H3 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT BULLETIN No. 1292 
Washington, D. C. 
April, 1925 
FIELD AND CROP LABOR ON GEORi 
(COASTAL PLAIN AREA) 
FARMS 
U.S 
•■ $ 
Associate Economic Analyst, Bureau of Agricultur ^Economics .^ _.. • 
By L. A. Reynoldson, / APR 
Econoi 
rONTENTS 
Introduction 1 
Description of area 3 
Crew performance 4 
Average amount of labor per acre on different 
crops ^ 
Distribution of labor 7 
Common operations preparatory to planting 
most crops 8 
Individual crop operations 13 
Page 
Cotton 13 
Corn 17 
Peanuts 20 
Sweet potatoes 21 
Sugarcane 23 
Cowpeas 25 
Oats, wheat, and rye 26 
Watermelons 27 
Hay 28 
INTRODUCTION 
This bulletin is based upon data obtained from nearly 600 farmers 
in the coastal plain area of Georgia who were interviewed personally. 1 
From each of these farmers a complete record was obtained covering 
the acreages and yields of the crops which he grew, the average time 
used by men and mules in different-sized crews, with different imple- 
ments, width of rows, and number of furrows for various field and 
crop operations, the hours per day and the days per month available 
for field work, and the dates of performing different operations on 
cotton, corn, peanuts, sweet potatoes, sugar cane, cowpeas, water- 
melons, oats, wheat, and rye. No data are presented for bright 
tobacco as this crop is grown only on a very small acreage on these 
farms. Because of its soil requirements, tobacco is almost entirely 
restricted to certain sections of the coastal plain not covered by this 
investigation. 
Information was collected in three different sections of the area. 
(Fig. 1.) The differences between the three sections are so slight 
that the data were combined and are presented as being representa- 
tive of the entire area. 
Although studies were made only in the one State, the data should 
be applicable to those parts of Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, North 
1 These data were collected under the direction of E. S. Haskell, formerly asisstant agriculturist in the 
Department of Agriculture, in connection with a study of farm management and farm organization in Geor- 
gia. (See United States Department of Agriculture Bulletin 648, A Farm Management Surveyin Brooks 
County, Ga., and Farmers' Bulletin 985, A System of Hog Farming in the Southeastern States.) 
13979°— 25t 1 
