FARMING IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE DISTRICT. 5 



ditches as well as for leveling. The cost of construction of these 

 ditches varies according to the lay of the land, ranging on 38 farms 

 visited from $0.25 to $32 per acre, with an average of $2.25. 



DITCH MAINTENANCE. 



The irrigation water frequently carries mud in suspension, some of 

 which is deposited in the canals. Weeds and grasses make luxuriant 

 growth in the ditches, owing to abundance of moisture. These ob- 

 structions in the laterals are effective in hindering the passage of 

 water so that the ditches must be cleaned annually. This is accom- 

 plished with a shovel or spade. Frequently a plow is run through the 

 ditches to loosen the soil and weeds. 



Where the ditches on the farm are small they are frequently plowed 

 down entirely with the fields and are then reconstructed with the use 

 of plows and pushes, most of the work being done by horsepower. 

 (See fig. 3.) 



The annual cost of maintenance of the lateral ditches on the farm 

 varies widely, depending upon the number and character of the 

 ditches. On some farms the cost is as low as $0.10 to $0.25 per acre, 

 while on others it is as much as $2 per acre. The average cost as esti- 

 mated by 32 farmers is approximately $0.65 per acre. 



AVAILABLE TIME FOR FARM WORK. 



Field work can be carried on during all months of the year, prac- 

 tically the only limiting factor being an excess of rainfall. The 

 number of work days per month varies from about 19 in June and 

 September to about 25 in July and August. There are approximately 

 256 days available for field work per year. 



There is not a wide variation in the number of hours per day that 

 field work is done, about 10 hours being the average. It is customary 

 for both teams and men to rest for about two hours during the mid- 

 dle of the day during the warmer summer months. 



LABOR UTILIZATION ON FARMS OF DIFFERENT TYPES. 



Much more man labor is used on truck farms than on farms of 

 other types, owing to the greater intensity of cropping. Slightly 

 more horse labor is used per acre on truck farms than on others. The 

 number of acres per work animal (acres of crops divided by number 

 of work stock) is decidedly less on truck farms than on others. The 

 average number of acres per work animal on the farms of different 

 types is as follows: Truck farms, 14; stock farms, IT: and staple-crop 

 farms, 18. 



The cost of man labor per day is practically the same on farms of 

 different types but the cost of horse labor per day is greatest on truck 



