March, 1928] 



AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS 1927 



21 



THE COST OF PRODUCING POTATOES 



Great variations in the labor cost of producing potatoes in New Hamp- 

 shire are indicated in the figures for the first year in this stud}^ conducted 

 by M. F. Abell. 



Growers handUng over eleven acres, for example, were found raising the 

 crop up to market time at a labor cost of 71.6 hours per acre, whereas 

 producers with less than three acres in the same section of the state 

 required 131 hours. 



Similar variations were found in comparing farmers who used machines 

 for planting and digging with those who performed these operations by hand. 



During the fall of 1926 survey 

 records to determine costs and methods 

 of raising potatoes in New Hampshire 

 were obtained on 191 farms. So far 

 as possible, all farms in the state raising 

 two acres or more were included. 



The labor required to care for the 



crop as well as the material used and 



all miscellaneous costs indicated an 



V->%K>^'^'' ^ ,^-'*V^*^'' average cost of $164.85 per acre. The 



L^a^^T^*" " '"'i.r^^j " actual labor rate on each farm was 



p tj^^K^' -IliBH^ hrT used to compute labor costs. This 



figure averaged 40 cents. Horse labor 

 was charged at half this amount. The 

 use of machinery was put at 7 cents 

 per hour, except tractor and truck. 



Labor requirements varied little in 

 the different sections of the state. 

 Greater differences occurred within 

 the same potato growing section be- 

 cause of variations in area grown. 



On the smaller areas most of the 

 work was done by hand, and on the 

 larger areas by machinery. In Coos 

 County, where machinery was in- 

 variably used in planting and care, digging was quite largely done by hand. 

 Of the group of 64 farms in that county but 10 had diggers. These dug 

 potatoes with a labor cost of 46.8 man hours per acre, while those digging 

 by hand required 62.9 hours. The total human labor cost, where hand 

 methods were employed, averaged 125 hours, 138 hours, and 130 hours in 

 southeastern, central and northern New Hampshire respectively. Where 

 machine methods were used, the averages ran 84 hours, 89 hours and 100 

 hours respectively. 



The opportunity to save labor by using machinery is greatest in the 

 planting and digging operations. These savings are most apparent on the 

 larger areas, where the machines may be used economically. 



The northern area is using markedly less good seed and spraying less 

 frequently. The difference in yield of 40 bushels per acre when the crop 

 is sprayed three times or more, even considering that the number of times 

 sprayed is not a true measure of thoroughness, indicates the value of the 

 practice. 



macuuic 



Potatu .sMulii'.s allow thai 

 work is badly needed to reduce cost of 

 production on many New Hampshire 

 farms. 



