34 BULLETIN 1000, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
Table 22. — Oats: Labor and material requirements per acre (301 records). 
Num- 
ber of 
rec- 
ords. 
Yield 
per 
acre. 
Man labor. 
Horse labor. 
Seed 
per 
acre. 
Ferti- 
lizer 
Fuel 
(coal). 
Lbs. 
Twine 
per 
acre. 
Per 
cent of 
Region. 
Prior 
to 
har- 
vest. 
Har- 
vest. 
Total. 
Prior 
to 
har- 
vest. 
Har- 
vest. 
Total. 
operat- 
ing ex- 
pense a 
cov- 
ered 
by fore 
going. 
79 
92 
9 
30 
38 
53 
Bush. 
35.4 
35.7 
50.4 
34.3 
35.3 
33.0 
Hrs. 
4.2 
6.0 
8.3 
9.0 
2.7 
2.9 
Hrs. 
5.9 
9.0 
10.5 
11.5 
6.1 
2.7 
Hrs. 
10.1 
15.0 
18.8 
20.5 
8.8 
5.6 
Hrs. 
15.7 
16.3 
18.0 
19.4 
9.2 
13.0 
Hrs. 
7.8 
7.7 
7.6 
8.4 
8.4 
4.4 
Hrs. 
23.5 
Bush. 
2.6 
Lbs. 
Lbs. 
2.3 
2.5 
2.6 
2.2. 
2.1 
1.9 
71 
Wisconsin 
New York 
Ohio 
24.0 
25.6 
27.8 
17.6 
17.4 
2.2 
2.4 
2.3 
i92.T 
48.9 
69.5 
49.5 
43.8 
71 
70 
71 
2.4 1 
61 
North Dakota 
2.0 
59 
a Excluding interest on land. 
The low labor requirement for Illinois is largely explained by the 
fact that only 11 per cent of the ground was plowed. In North 
Dakota, which has the second lowest requirement for preparation 
and sowing, the highest percentage of plowed land is found, but the 
farmers of that State save time by using larger machinery and per- 
haps working faster because of their skill in handling small grain 
with machinery. The same reasons explain the low labor require- 
ment for harvesting in that State. 
The fuel used per acre for thrashing will vary with the size of the 
machine, the amount of straw per acre, etc. It will be noticed, 
however, that the variation in cost due to fuel is negligible. In 
Minnesota and North Dakota straw-burning engines were used, hence 
there is no charge for fuel. 
For Illinois and North Dakota, because of the low labor and high 
machine charges, the percentage of total operating expense repre- 
ented by labor and material is very much lower than for the other 
States. 
Table 23. — Oats: Percentage distribution of costs per acre. 
Illinois. 
North Dakota. 
Item. 
Distribu- 
tion of 
operating 
expense. 
Distribu- 
tion of 
total 
costs. 
Distribu- 
tion of 
operating 
expense. 
Distribu- 
tion of 
total 
costs. 
Man labor 
17.9 
24.9 
8.7 
12.2 
23.4 
19.9 
16.4 
Horse labor 
14.0 
Materials: 
Seed 
14.4 ' 7.0 
2. 7 j 1. 3 
1. | .5 
11.7 
3.6 
8.2 
Twine 
Fuel 
2.5 
Total materials 
18.1 1 8.8 
15.3 
10.7 
Other costs: 
Overhead 
15.6 
10.7 
12.8 
7.6 
5.2 
6.2 
8.8 
8.4 
24.2 
6.1 
5.9 
Thrashing 
17.0 
Total other costs 
39.1 
19.0 
41.4 
29.0 
51.3 
29.9 

Value of land per acre 
$100 &42 
