1 909-] 



Expenses of Corn Harvesting. 



735 



as with small binder sheaves a forkful may be two or three 

 sheaves. The only way to obtain the correct figure is to 

 have an assistant at the stack who counts the sheaves as they 

 come off the load, or better, as they fall off the end of the 

 elevator, only in this latter case care has to be taken to ensure 

 that each load is kept separate. This is best done by making 

 the horse walk on till the elevator is empty, without allowing 

 the machine to stop full of sheaves, which may get counted 

 into the next load. 



Where two men pitch and two men load on to the same 

 cart the advantages of the latter vehicle over the wagon as 

 a harvest implement are to a certain extent lost. Man for 

 man, more time is taken with pairs of men working together 

 than where there is the one man pitching and one loading. 

 The following figures giving the result of three separate trials 

 bring out the point clearly. The loads were timed as 

 far as possible when working together, and always when on 

 the same part of the field. 



Number of Men. 



1 + i 7 loads in 121 minutes = I in 17*4 minutes. 



2 + 2 9 ,, in 90 ,, = 1 in io'o ,, 



or a loss of time to the men working in pairs of 2*6 minutes 

 in 20, or 13 per cent, of the whole time. I am unable for 

 reasons given above to state accurate figures as regards the 

 number of sheaves to the load, but, as counted, the single 

 pitchers and loaders put up a bigger load, and this was our 

 experience all through the harvest. When one is watching 

 operations the reasons for this loss of time become obvious. 

 To begin with, the men gossip more, again they get in one 

 another's way ; finally, all delays, either accidental or arising 

 through moving a cart from shock to shock or from row to 

 row, are multiplied by two. 



The Use of the Elevator in Stack Building. — In the use of 

 the elevator much seems to be wanted in the way of sys- 

 tematising work. Farmers do not fully realise that this piece 

 of machinery, though properly called "labour saving," may 

 become expensive if not used with skill. The following table 

 shows the result of some stacking operations (the first four 

 refer to wheat and the remainder to barley) : — 



