^-"-" SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FARM LABOR. 9 



PERIOD OF PERFORMING FIELD OPERATIONS. 



There is a considerable variation in the length of season for doing 

 various farm operations, according to the 165 labor records, yet the 

 average of these data obtained and charted is not far from the actual 

 period in which most of the farmers perform these operations; at 

 least it is sufficiently accurate to use as a guide in planning the cropping 

 system. Figure 1 gives the period of performance of the various farm 

 operations for corn, potatoes, oats, wheat, clover and timothy, and 

 alfalfa. 



SUCCESSION OF OPERATIONS. 



Before any plan can be worked out showing the labor requirements 

 and the general distribution of labor, the succession of farm opera- 

 tions with any crop must be known. The aim has been to standard- 

 ize the field operations and arrange them in the order in which they 

 are usually performed. There is considerable variation even among 

 the more successful farmers in the manner of preparing the ground 

 and handling the crop. The outline which follows gives the order 

 which the greatest number of these farmers follow, with the impor- 

 tant variations. 



CORN. 



(1) Manuring. — On sod, August to December; on stubble, early spring; 12 tons to 

 acre. (2) Plowing. — Generally in spring; 12 or 14 inches, walking plow. (3) Rolling 

 or planking. — Immediately after plowing. (4) Harrowing. — Majority use 4-horse 

 double disk, working once each way, following with spring-tooth or spike-tooth harrow. 

 Forty-five per cent of these farmers use spring-tooth harrow only, harrowing two to 

 four times in different directions. (5) Drilling fertilizer. — With grain drill. (6) Roll- 

 ing or planking. (7) Planting. — With two-row planter. (8) Weeding. — Spike-tooth 

 harrow used before regular cultivation begins. (9) Cultivating. — Usually four times 

 with 2-horse and once with 1-horse. (10) Cutting and shocking. — By hand, 36 hills to 

 shock, binder used occasionally for silage corn. (11) Husking and hauling. (12) 

 Hauling stalks. 



POTATOES. 



(1) Manuring. — Late fall, winter, or early spring. (2) Plowing. — In spring; 12 to 

 14 inches, walking plow. (3) Rolling or planking. — Following plowing. (4) Harrow- 

 ing. — Disk used by 57 per cent of 33 farmers, from whom records were obtained, 

 followed by spike-tooth or spring-tooth harrow; remainder use spring-tooth harrow 

 only, working two or three times. (5) Planting. — Few of these farmers plant by hand. 

 (6) Weeding. — With spike-tooth harrow, working twice. (7) Cultivation. — Four or 

 five times with riding cultivator. (8) Spraying. — One to three times for potato beetles; 

 few spray for blight. (9) Digging, picking, and hauling. — Many use potato plow type 

 of digger; potatoes usually stored in cellar. 



OATS. 



(1) Plowing. — Usually in spring, sometimes the fall before (oat ground is always 



plowed). (2) Rolling. — After plowing; sometimes before seeding. (3) Harrowing. — 



Spring-tooth harrow generally used by these farmers, working the field twice. (4) 



Seeding. — With 6 to 10 foot drill. (5) Cutting, shocking, and hauling. (6) Thrashing. 



77590°— Bull. 528—17 2 



