30 



BULLETIN 814, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



COMPARISON OF ILLINOIS AND NEW YORK PRACTICES. 



A comparison of the sizes of implements and teams in most com- 

 mon use in Illinois with those in most common use in western New 

 York shows not only that larger teams and implements are in general 

 use in Illinois, but that even where the implements and teams are of 

 the same size one man in Illinois accomplishes more per day in nearlj'- 

 every operation than does one workman in New York. 



Data regarding their rate of doing farm work were obtained from 

 farmers of seven counties in western New York in 1915, and published 

 in United States Department of Agriculture Bulletin 412, " The Nor- 

 mal Day's Work of Farm Implements, Workmen, and Crews in 

 Western New York." With regard to the section where the data were 

 obtained the bulletin says: 



The farm land is somewhat rolling, but not to an extent to reduce appreciably 

 the average amount of work that can be done daily. Some of the heavier soils 

 of the Dunkirk series can not be plowed as rapidly as can the more loamy soils 

 of the Middle West. The presence of more or less stone throughout the section 

 also operates to reduce the amount of work than can be done daily with plows. 

 There are no local reasons why farm implements that are drawn over the land, 

 like mowers, binders, rakes, etc., should not perform as much work daily here 

 as anywhere. The horses used in western New York average 1,211 pounds in 

 weight. The average net day in the field in spring and summer work was found 

 to be 9 hours, and 38 minutes, and in haying and harvest it is 9 hours 

 and 49 minutes. 



PLOWING, HARROWING, AND DISKING. 



In Table XXXII are given figures for the most common sizes of 

 implements and teams used in plowing, harrowing and disking, .and 

 the rate of doing work with them in the western New York area, to- 

 gether with similar figures for McLean County, 111. 



The daily acreages for plows in the Illinois area are averages of 

 figures for spring and fall plowing from Table II to VI inclusive. 

 The acreages for western New York are averages of figures for plow- 

 ing on sod and plowing on stubble, as given in Bulletin 412. The 

 daily acreages for the disTs; harrow for both areas are averages of its 

 accomplishment on freshly plowed land and on well-packed land. 



Table XXXII. — Ploioing, harrowing, and disking. 



Implement. 



McLean County, 111. 



Most common 

 size. 



Number 

 ofhorses. 



Acres per 

 day. 



Western New York. 



Most 



common 



size. 



Number 

 ofhorses. 



Acres per 

 day. 



Walking plow 



Sulky plow 



Gang plow , 



Tractor plow 



Spike-tooth harrow. 

 Disk harrow 



l&-inch. 

 2S-inch. 

 42-lnch. 

 20-foot.. 

 8-foot... 



2.80 



4.85 



8.37 



40.60 



16.50 



12-inch.. 

 14-inch. . 



28-inch. . 

 8-foot.... 

 6-foot.... 



1.56 

 2.14 



I 4.50 

 13.00 

 9.00 



a From Farmers' Bulletin 1004, "The Gas Tractor in Eastern Farming.' 



