COST OF PRODUCING WHEAT. 
35 
and the transient character of labor employed, practically all labor 
was hired on a day basis at a much higher wage. For this reason 
different rates have been used for seed-bed preparation and seeding 
and for harvesting and marketing. The wage paid was mainly 
governed by the competition for farm labor at the time the work 
was done; it will be noted that there is considerable variation in 
the rates used in the several districts visited. 
Horse-labor rate. — ^The horse-labor rates, as shown in Table XX, are 
based partially on the prevailing charge for team work in the regions 
visited, and partially on the cost of horse labor as obtained from 
detailed cost records which were available for some of the States in 
which this investigation was made. It '^i.ll be noted that the horse- 
labor rate in Ford County, Kans., was higher than in other districts 
visited; this was due to partial crop failures in 1918 and 1919, which 
resulted in a relatively high cost of grain and roughage. 
Table XX. — Man and Jwrse labor rates per hour, spring and ivintei' tvheat, 1919 (481 
farms) . 
State and county. 
Seed-bed preparation 
and seeding. 
Harvesting and 
marketing. 
nrate. 
Horse rate. 
Man rate. 
SO. 35 
$0.20 
$0.60 
.35 
.20 
.60 
.40 
.20 
.65 
.35 
.20 
.60 
.35 
.20 
.60 
.35 
.25 
.75 
.30 
.18 
.60 
.35 
.20 
.75 
.30 
.18 
.60 
.30 
.18 
.50 
.25 
.18 
.55 
.35 
.20 
.65 
.35 
.20 
.70 
.35 
.20 
.80 
SPRING-WHEAT AREAS. 
North Dakota: 
Grand Forks County 
Morton County 
South Dakota: 
Spink County 
Mmnesota: 
Clay County 
Traverse County 
■WIN-TER-WHEAT AREAS. 
Kansas: 
Ford County 
Pawnee County 
McPherson County 
Missouri: 
Sahne County 
Jasper County 
St. Charles County 
Nebraska: 
Phelps County 
Saline County 
Keith Countv 
SO. 20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.20 
.25 
.18 
.20 
.18 
■ 18 
.18 
.20 
.20 
.20 
AVERAGE LABOR COST PER ACRE. 
The labor cost, as shown in Table XXI, mcludes all man-and- 
horse labor expended by the farmer and any contract labor hired. 
All work m which the farmer's men and horses had no part has 
been recorded as contract labor. This includes a small amount of 
plowing for which the farmer paid a stipulated sum per acre for 
man and horses or tractor and plows; a small amount of cleaning 
seed wheat; a nommal amount of cutting wheat with the grain 
binder; and some marketmg grain, which was usually hauled with 
a truck at a fixed charge per bushel per mile hauled. The relatively 
