GROWING FIELD CROPS IN SUGAR-BEET DISTRICTS. 
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potatoes, and more time is expended in leveling and firming the 
seed bed for the bean crop. 
Of the grains, oats shows the least work necessary to prepare the 
seed bed; barley comes second; and wheat requires the greatest 
amount. Oats is the hardiest grain crop in all three districts. 
PLANTING. 
The only item of labor included in the planting of a crop is the 
drilling of seed except in the case of potatoes, which includes the 
labor of cutting the seed. Where cucumbers and cantaloupes are 
planted by hand the land is marked with a marker, and this is part 
of the labor in planting these crops. 
For alfalfa there is no labor charge for planting the crop, since 
most growers use a combined grain drill and alfalfa seeder. Very 
Fig. 13.— Ditching potatoes. Deep furrows are made between the potato rows, so that the surface 
of the water will be lower than the potatoes in the hills. 
little, if any, more time is consumed than in planting the grain crop 
alone. Also, since alfalfa is allowed to grow for several years, the 
labor of planting would add but little to the labor requirements per 
ton of hay. Replanting, where practiced, has been included under 
the planting practice. 
Sixty- three per cent of the man labor employed in planting an 
acre of potatoes is consumed in cutting the seed. The common 
potato planter of the region requires a 3-horse team. Most of the 
grain drills are for 3-horse and 4-horse teams, although some use 
2-horse" grain drills. Two horses are used in planting sugar beets 
and beans. In planting potatoes it is common to hill the row, and 
before the plants are up the ridge is harrowed down. This kills all 
the small weeds and leaves an excellent seed bed at the time that the 
plants appear. Some farmers ridge the bean rows immediately after 
planting and harrow down the ridge before the plants come through. 
