26 BULLETIN 757, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
It is scarcely possible to separate the dates of plowing and prepara- 
tion of the land for the various crops, since these operations all over- 
lap; furthermore, land that was plowed and prepared for a certain 
crop is often seeded to another on account of seasonal conditions, or 
for some other reason. 
Thrashing is usually clone in from one to three days on the average 
farm, and is generally from 25 to 35 days after the beginning of har- 
vest. If flax is raised it sometimes happens that a separate job of 
thrashing is necessary because this crop is harvested much later than 
the others. 
Farmers differ somewhat in opinion as to the latest safe seeding 
date in the spring for the various crops. The following dates are the 
averages of the estimates of over 200 farmers : 
Wheat May 12 
Oats__ May 21 
Corn May 28 
Barley June 3 
Potatoes - June '6 
Flax June 11 
Two important considerations should be taken into account in con- 
nection with these dates, namely, varieties and weather conditions. 
Varieties that mature quickly may be planted later than those re- 
quiring longer growing periods. When the spring season is very un- 
favorable, it is sometimes necessary to plant later than the above- 
indicated dates and take the risk of not maturing a crop. 
Cultivation of corn and potatoes is usually done in June and July, 
the inclusive dates for corn being June 5 to July 15, and for potatoes 
from June 12 to July 30. 
The number of days for the production of the various crops varies 
considerably. The following data show approximately the number 
of days from planting to harvest of the leading crops : 
Days to 
maturity. 
Wheat 112 
Oats — 106 
Barley 87 
Corn 108 
The amount of time required from planting to harvest varies, 
depending upon the variety of grain; the above figures represent 
the average for the various crops produced on several farms cover- 
ing periods of from 12 to 30 years. The season also has a marked 
effect on the length of time required. For example, the average 
season from seeding to harvest of wheat in 1910 was but 97 days, 
while the average for all years covered in the records is 112. The 
1910 growing season was one of the driest on record for this area. 
Further, grain crops planted late in the season generally mature in 
a shorter time than the earlier planted crops; a difference of from 
10 to 12 days is noted in the case of wheat and oats. 
Days to 
maturity. 
Potatoes 129 
Flax 94 
Millet 78 
