26 New Hampshire Experiment Station [Bulletin 239 



In Coos County many farmers haul the entire crop to the car. 

 Seventy-six per cent, are sold from storage necessitating some 

 sorting at the farm. Practically all, however, are again sorted 

 over the rack at the car. In Grafton County grading is largely done 

 over mechanical graders and about half of the potatoes are sold 

 from the field. In Merrimack County sorting is done by hand be- 

 fore hauling to market, and 87 per cent, were sold from storage. 

 Rockingham County growers used graders and hauled some pota- 

 toes direct to the chip factory at Salem, leaving the small potatoes 

 in the field. But 56 per cent, were sold from storage. Belknap 

 County growers used graders and sorted some in the field, selling 

 57 per cent, from storage. Cheshire County growers did most of 

 their sorting in the field at digging time and disposed of 65 per cent, 

 from storage. Growers in Hillsboro County sorted in storage and 

 sold 66 per cent, from storage. Strafford County growers sorted 

 by hand, and sold 90 per cent, from storage. Hand sorting was 

 done in Sullivan County and 69 per cent, of the potatoes were held 

 for winter delivery. 



When potatoes are high in price it is sometimes desirable to 

 pick more closely than when potatoes are cheap. Some of the 

 seconds may be sold as table stock. The greater labor required, 

 however, would usually make it uneconomic to handle small pota- 

 toes in the field, in the cellar, and on the road to the car. This 

 would be particularly true in a low price year. This practice would 

 also result in a more uniform community product. 



Certified Seed 



Because of the limited number of farms raising seed in 1926 

 and 1927, no detailed analysis could be made. Labor costs in the 

 growing field were increased by two rogueings and extra care in all 

 tillage operations. Labor was increased by 21 per cent, on two 

 farms. At harvest time more care was exercised, and in grading 

 nearly a quarter of the crop was discarded, (i. e.) sold for table 

 stock, fed, or used for seed at home. 



On two farms rogueing by experienced operators was done at 

 the rate of 2 to 21/? acres a day. These farms required respec- 

 tively 176 and 168 hours of man labor per acre to grow and haul 

 to market 12.25 acres of potatoes as compared with 145.9 and 138.0 

 hours per acre for the average labor requirement of the two coun- 

 ties in which the farms were located. 



Seasonal Labor Distribution 



Daily labor records were kept by 12 growers. The distribution 

 of labor by 10 day periods is shown in Figure 2. The seasons requir- 

 ing large amounts of labor, planting and harvesting, are the critical 

 periods. By a study of certain of the records it is possible to de- 

 termine the organization of the potato enterprise under a variety 

 of conditions. 



As indicated in Figure 2 the two times at which labor is at a 



