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. 
Corn for grain 
Corn for silage 
Potatoes 
Harvesting mixed hay i 
Harvesting alfalfa hay 
Harvesting wheat 
Seeding wheat 
Seeding alfalfa 
Seeding clover, timothy, and alfalfa . 
Total 
Acres. 
12.3 
12.3 
1.5 
31.4 
10.6 
19.6 
12.3 
12.8 
13.2 
Man 
labor. 
S119. 33 
112. 10 
20.29 
44.40 
42.29 
17.56 
24.11 
53.94 
19.04 
453. 06 
labor. 
S84. 42 
97.69 
15.41 
32.46 
33.35 
14.23 
43.84 
74.91 
31.51 
427.82 
Total. 
$203. 75 
209.79 
35.70 
76.86 
75.64 
31.79 
67.95 
128.85 
50.55 
REVISED CROPPING SYSTEMS. 
Corn for grain 
Corn for silage 
Harvesting mixed hay l 
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 
y.o 
10.2 
$163. 96 
113. 93 
87.22 
40.70 
8.78 
19.21 
14.13 
15.82 
3.92 
467. 67 
Silo. 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 
i 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 fight 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. 
i 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 the previous management of the soil, in the soil conditions in respect to the 
amounts of fertilizer used, the rental charge for land, the equipment charge and overhead charges, that 
these costs should ho worked out for each individual case. 
