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



COMPARATIVE LABOR REQUIREMENTS. 



The calculated cost of man and horse labor required in field opera- 

 tions for the cropping systems illustrated in figure 2 from March to 

 November, inclusive, is as shown in Table XIII. 



Table XIII. — Comparative labor requirements. 

 ORIGINAL CROPPING SYSTEMS. 



Crop or operation. 



Acres. 



Man 

 labor. 



Horse 

 labor. 



Total. 



Corn for grain 



Corn for silage 



Potatoes 



Harvesting mixed hay • 



Harvesting alfalfa nay 



Harvesting wheat 



Seeding wheat 



Seeding alfalfa 



Seeding clover, timothy, and alfalfa . 



Total 



12.3 

 12.3 

 1.5 

 31.4 

 10.6 

 19.6 

 12.3 

 12.8 

 13.2 



$119. 33 

 112. 10 

 20.29 

 44.40 

 42.29 

 17.56 

 24.11 

 53.94 

 19.04 



884. 42 

 97.69 

 15.41 

 32.46 

 33.35 

 14.23 

 43.84 

 74.91 

 31.51 



$203. 75 

 209.79 

 35.70 

 76.86 

 75.64 

 31.79 

 67.95 

 128.85 

 50.55 



453. 06 



427. 82 



880.88 



REVISED CROPPING SYSTEMS. 



Corn for grain 



Corn for silage 



Harvesting mixed hay • 



Harvesting alfalfa hay 



Harvesting wheat. 



Seeding wheat 



Seeding clover, timothy, and alfalfa. 

 Topdressing timothy with manure . . 

 Topdressing alfalfa with fertilizer 



Total. 



16.9 

 12.5 

 38.3 

 10.2 

 9.8 

 9.8 

 9.8 

 9.5 

 10.2 



$163. 96 

 113. 93 

 87.22 

 40.70 

 8.78 

 19.21 

 14.13 

 15.82 

 3.92 



467. 67 



$115. 99 

 99.27 

 65.56 

 32.09 

 7.11 

 34.93 

 23.39 

 12.43 

 6.16 



396. 93 



$279. 95 

 213.20 

 152. 78 

 72.79 

 15.89 

 54.14 

 37.52 

 28.25 

 10.08 



864.60 



1 A second crop, mostly alfalfa, on 28.8 acres will be cut the second time. 



In the preceding table it is obvious that the changes in the cropping 

 system can be made without increasing the cost of labor. The rear- 

 rangement has increased the amount of man labor, but on the other 

 hand decreased the amount of horse labor. The total cost of horse 

 labor was decreased to the amount of $30.89, and the total labor, 



$16.28. 



COMPARATIVE RETURNS. 



A comparison of the gross incomes from crops in the two cropping 

 systems will give further light on the relative desirability of the two 

 systems. The values assumed, based on the average yield of crops 

 obtained by successful farmers in the locality and on market prices at 

 the farm, are shown in Table XIV. 



Thus it will be seen that the revised system brings a gross income 

 of more than $550 over that of the first system, while the total labor 

 bill is at the same time reduced from $880.88 to $864.60. 1 The saving 

 in this case is not so much in amount of labor as in its utilization. 



' It is impossible in this bulletin to work out all the factors which enter into the total cost of the crop. 

 There is so much variation in (he previous management of the soil, in the soil conditions in respect to the 

 amounts of fertilizer used, ili<- rental charge, for land, the equipment charge and overhead charges, that 

 these costs should be worked out for each individual case. 



