14 
BULLETIN 528, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
silo. " Horses" or " gallows" for supporting each shock, which are 
made by tying the tops of four hills, are often made a number of days 
before cutting, if there is any danger of the corn blowing over. 
The figures for filling the silo are for a large crew that will keep 
a 16-inch cutter continuously running. Smaller crews often are 
used to advantage, however. Where a small crew is used, three 
men cut and load the corn without dropping it in bundles on the 
ground. Three teams are required. At any given time one will 
be loading, one unloading, and the third on the road. In unloading, 
the drivers hand directly to the feeder. No extra man need be em- 
ployed where a gasoline engine is used. It will be of advantage 
to keep two men in the silo. Altogether the crew will consist of 
nine men and six horses, and the day's work per acre, when 2\ 
acres are cut per day, will be 4 man-days and 2.66 horse-days. Four 
teams will be required for long hauls. 
Table V. — Crews and duty of machinery in planting, cultivating, and harvesting potatoes 
{average of 33 farms). 
Operation. 
Crew. 
Men. 
Acres 
covered 
in 10- 
hour day. 
Days per acre. 
10-hour day. 
Men. Horses. 
9-hour day. 
Men. Horses. 
Cutting seed, 15 bushels 
Planting, plowed in 
Planting, picker type 
Planting, 2-man type 
Spike-tooth harrowing 
Weeding 
Cultivating 
Cultivating, riding 
Spraying (liquid), 4 rows 
Digging with elevator 
Digging with potato plow . . . 
Picking up and bagging l 
Hauling to cellar 2 
Sorting and bagging in cellar . 
Hauling to market, 2 miles . . 
1.00 
2.50 
4.00 
3.50 
13.00 
18.00 
4.00 
6.10 
15.00 
3.50 
3.00 
.50 
3.70 
.80 
1.20 
1.00 
1.20 
.25 
.57 
.08 
.05 
.25 
.16 
.06 
.31 
.33 
2.00 
.54 
1.30 
.83 
.50 
.57 
.16 
.05 
.25 
.32 
.54 
1.11 
1.33 
.28 
.63 
.08 
.06 
.28 
.18 
.07 
.32 
.37 
2.22 
.60 
1.40 
.93 
0.88 
.56 
.63 
.16 
.12 
.28 
.36 
.14 
1.28 
.74 
Average yield from 120 to 130 bushels. 
loads of 50 bushels each. 
Table V gives the crews and duty of machinery as the average 
on 33 farms for planting, cultivating, and harvesting potatoes. The 
potato planter is used by most of these farmers, but small areas are 
often planted by hand. These are of two types, the so-called picker 
machine, and the machine where a second man sits behind and 
regulates the dropping. 
On small areas Paris green, mixed with plaster, is ordinarily used 
for beetles, but where 4 acres or more are planted, a liquid sprayer 
applies Paris green or arsenate of lead. A few farmers are spraying 
for blight. 
