1916] 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



691 



many instances the subject of water supply is closely associated with the drain- 

 age problem, and the author has therefore deemed it advisable in several in- 

 stances to go somewhat into the general subject of water supply. This is espe- 

 cially true of country plumbing systems and of the systems of large city build- 

 ings." 



Sewage disposal for country homes, F. M. White and E. G. Hastings {Wis. 

 Col. Afff. Ext. Serv. Circ. 60 {1916), pp. 15, figs. i2).— This is a popular illus- 

 trated discussion of the subject. See also a previous publication from the 

 Wisconsin Station by Ocock and Wright (E. S. R., 28, p. 86). 



RURAL ECONOMICS. 



Labor requirements of crop production, T. P. Cooper, F. W. Peck, and A. 

 Boss {Minnesota Sta. Bui. 151 {1916), pp. 55, figs. 2).— In 1902, cost-of -pro- 

 duction studies were started in three counties in Minnesota. Cost data were 

 gathered by personal visits to farms, and 15 farms were selected in each locality 

 which were visited daily by an agent to obtain labor records and weight of feeds 

 and dairy products. These data were collected yearly since that date for 10 

 years, although the number of farms was reduced to 8 in each locality. As a 

 result of the studies, data were obtained as to the average annual hours of 

 labor required per acre in producing various field crops, as follows : 



Average annual hours of labor per acre required in producing field crops, 



1902-1912. 



Kind of crop. 



North field, 



Rice 



County. 



Man. Horse. Man. Horse, 



Marshall, 



Lyon 

 County. 



Halstad , 

 Norman 

 County. 



Man. Horse. 



Average, all 

 farms. 



Man. Horse 



Wheat, shock-threshed 



Oats, snock-threshed 



Barley, shock-threshed 



Fall rye, shock-threshed 



Flax, stack-threshed 



Com, husked 



Fodder com, cut, shocked, and stacked. 



Silage 



Hay, timothy and clover, first crop 



Hay, timothy and clover, two cuttings.. 



Hay, wild 



Timothy, cut for seed 



Clover, cut for seed 



Hay, millet 



Hemp 



En. 



14.5 

 14.7 

 14.8 



Hrs. 

 28.0 

 28.2 

 27.9 



15.0 



30.1 

 33.7 

 33.7 

 12.7 

 21.3 

 9.1 



31.0 

 53.6 

 54.1 

 56.0 

 11.8 

 20.3 

 10.0 



10.1 

 18.5 

 14.3 



11.3 

 36.3 

 27.4 



Hts. 

 12.2 

 12.2 

 13.3 

 10.2 

 15.6 

 22.6 

 25.0 



Hrs. 



29.4 

 30.0 

 31.4 

 27.0 

 40.2 

 51.6 

 51.0 



11.0 

 15.6 

 11.2 

 6.0 

 8.1 

 16.9 



13.4 

 23.0 

 13.5 



8.5 

 13.6 

 39.1 



Hts. 

 10.8 

 11.7 

 11.9 

 10.4 

 12.9 

 30.9 

 33.1 

 31.5 

 12.6 



Hts. 



28.2 

 29.6 

 29.5 

 27.5 

 32.6 

 57.6 

 52.8 

 63.5 

 13.8 



13.5 

 4.4 



20.7 

 6.1 



17.3 



39.5 



Hts. 

 12.3 

 13.5 

 12.8 

 10.3 

 13.7 

 26.2 

 30.4 

 32.6 

 12.3 

 20.7 

 12.2 

 5.1 

 9.2 

 17.3 

 14.3 



Hts. 

 29.9 



28.9 

 29.9 

 27.2 

 33.8 

 54.2 

 52.6 

 59.8 

 13.0 

 21.5 

 16.9 

 7.1 

 12.3 

 39.1 

 27.4 



In commenting upon the amount of labor required, the authors make the 

 following statement : 



" Increased productivity per laborer may be obtained either by extending the 

 farm operations or by increasing the yields per acre. The extensive type of 

 agriculture is based on the distribution of a man's labor over the greatest possi- 

 ble crop acreage, thus obtaining large productivity per labor unit. It is typified 

 by the use of large-capacity machinery and of mechanical power such as steam 

 or gasoline. In this type of agriculture each man performs a maximum of 

 service through the aid of equipment ; that is, of capital invested in equip- 

 ment. . . . 



" The gross returns from each unit of labor used in crop-production may in- 

 crease to the point of maximum yields. . . . Additional labor should be utilized 



