NOKMAL DAY S WORK IK WESTERN NEW YORK. 3 



LOCAL CONDITIONS. 



Farm land in the section where these data were obtained is some- 

 what roUing, 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 through- 

 out the section also operates to reduce the amount of work that can be 

 done daily with plows. There are no local reasons why farm im- 

 plements 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. This net day excludes the time going and coming 

 and the noon period, and represents only the time in action on the 



various operations. 



PLOWING. 



Table II gives the average performance of the walking plow with 

 2-horse and 3 -horse teams working on sod and on stubble. From 

 10 to 15 per cent more land can be plowed in stubble than on sod where 

 only two horses are used. With 3 -horse teams, there is little differ- 

 ence between the work on sod and on stubble. Breaking sod is work 

 that is too heavy for two horses. With two horses, the depth plowed 

 ranges from 6 to 6 J inches on stubble and is 6 inches on sod. With 

 three horses, the plowing on sod ranges from 6 J to 7| inches deep and 

 on stubble from 7 to 7^ inches deep. The majority of farmers use 

 three horses when breaking sod and two horses when plowing stubble. 

 The 3-horse teams permit the use of wider plows and deeper plowing. 

 The farmers in western New York accomplish only about 80 to 85 

 per cent as much daily in their plowing work as does the average 

 farmer in the United States. This is doubtless due to the heavy 

 character of the local soils. 



Table II. — A/air day's work for walking flows with 2-horse and 3 -horse teams on sod and 



on stubble. 



Horses. 



Width. 



On sod. 



On stubble. 





Numlwr 





Number 







Acres. 



of farms 



Acres. 



of f:irms 









averaged. 





averaged. 





InchcH. 











2 



10 



1.40 



124 



1.66 



220 



2 



12 



1.47 



217 



1.65 



315 



2 



14 



1.4H 



111 



1.72 



135 



3 



10 



1.70 



80 



1..S2 



52 



3 



12 



1.74 



225 



1.85 



146 



3 



14 



1.7S 



19S 



1.93 



140 



3 



16 



1.90 



45 



1.95 



15 



