82 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 240 



Han>esfinff. 



Harvesting included digging, picking up, and drawing from the field. 

 Practically no sorting or grading was done in 1926. The time varied from 

 14.2 man hours per acre to 66.6 hours. The minimum amount is explained by 

 the very low yield of 100 bushels per acre. The yield on the high labor farm 

 was exceeded by only one other farm, the harvest was somewhat prolonged, 

 and the potatoes were dug by hand. All other farms used a digger. 



The chief causes of variation in digging time were probably the length of 

 time over which the digging extended and the kind of labor used at harvest. 

 Less time was used when the potatoes were all dug in a short period. Some 

 growers exchanged labor and were able to save time by thus using a larger 

 crew. 



Figure 7. Distribution of Man Labor per Acre 



by Half-Months for 6 Acres of Greeu Mountains on 



Farm 21 in Granby, 1926. 



Hears 



Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May Jun. Jul. Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec. 



Much manure hauling comes in the winter months in Granby. Planting is done about 

 May 15. Harvest runs from September 15 to October 15. 



Seasonal Distribution. 



Figure 7 shows the seasonal distribution of man labor on farm 21. This 

 is a rather typical distribution in the Granby area. The labor in February 

 represents manure hauling. The other labor before harvest is spread rather 

 uniformly through May, June, and July. It conflicts to some extent with 

 work on corn and hay during this period. The harvest on farm 21 was begun 

 about the middle of September and spread over a month. For those in 

 Granby who grow Cobblers, the harvest begins in August. 



Materials Used. 



The amounts of seed, fertilizer, and manure used per acre in all areas are 



