SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FARM LABOR. 5 



ever, if alfalfa becomes a prominent hay crop, this may have a marked 

 effect on the cropping systems. 



The production of corn, wheat, and hay combined with live stock — 

 generally dairy cattle — brings the most uniformly profitable returns 

 to the Chester County farmer. Beef cattle are found only on a few 

 of the larger farms. 



The rotation generally practiced by all farmers, as well as as those 

 visited, is as follows: 



1. Corn planted on timothy sod, usually harvested for grain, but sometimes for 

 silage. 



2. Corn for silage, potatoes, oats, or soy beans. 



3. Wheat. 



4. Clover and timothy for hay. 



5. Timothy for hay, one or two years. 



There is practically no change in the order of succession of these 

 crops, and all variations usually come the second year after breaking 

 the sod. 



VARIATIONS IN METHOD. 



Manure is generally applied for corn, potatoes, alfalfa, and often as 

 a top dressing on mowing land and pasture. It is seldom applied for 

 wheat or oats. About 50 to 60 per cent of the 165 farmers from 

 whom labor records were obtained haul out manure only in the spring 

 and fall, 5 to 10 per cent do so daily, and the remainder weekly. 

 There is little difficulty, however, in finding a place to spread manure 

 profitably at any season of the year. 



The greater number of these farmers plow in the spring, though 

 considerable areas of sod are often fall plowed. Except on steep 

 slopes, which are apt to wash badly, fall plowing of sod is of advantage 

 because it will facilitate spring work. 



There is more or less variation even among the best farmers in the 

 preparation for seeding. It is their universal practice, however, to 

 roll or plank-drag a field immediately after plowing, to compact the 

 soil, level, and give a surface better fitted for the action of the harrow 

 which follows. The majority of these farmers use a disk harrow, 

 working it one or more times for each crop, which is usually followed 

 by a spike- tooth smoothing or a spring- tooth harrow, finishing the 

 preparation with a roller or plank-drag. Until recently the spring- 

 tooth harrow was generally used on these farms, but this is being 

 replaced by the disk harrow. A large number of these successful 

 farmers, however, entirely prepare for seeding with a spring-tooth 

 harrow and a plank-drag. The spike-tooth harrow is not in as gen- 

 eral use here as in some other regions, and is used largely in surface 

 finishing preparatory to seeding and for harrowing corn or potatoes 

 just preceding cultivation. The weeder is little used, its place being 

 taken by the spike-tooth harrow. 



