Washington, D. C. April, 1924 
CONDITIONS AFFECTING THE DEMAND FOR HARVEST LABOR IN THE 
WHEAT BELT.’ 
By Don D. Lresconter, Collaborator, Bureau of Agricultural Economics. 
CONTENTS. 
; Page. Page 
BeErNei Chl ON ese = aS te Se 1) Labor demandin threshing === 522222225. -- 24 
Purpose and methods of study.............. 3 Mobilization and distribution of harvest 
Amounts of labor used in wheat harvest.-... 5 hands 32). SS: 2 oes = ete ciccwe ae 
Effect of use of different kinds of machinery Wages and hours of harvest and threshing 
upon the harvest labor demand........... 14 > ANGS*EER A ee cas eaw eat ux cn eee ee ee eae 
Influence of climatic conditions upon harvest Append ia ta bless see aes ao eee eee 38 
MeMONGeMAand > -- 2 2-8. oc ee Socow ses esc kec ce 21 
Usefulness and modification of the Kansas 
formula for estimating harvest labor needed 23 | 
INTRODUCTION. 
Wheat is grown in areas of sparse population, usually ranging from 
4 to 16 persons per square mile. During harvest and _ threshing, 
farmers in these wheat areas find it necessary to hire much extra 
labor. On the average, the wheat farms double their labor force 
during the harvest. (See Table 1.) The cities and towns within the 
wheat belt are not able to furnish such a large amount of extra labor. 
Kansas City, St. Joseph, Omaha, and the other centers of concen- 
trated population scattered through the eastern portion of the winter 
wheat States (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska) can but partly 
meet the labor needs of the harvest period. The Dakotas have no 
near-by area upon which to draw and are entirely dependent upon 
more distant centers of population. Consequently the wheat belt 
finds it necessary each year to attract labor from considerable dis- 
tances to the harvest. The financial success of the wheat farmers 
depends largely upon their ability to secure this labor in adequate 
quantities and at reasonable prices. 
Each year a forecast must be made of the amounts of labor that will 
be needed in the several wheat States and definite efforts made to 
attract the required number of men to them. ‘These forecasts must 
be made six or eight weeks before the grain is ready to cut to afford 
time for the necessary advertising for men. Up to the present time 
the forecasts in most States have been hardly more than guesses. 
1 Josiah C. Folsom, Bureau of Agricultural Economics, gave valuable assistance in the preparation of 
this report for publication. 
71136—24——1 
