BULLETIN 1292, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Table 2. — Principal operations for various crops — Continued 
Crop and operation 
Implement or method 
Crew 
Average 
acreage 
per day 
Times 
over 
Average hours 
per acre 
Men 
Mules 
Man 
Mule 
sugarcane (4-foot row)— Con. 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
1 
2 
7.14 
4.12 
.10 
.47 
.09 
1 
3 
1 
1.5 
7.7 
90.0 
18.8 
103.6 
1.5 
Cultivate middles (2 furrows) 
Cut and strip ... . . .. 
Shovel cultivator 
Bv hand 
7.7 
do. 
Haul and grind 
114.6 
cowpeas (broadcast) 
Plow . 
1 
1 
2 
2.01 
14.33 
2.16 
12.73 
7.26 
13.05 
5.84 
7.14 
„ 
1 
2 
1 
1 
1 
1 
4.0 
. 7 
5.1 
1.3 
1.3 
. 7 
3.2 
3.6 
8.0 
Sow 
1 
5.1 
Harrow.. . ... . . 
2-section harrow 
Mower... 
1 
1 
1 
2 
2.6 
Cut 
2.6 
Rake 
Dump rake 
.7 
3.2 
Bale 
Baler 
3 
1.2 
WATERMELONS (10-foot TOW) 
Plow 
Turnplow 
2 
2.01 
17.25 
8.91 
16.14 
9.16 
17.32 
9.27 
9.09 
5.04 
8.53 
1.80 
1.12 
..... 
1 
1 
2 
1 
2 
4 
2 
4.0 
.5 
1.1 
.6 
2.2 
.6 
2.1 
4.7 
3.9 
8.0 
Lay off rows (1 furrow) 
Shovel or scooter 
. 5 
1.1 
Middle burster 
Bv hand. .. 
1.2 
Fertilize . . 
Checkrow (1 furrow) 
Shovel or scooter 
By hand. . 
.6 
Side (2 furrows) . 
Shovel or scrape 
Hoe 
4.7 
Hoe and thin... . 
Cultivate middles (2 furrows) 
Shovel cultivator 
Bv hand 
5 6.2 
I , 6.1 
II 9.8 
6.2 
Haul 
"Wagon. . . ! 
19.6 
Figure 2 illustrates the wide variation in the number of hours per 
acre of man and mule labor which different numbers of men put on 
cotton. There is a wide range in the number of hours per acre both 
MAN HOURS 
( 
LESS THAN 60 
3 
60 to SO 
7 
80 to IOO 
33 
IOO to 120 
S3 
120 to JUO 
59 
140 to 160 
52 
J60 to 180 
23 
J80*»° OVER 
l 9 
NUMBER OF FARMERS 
10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 
MULE HOURS 
LESS THAN 30 
30 to 4-0 
4-0 to 50 
50 to 60 
60 to 70 
70 to 80 
80 to 90 
90 *»o OVER 
NUMBER 
OF FARMER 
I 
D 20 30 40 50 60 70 60 90 
■t 
■ 
m 
1 1 ! 1 1 
■ 
T 
1 | 
I 
H 
ran 
T 
f 
T 
Fig. 2.— Variations in the number of man and mule hours per acre required by each of 249 farmers to raise 
an acre of cotton 
above and below the average given in Table 1. Similar differences 
occur for the other crops. These variations are due almost entirely 
to the different operations performed by different men, the number of 
times certain operations are performed — as for example, cultivating — 
and the method of harvesting the crop, as in the case of peanuts, the 
bulk of which are hogged off. 
