44 



N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station [Bulletin 257 



Horse and Tractor Labor 



Culture and spraying: are the only operations prior to harvest that 

 make any considerable demand on power. Since the spraying comes 

 at very brief periods in the spring, there is no conflict in horse re- 

 quirements for the sod orchard. On most orchards, a team is re- 

 quired for spraying anyway, and the same horses can easily take care 

 of mowing. Since in these orchards the proportion cultivated is 

 small, no difficulty was encountered. If the whole orcliard were tilled, 

 the early spring tillage together with spraying and brush hauling 

 would constitute a serious peak demand for power. 



A little foresight and ingenuity have provided convenient sources of water 

 in this orchard. The tank is quickly filled while the nien measure out the 



spray material. 



The cultivation, mowing and nnilching represented over 36 per cent, 

 of the total hoi-se hours prior to harvest. 



On the acre basis, an average of 6.2 hours horse labor. .22 hours 

 tractor labor and .07 hours truck labor were employed per year (Table 

 12). With due allowances for substitution of tractor for horses, the 

 farms cultivating a considerable poi-tion of the oi'chard wei-e greatly 

 above the average, and those not cultivating were below the average. 



At assumed rates per hour for man, horse and tractor, the approxi- 

 mate cost of soil management is shown in Table 14. These costs 

 should be conceived of in a relative way as a rough method of reduc- 

 ing man, horse and tractor labor to conuuon tei'uis. On some farms 



