GROWING SUGAR BEETS IN MICHIGAN AND OHIO. 



15 



The disk harrow was not used to so great an extent in the Alma and 

 Grand Rapids districts. In these two areas the work of pulverizing 

 the soil was done largely by means of the spring-tooth harrow. 



Disking in all districts was done early in April. Few double-action 

 disks were recorded in any section except northwestern Ohio, where 

 23 were found. This type has two sets of disks, one in front of the 

 other, and is so adjusted that the front set throws the dirt out while 

 the rear set throws it in, leaving the ground practically level. Be- 

 cause of the double row of disks the land is disked twice each time 

 that the ground is gone over. 



A crew of 1 man and 4 horses was used with the double-action disk. 

 A 1-man and 3-horse crew was typical for the single-action disk. 

 However, a 1-man and 2-horse crew was reported on several farms. 

 The width of the implement varied from 5 to 8 feet. The average 

 width for all districts was about 6 feet. 



The average cost per acre was fairly uniform, with the exception 

 of the Grand Rapids area, where the cost was slightly higher than 

 that of the other districts (Table VI) . 



Table VI. — Disking. 



District. 



Per 



cent 



of all 



records. 



Acres in beets per 

 farm. 



Times 

 disked. 



Hours of labor per 

 acre. 



Total. 



Disked. 



Man. 



Horse. 



56 

 38 

 28 

 68 



16. 50 

 10.55 

 8.58 

 15.35 



15. 70 



10.32 

 8.48 

 14.68 



2.85 

 1.88 

 2.60 

 2.39 



3.48 

 2.18 

 3.50 

 2.45 



8.88 



5.64 



12.21 



7.71 



Labor 



cost per 



acre. 



Caro 



vWma 



Grand Rapids 



Northwestern Ohio 



$1.51 

 1.00 

 1.92 

 1.26 



DRAGGING. 



The principal object to be attained in the use of a planker or drag 

 is to break up surface lumps. This is a homemade implement con- 

 structed from planks which are lapped one upon the other forming 

 a ridged undersurface. When this surface comes in contact with the 

 soil it creates a grinding, pulverizing action which smooths and 

 slightly compacts the soil and fills in depressions. The records indi- 

 cate that it was used principally just ahead of the drill. The width 

 varied from 6 to 10 feet, with an average width of approximately 8 

 feet. It is a common practice to place a piece of railroad iron or 

 other heavy weight on the float. Sometimes the operator rides to 

 give it additional weight. 



A typical crew for this operation consisted of one man and two 

 horses. Eighty-one per cent of the farmers used a crew of this size, 

 16 per cent used a 1-man and 3-horse crew, and 3 per cent a 1-man 

 and 4-horse crew. The average cost per acre for one operation was 



