GRAIN FARMING IN NORTH DAKOTA. 
25 
as reported by 15 farmers, was approximately 5 tons per day per man, 
and the average proportion of men to horses was approximately two 
men to three horses. The average yield of hay was 1.15 tons per acre 
and it was stacked in the field where the length of haul was short. 
A very large part of the grain used for seed must be cleaned by 
running through a fanning mill before planting. Ordinarily this 
is a two-man job and in many cases the mill is run by motor. The 
following data relative to cleaning grain show the number of bushels 
per day that are cleaned: 
Bushels 
per day. 
Wheat 108 
Oats 119 
Barley : 92 
Flax 29 
DATES OF OPERATIONS. 
Estimates from several hundred farmers, as well as actual records 
from several covering periods of from 12 to 30 years, indicate that, 
on the uverage, field work begins about April 18 and ends about 
November 6. These dates are subject to about 20 days' variation 
either way, depending upon the season. It happens not infre- 
quently that some field work is done in March. 
Any one of several operations may be the first done in spring. If 
plowing was done in the fall, either harrowing or disking may be 
done first, and seeding may follow within a day or two. Table V 
shows the most common dates between which the principal operations 
are performed. These dates are subject to some variation, depending 
upon the season, varieties of grains planted, etc. For example, oats 
are usually planted between April 26 and May 20, and are harvested 
generally a day or two ahead of wheat; if, however, a late variety of 
oats is planted the harvest may be 10 or 20 days later than the 
average. 
Table V. — Dates of operations on wheat, oats, barley, flax, corn, and potatoes. 
Crop. 
Plowing (fall). 
Plowing (spring). 
Harrowing. 
Wheat 
Sept. 26-0et. 17 
Apr. 18-May 24 
Apr. 18-May 28. 
do. 
Oats 
do 
do. . 
.do 
do 
.. do. 
Flax.' 
....do . 
...do 
...do. 
Corn 
do 
do... 
do. 
Potatoes 
.. do _ 
....do. 
...do. 
Crop. 
Disking. 
Planting. 
Harvesting. 
Wheat 
Apr. 18-Mav 19... 
Apr. 19-May 12 
Aug. 10-Aug. 20. 
Aug. 8-Aug. 15. 
Oats 
do .* 
do 
do 
Apr. 2fi-May20 
Barley 
Flax 
May 12-May 28 
Aug. 6-Aug. 13. 
Sept. 1-Sept. 15. 
Sept. 5-Sept. 25. 
Sept. 20-Oct. 12. 
Corn 
...do 
May 20- June 10 
Potatoes 
do 
May 20- June 3 
