SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF FARM LABOR, 11 
WHEAT. 
(1) Plowing. — Oat stubble, soon after harvesting, land allowed to lie fallow until 
about October 1 ; when wheat follows potatoes or corn the ground is plowed (sometimes 
only disked) immediately after the harvesting of those crops. (2) Rolling or plank- 
ing. — After plowing, sometimes also before seeding. (3) Harrowing. — Majority of the 
farmers visited use disk followed by spring-tooth or spike-tooth harrow; many use 
spring-tooth harrow only, working two or three times; when disk is used instead of 
plow, the ground is worked four to six times. (4) Seeding. — With drill. (5) Harvest- 
ing. — With 3-horse 6-foot binder. (6) Hauling — To stack or mow. (7) Thrashing. — 
Done at barn, occasionally in the field. 
TIMOTHY AND CLOVER. 
(1) Manuring. — As top dressing on sod, in fall or winter; on new seeding, in summer. 
(2) Plowing. — Often soon after wheat harvest. (3) Rolling or planking. — After plow- 
ing; sometimes again before seeding. (4) Harrowing. — Nearly 50 per cent of the farm- 
ers visited use disk, followed by spike-tooth harrow; many use spring-tooth harrow 
only; a few use disk followed by spring-tooth harrow. (5) Liming. — Usually after 
wheat harvest when the land is prepared and seeded in August. (6) Seeding. — Timo- 
thy is seeded with wheat, and clover the following April; about 23 per cent prepare 
wheat stubble and seed in August. (7) Harvesting. — With 5-foot mower; hay fork is 
used and hay loader frequently. 
ALFALFA. 
(1) Manuring. — About 12 tons per acre as a top dressing or at seeding of previous 
crop. (2) Plowing. — Disk gaining in favor. (3) Rolling or planking. — Immediately 
after plowing; again between harrowings and often after seeding. (4) Harrowing. — 
Disk is generally used by these farmers, working twice after plowing; double disk 
three to six times when plow is not used ; spring-tooth harrow sometimes follows disk- 
ing, but more often follows plowing without disking. (5) Liming. — With the distrib- 
utor, except in a few instances. (6) Inoculation. (7) Seeding. — With drill or wheel- 
barrow seeder, 20 to 25 pounds per acre. (8) Cutting. (9) Tedding. — Tedder not 
always used when followed by side-delivery rake. (10) Raking. — Side-delivery rake 
generally used; some of the smaller farms use a dump rake. (11) Cocking. — Immedi- 
ately after raking when the hay is to be protected with hay caps; in this case hay 
stands in cock for one to three days and is opened up two hours before hauling. (12) Haul- 
ing. — Where a loader is used the hay is picked up from the windrow. (13) Top dress- 
ing. — Manure sometimes applied in fall; fertilizer in early spring or immediately after 
first or second cutting. (14) Harrowing. — Disk or special sharp-pointed spring-tooth 
harrow often used after cutting, to eradicate blue grass and weeds. 
CREWS AND MACHINERY. 1 
In order to determine the amount of labor in man-days and horse- 
days necessary to perform any operation, it is necessary to know the 
crew, that is, the number of men and horses, the number of acres 
covered in a 10-hour day, or the number of tons or loads handled in 
the same period of time, and the average length of the work day. If 
these data are in tons or loads, by knowing the capacity of the wagon, 
the rate of application, and the yield of crop, the acreage covered can 
be obtained. From these data the day's work per acre for man or 
horse can be determined. 
i See U. S. Department Bulletin No. 3, A Normal Day's Work for Various Farm Operations. 
