FORMAL DAYS WORK IN WESTERN NEW YORK. 6 
LOCAL CONDITIONS. 
Farm land in the section where these data were obtained is some- 
what rolling, but not to an extent to reduce appreciably the average 
amount of work that can be done daily. Some of the heavier soils of 
the Dunkirk series can not be plowed as rapidly as can the more loamy 
soils of the Middle West. The presence of more or less stone through- 
out the section also operates to reduce the amount of work that can be 
done daily with plows. There are no local reasons why farm im- 
plements that are drawn over the land, like mowers, binders, rakes, 
etc., should not perform as much work daily here as anywhere. The 
horses used in western New York average 1,211 pounds in weight. 
The average net day in the field in spring and summer work was found 
to be 9 hours and 38 minutes, and in haying and harvest it is 9 hours 
and 49 minutes. This net day excludes the time going and coming 
and the noon period, and represents only the time in action on the 
various operations. 
PLOWING. 
Table II gives the average performance of the walking plow with 
2-horse and 3-horse teams* working on sod and on stubble. From 
10 to 15 per cent more land can be plowed in stubble than on sod where 
only two horses are used. With 3-horse teams, there is little differ- 
ence between the work on sod and on stubble. Breaking sod is work 
that is too heavy for two horses. With two horses, the depth plowed 
ranges from 6 to 6 J inches on stubble and is 6 inches on sod. With 
three horses, the plowing on sod ranges from 6^ to 7J inches deep and 
on stubble from 7 to 7 J inches deep. The majority of farmers use 
three horses when breaking sod and two horses when plowing stubble. 
The 3-horse teams permit the use of wider plows and deeper plowing. 
The farmers in western New York accomplish only about 80 to 85 
per cent as much daily in their plowing work as does the average 
farmer in the United States. This is doubtless due to the heavy 
character of the local soils. 
Table II. — A fair day's work for walking plows with 2-horse and 3-horse teams on sod and 
on stubble. 
Horses. 
Width. 
On sod. 
On stubble. 
Number 
Number 
Acres. 
of farms 
averaged. 
Acres. 
of farms 
averaged. 
Inches. 
2 
10 
1.46 
124 
1.66 
220 
2 
' 12 
1.47 
217 
1.65 
315 
2 
14 
1.48 
111 
1.72 
135 
3 
10 
1.70 
86 
1.82 
52 
3 
12 
1.74 
225 
1.85- 
146 
3 
14 
1.78 
198 
1.93 
140 
3 
16 
1.90 
45 
1.95 
15 
