14 



N. H. Agricultural Experiment Station 



[Sta. Bull. 273 



$7.29 per acre under 1929 conditions as shown in Table 12. When oats 

 are omitted and seeding is done in corn the extra operation of seeding 

 added somewhat to the expense. Acre costs were .$8.33. The extra 

 labor seeding with an annual hay crop adds still more to the expense, 

 $8.67 per acre. The greatest cost, $10.46 per acre, is when the seeding 

 is done after the annual hay crop. The ton costs varied from $4.58 to 

 $7.60. 



Table 12. Material atid labor cost of seeding permanent hay by difcrent 



methods.^ 



Method of 

 seeding 



Cost 

 per acre 



Cost 

 per ton 



Number 

 of farms 



With oats grain 

 After corn' 

 With annual hay^ 

 After annual hav* 



^ This does not take into consideration the length of the hay rotation, 

 nor the advantages from better labor distribution. 

 ^ After corn, extra labor and some extra seed. 

 ^ With annual hay extra seed cost for annual hay. 

 * After annual hay, extra seed cost and extra labor cost in fitting. 



The annual hay crop, moreover, can be so adjusted and balanced to 

 the whole needs of the farm that seeding and harvesting can be kept 

 within the limits of the regular labor. In combination with the per- 

 manent hay crop it thus distributes labor through a longer harvest 

 period. 



Most labor is required in spring in preparation for the annual hay 

 crop, but this extra labor comes at a period and in such amounts as 

 not to interfere with the other farm work. The tendency is to extend 

 the labor on roughage and provide a better labor distribution. 



Annual hay also furnishes a means of reseeding those small irregu- 

 lar pieces that, because of size or shape or soil condition, cannot be 

 readily included in the regular corn-hay rotation. 



In the case of Hungarian and soybeans, seeding to permanent hay 

 is frequently more satisfactory if done after they have been harvested. 

 This requires more labor, but results are such that the extra labor seems 

 justified. (Table 13) 



Table 13. Fitting and seeding labor per acre and per ton with and after 



annual hay. 



When seeding is done after annual hay is cut, it requires 28.1 per cent, 

 more fitting and seeding labor per acre or 23.9 per cent, per ton. 



The saving in labor possible, 1.9 hours per acre, when the perma- 

 nent hay is seeded with the annual hay crop, is about balanced by the 



