﻿6 BULLETIN 3, XJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



and principles not generally available and often not recognized by 

 those giving the basic information can be deduced from records 

 obtained from farmers. All of the subsequent tables in this bulletin 

 were obtained by taking advantage of this principle. A circular of 

 inquiry covering practically all of the operations of farming was mailed 

 to 25,000 selected farmers distributed throughout every State and 

 Territory. The form was so prepared that every controlling condition 

 affecting any operation, such as the working size of the implement, 

 width, depth, power used, bulk handled, etc., was given blank space 

 to be filled in by each farmer according to his practice and the local 

 conditions with which he was familiar. The answers, therefore, 

 as a whole represented the best judgment in the light of long experi- 

 ence of those who cooperated by sending in replies. Incidentally, 

 since the method permitted each correspondent to record his own 

 local practice, much supplemental information relating to farm equip- 

 ment and farm management not contemplated by the inquiry was 

 furnished. These features are discussed in connection with the respec- 

 tive tables. The figures represent averages of general conditions 

 in the United States. No attempt has been made to classify the 

 material according to geographic divisions. It is fully realized as 

 regards certain farm operations that the averages of the farmers' 

 estimates from the several agricultural regions are not strictly appli- 

 cable to any particular district. When sufficient data are obtained 

 from each distinct region, complete tables will be compiled that will 

 take into account differences existing in the time requirements for 

 the several farm operations. 



On account of certain conditions affecting the method by which 

 the data in the following tables were obtained, it is believed that 

 many of the averages are too high. While an equal number of inquir- 

 ies were sent to each State in the Union, the majority of the replies 

 came from the North-Central States, where climate, topography, and 

 short seasons tend relatively to increase the daily duty for farm 

 workmen beyond the average. Again, in making estimates of this 

 character, the human tendency to recall only the exceptionally large 

 day's work rather than the unnoticed normal, or average, would also 

 operate to raise the figures. A third influence tending to raise the 

 estimates would be the natural desire of the correspondent to report 

 a generous amount of work as within his own capacity. Still a fourth 

 influence would be the desire to set high standards for hired help. 

 On account of these biased influences, which are all one sided, it was 

 deemed advisable in presenting the original data of the tables to 

 also include adjustments representing considerable reductions from 

 the reported averages, since for the practical purposes to which these 

 tables will be put it is wiser to use factors which are too low than to 

 make farm plans with factors that are too high. Reductions from 



