8 BULLETIN 528, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



AVAILABLE TIME FOR FIELD OPERATIONS. 



In order to determine whether it is possible to carry out a proposed 

 cropping system with a certain amount of man or horse labor, it is 

 necessary to know the approximate number of days available for 

 field work and the average length of the workday. This is given in 

 Table I on a monthly basis. 



Table 1. — Available days for field work and hours in workday. 



Data. 



Jan. 



Feb. 



Mar. 



Apr. 



May. 



June. 



July. 



Aug. 



Sept. 



Oct. 



Nov. 



Dec. 





3 



7 



3 



10 



8 



16 

 9 



19 

 9 



21 

 9 



22 

 10 



22 

 9 



21 

 9 



17 

 9 



14 



8 



6 





8 







These figures were the averages of 195 farmers' estimates. The 

 farmer was asked to give the average number of days actually available 

 for field work each month, after deducting Sundays, rainy days, and 

 days when the condition of the soil would prevent field operations. 

 Plowing is sometimes done in December and March, but the figures in 

 those months include also the time spent in hauling manure. An 

 average of three days each for January and February also represents 

 time spent in the same work. 



Table II. — Number of days (exclusive of rainy days and Sundays) available for the several 



field operations. 



Operation. 



Corn. 



Oats. 



Potatoes. 



Wheat. 



Timothy 



and 

 clover. 



Alfalfa. 





Days. 

 30 

 21 

 31 



Days. 

 15 



Days. 

 16 

 29 



Days. 

 32 



Days. 

 2 59 



Days. 

 25 









i 15 



15 



UO 



16 



8 









i This does not include thrashing which is hired done. 



s Includes seeding clover and timothy in August, or timothy alone with wheat, 

 is seeded Apr. 1 to 18 following. 



In the latter case clover 



Table II gives the average number of days that labor can be per- 

 formed in the field after deducting Sundays, rainy days, and days when 

 the soil is unfit to cultivate, and the period of seeding, cultivating 

 and harvesting of six of the principal crops in this region. 



The application of these data will be made when it is necessary to 

 determine whether it is possible to prepare the field, plant, cultivate, 

 or harvest certain acreages of crops with a given field force. The 

 preparation for corn, oats, and potatoes to a certain extent overlaps, 

 and the farmer not infrequently plans for a greater acreage than can 

 be planted within the limits of successful crop production. Moreover, 

 in the case of a late spring, it is important to figure on the extra labor 

 necessary to carry out the cropping plan or else reduce the acreage of 

 these crops within the limits of the regular farm labor. 



