22 
BULLETIN" 3, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTUEE. 
Table XVI. — A normal daifs work in marking rows for planting, giving the daily acre- 
ages reported for designated widths and adjustments for each width. 
[Net hours in the field, 9.53.] 
Number of horses. 
Width of 
marker. 
Width of 
rows. 
Marked 
per day 
for each 3 
feet in 
width of 
marker. 
Number 
averaged. 
Adjusted 
acreage. 
Allowance 
for each 
foot in 
width. 
1 .. 
Feet. 
3-12 
3-12 
Feet. 
3 
3 
Acres. 
5.68 
6.81 
89 
78 
5.1 
6.2 
Acres. 
75 
2 
.65 
The operation of planting Irish potatoes by hand and with the 
1-man and 2-man type of potato planter is reported in Table XVIL 
Out of 925 reports, 31 per cent name two acres as a reasonable day's 
work in. dropping potatoes by hand and 26 per cent allow one acre. 
With the potato planter the 2-man type is somewhat slower than 
the automatic-feed type. The former is in more general use, since 
planters feel more certain that seed is placed in every hill with the 
hand-feed type. The picker (1-man) type of planter also tends 
to spread disease from one seed tuber to another if disease, such as 
scab, is present. The original averages have been adjusted by 
reducing them about 10 per cent. 
Table XVII. — A normal day's vjork in planting Irish potatoes, giving the average acre- 
ages reported and adjusted factors for each method. 
[Net hours in the field; 9.53.] 
Operation. 
Number 
of men. 
Number 
of horses. 
Planted 
per day. 
Number 
averaged. 
1 
1 
2 
Acres. 
1.98 
5.48 
4.91 
925 
132 
174 
2 
2 
Adjusted 
factors. 
Dropping by hand — 
Planting with planter. 
1.8 
5.0 
4.4 
HANDLING MANURE. 
In Table XVIII the operation of hauling and spreading manure 
with a manure spreader is shown for loads of less than 60 cubic feet 
and for 60 cubic feet and over. The heavy draft of this implement 
renders the use of three or more horses necessary in 70 per cent of cases. 
A 2-horse team is used by 30 per cent, three horses by 45 per cent, and 
four horses by 25 per cent of those owning spreaders. The larger 
loads and teams are all reported from the Mississippi Valley region. 
Fewer of the larger loads can be handled in a day, but with the in- 
creased power used they are unloaded more quickly and spread more 
evenly. From 1J to If more loads daily can be spread on sod than 
on plowed land. For practical purposes the original averages have 
been adjusted and reduced about 10 per cent. 
