REQUIREMENTS OF FIELD CROPS. 25 



BEANS. 



The acreage of beans represented in Table 15 is as follows: New 

 York, 540; Michigan, 462; Wisconsin, 349; California (irrigated), 

 805; California (dry), 1,433; Colorado (irrigated), 853; Colorado 

 (dry), 860; New Mexico (dry), 1,850; Idaho (dry), 864— total, 8,016 

 acres. These records pertain to the crop year 19 17. 1 



In all sections except Ventura County, Calif., the farmer, with the 

 assistance of his hired help, performed all the labor involved in 

 growing field beans. In the latter area, however, thrashing was 

 done at a contract rate per hundred pounds. Since the farm labor 

 had no part in doing the thrashing on these farms, it was impossible 

 to report the time required for this work in terms of man hours and 

 horse hours. 



In the eastern areas, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin, the 

 operations entering into the production of field beans were very 

 similar. The one outstanding difference was in the method of 

 harvesting in Wisconsin. In that State beans are thrashed from 

 the stack in the field, while in New York and Michigan they are 

 thrashed in the barn. Of the three States visited the labor required 

 for seed-bed preparation was lowest in Wisconsin, where the light 

 soil type was the factor mainly influencing the labor required in 

 seed-bed preparation. In New York and Michigan the land was 

 spring-tooth-harrowed 3.7 times and 2.9 times, respectively. 



The labor requirements in irrigated bean areas such as Stanislaus 

 County, Calif., and Weld County, Colo., differ somewhat from those 

 in dry-land areas. Naturally more labor is required on farms where 

 water is applied artificially than on farms which depend upon the 

 annual rainfall. Of all the regions visited, the labor requirements 

 in the lima bean areas of Ventura County, Calif., were the greatest. 

 Here considerable work was done in an attempt to eradicate morning 

 glory, which is a serious weed pest in this region. 



No manure was applied to the bean crop in the dry land areas of 

 New Mexico and Colorado or to the bean areas of Ventura County, 

 Calif., or to the dry-land beans of Idaho. Twenty-six per cent of 

 the total bean land of New York, 22 per cent of the bean acreage 

 represented in Wisconsin, 12 per cent of the irrigated bean land of 

 Colorado, and 4 per cent of the irrigated bean land in California 

 received applications of farmyard manure. New York, Michigan, 

 and Wisconsin were the only regions which used commercial fertilizer. 



The seed requirements varied considerably in different districts. 

 The principal factors which governed the quantity of seed used are 

 the number of seed per pound, the width of row, and the moisture 

 available. 



1 The data Tor TaDle 15 are ta"ken from an unpublished report prepared by R. S. Washburn, on file in 

 the Office of Farm Management and Farm Economics. 



60765°— 21— Bull. 1000 4 



