BULLETIN 917, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



the crops grown by individuals, somewhat greater individual range 

 in seasonal distribution of crop labor is shown than would be found 

 in an area where only one important staple crop is produced. For 

 example, one man in this region may have a large portion of his 

 farm devoted to sugar beets, which require much labor during the 



harvest season in 

 October and Novem- 

 ber, while a neighbor 

 may grow wheat on 

 most of his farm area 

 and have very little 

 crop labor in these 

 two autumn months, 

 which period covers 

 the sugar-beet har- 

 vest season. Another 

 may divide his crop 

 acreage between nu- 

 merous crops, so as to be busy during the entire growing season and 

 at the same time not have the peak load of the labor in growing a 

 given crop conflict with the peak load of labor for another crop. 

 Still another may plant two crops that conflict or need attention at 

 the same season. If a farmer plants part of his acreage to potatoes 

 and part of it to sugar beets, he will not be able to handle so large 

 an acreage of either 



MAN HOURS 



MONTH 



HORSE HOURS 



8 <, 



y 



) 



<V 8 







1 



JAN. 

 FEB. 

 MAR 

 APR. 

 MAY 

 JUNE 

 JULY 

 AUG. 

 SEPT. 

 OCT 

 NOV. 

 DEC. 



■ 









































Fig. 6. -Labor distribution by months in growing alfalfa in the Greeley 

 district of Colorado. 



MAN HOURS 



HORSE HOURS 



JAN 

 PEB. 

 MAR 

 APR 

 MAY 



JUNE. 



JULY 

 AUG 



SEPT. 

 OCT. 

 NOV 

 DEC 



crop with a given 

 equipment of men, 

 horses, and machin- 

 ery as if he planted 

 but one of these 

 crops, for the irriga- 

 tion and harvest 

 dates for potatoes 

 and sugar beets in 

 these districts are 

 almost identical. 

 One variation in 

 such a combination of crops is very common. On a farm where both 

 potatoes and sugar beets are grown, the harvest season for sugar 

 beets begins at a later date than on farms growing no potatoes. This 

 is due to the fact that freezing damages potatoes more than it does 

 sugar beets. 



USE OF THE DIAGRAMS. 



By the use of the accompanying diagrams and with a fair working 

 knowledge of some of the essential agronomic practices and average 

 weather conditions, the grower should be able to plan the acreage of 



Fig. 7. — Labor distribution by months in growing cantaloupes in the 

 Rocky Ford district of Colorado. 



