (1914), pp. 6, figs. 5). — This circular gives detailed direc- 

 tions for improving cotton in North Carolina by the plant-to-row method of 

 selection. 



Flax cropping, harvesting methods, H. L. Bolley and M. L. Wilson (North 

 Dakota Sta. Circ. 1 (1914), pp. 32, figs. 43; Montana Sta. Circ. 40 (1914), PP- 

 17-48, figs. 43). — This continues discussions previously noted (E. S. R., 29, p. 

 034). and is published jointly and simultaneously by these stations. It relates 

 to saving the crop, and discusses good seed, weed pests, diseases, weather 

 and soil conditions that influence the ripening of flax, the state laboratory, 

 preparing and harvesting the seed plat, when to cut for seed, harvesting the 

 general crop, short irregular flax, stacking headed flax, threshing, storage, 

 handling, shipping, flax straw and its uses, and feeding green or frosted flax. 



It is noted that " it is a fundamental feature of flax cropping that seed, 

 to be of good strength and reasonably free from the diseases which are 

 destructive to the crop, must be harvested and saved dry." 



" When properly handled in proper rotation, flax can be grown successfully 

 on old lands. Flax is a valuable crop to complete a rotation for small grains. 

 Therefore it should be a part of farm policy in this region to take all of the 

 steps necessary to establish the flax crop in the new but rapidly developing 

 system of diversified farming." 



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