AN APPRAISAL OF POWER USED ON FAE.MS 
17 
eral the farm operators in the States showing a high utilization of 
power per worKer are shown to have a correspondingly high net 
income. This circumstance would indicate that the extensive use 
of power and labor-saving equipment, if effectively employed, is 
extremely profitable. 
POWER AND LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF FARM OPERATIONS 
In Tables V and VI the more general operations performed on 
farms are listed, together with the approximate amounts of power 
required for their performance as based upon the best information 
now available. Farm operations vary so greatly in the different 
parts of the United States with respect to their method of accom- 
plishment and the information available is so limited that it has 
tndex of 
Volume of Production 
per Worker 
500 C 
) 
Italy 
or 
1 
Horses 
Equivalent Power 
per Worker 
2 3 4 5 
4S 
-- 
-- 
-■ 
-- 
-J 
A 
1 
,19 
80 
90 
1 17 
Hungary 
.Franee 
Belgium 
m 
--- 
... 
— 
.39 
.37 
.38 
1 19 
Germany 
United Kingdom 
United States 
Alabama 
New York 
._ Indiana 
Iowa . _ 
.55 
l?6 
■ 

.fl8 
292 
■H 
2.05 
112 1 1 1 1 1 II BB 
Q 
U..J --L - 
.81 
?50 

■ 
.. a 
I 
m 
_ 
1.69 
36.S 
■4- 
n 
?.46 
fS9S 
_- 
^g 
--- 
.•1,86 
910 
n 
^ 
« 
.Nebraska.. __ 
j_ 
4.71 
Fig. 19. — Relation between power used for field work and crop production per agricultural worker 
as determined by pre-war conditions. (U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 1918 Yearbook.) The average 
weighted index figure for volume of production per worker for all countries shown is 100, and the 
average number of horses or equivalent power per worker is 0.77 
been impossible to go into more detail or to attempt to make a 
complete list of all operations performed on farms. The data as 
given should be considered only as a general guide when used in 
estimating the amount of power requirea under any local condition. 
Since such a large proportion of the farm costs is represented by 
power and labor and since they are the only important items over 
which the farmer can exercise much control, great opportunities 
exist for the cutting down of production costs through reductions 
in the labor requirements of each operation and through a more 
efficient selection and application of the power used. Very little 
progress can be made along this line, however, until a thorough 
study has been made and the basic requirements of each operation 
have been determined. 
68326°— 26 3 
