FACTORS AFFECTING RETURNS FROM POTATOES 



81 



Figure 6. Average Hours of Man Labor 



Used for Planting by Hand and by 



Machine. 



Hours 



15 



plowed twice. AVith a tractor it took from 1.4 hours to 3.8 hours to plow rh 

 acre. 



Stone picking was reported on only one farna in Granby. This freedom 

 from stones is an important natural advantage. 



The usual preparation of the land after plowing in Granby consisted in 

 double disk harrowing once or twice and smoothing once with a two section 

 spike-tooth harrow. Those farmers who owned tractors used the double action 

 disk harrow. The smoothing harrow was usually horse-drawn. 



- About half the growers in Granby treated their seed with corrosive sublimate 

 in 1926. The time used is included with cutting in Table 3. Time for cutting 

 varied with the method used and the kind of seed. Some of the No. 2's were 

 cut only once if at all. 



Out of fourteen farms studied in 

 Granby, five used a one-man planter, 

 eight used a two-man, and one plant- 

 ed by hand. Figure 6 shows the aver- 

 age time used in all areas for plant- 

 ing by different methods. > Whether 

 the two-man planter is enough more 

 accurate to warrant the use of an- 

 other man is a matter which each 

 farmer must determine for himself. 

 The saving in man hours as shown 

 in these records was from 1 hour to 

 5 hours per acre. When the one- 

 man planter is carefully operated 

 and the seed evenly cut there are few 

 skips; but when it is not, or when 

 the seed is uneven, there may be 

 many. 



Time spent in spreading addition- 

 al fertilizer is not included under 

 planting. Half the farmers applied 

 additional fertilizer a week or ten 

 days after planting. 

 Operations After Planting. 



On all but four of the farms, the potatoes were rolled once after planting 

 and gone over with the weeder once or twice before cultivating. The most 

 common number of cultivations was six, although the range was from four 

 to twelve. 



Both one and two-horse cultivators were used, frequently on the same farm. 

 The two-horse cultivators were generally riding cultivators. More cultivating 

 was done with the two-horse than the one-horse machines. The last cultiva- 

 tion was commonly shallow without much hilling. 



The number of times sprayed varied from none to 6. One farmer used a 

 hand duster and another employed a 100-gallon sprayer. The usual type ©f 

 sprayer, however, was a 50-gallon traction sprayer. 



10 



Hand Machine 



