114 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 275 



Silo-filling labor, although very efficient for the methods now in use, could 

 be reduced still further by using a corn binder. Judging from trials under 

 actual farm conditions in Connecticut in 1929, it should be possible to reduce 

 the labor of filling silo to a total of about 90 hours for the 9 acres instead 

 of 120 hours as at present. Table 16 shows the comparison between silo fill- 

 ing labor on tliis farm under present conditions and on the two Connecticut 

 farms. 



Table 16. — Comparison of Time Used in Filling Silo ox Farm C and 

 ON Two Connecticut Farms in 1929. 



Two Conn. 

 Farm C Farms* 



Man hours per acre 13.33 9.90 



Man hours per ton _ 1.25 0.97 



* Labor efficiency in producing corn silage. — Economic Dige.st, October 

 1929, Connecticut Agricultural College, Storrs, Conn. 



On the two Connecticut farms corn binders were used and the work was 

 planned to take advantage of the bundles. These could be loaded and un- 

 loaded much more quickly and easily than loose corn. 



Although the work is now planned to get silo filling completed before api)le 

 harvest, the additional time saved by the corn binder might be well employed 

 in preparation for this peak labor load. The actual decision as to the pur- 

 chase of any of these machines should be based not only upon the value of 

 alternative uses for the time saved, but also upon whatever value may be 

 placed on the reduction of fatigue. There is no doubt that the work would 

 be much less irksome and disasireeable with the machinerv. 



Labor Onianization at Apple PickttKj Time 



More extra hired labor is taken on at a})ple harvest than at any other time. 

 This is the liighest peak load of labor in the entire year and lasts about a 

 month. It would be worth while to study the entire organization of work for 

 .this period to see if economies cannot be realized. This is especially important 

 becau.se the orchard is not yet in full bearing and the labor will increase con- 

 siderably for sonie years to come. Every hour of tune saved at this season 

 means so much less expense for hired iielj:). 



CONCLUSION 



General rccomniendatioiis for adjusting certain lines of agricultural jiro- 

 duction or adopting certain farm practices are sometunes made. Such rec- 

 ommendations frequently overlook the wide dififerences in farm organization 

 and in farmers' capacity and efficiency that are always found even in the same 

 locality. Some farmers may be so situated that they may profitably follow a 

 plan directly contrary to that wliich is best for others. 



As opposed to accepting such blanket recommendations at their face value, 

 the analvsis of the three farms in this study leads to the conclusion that farm 



