62 
BULLETIN 1296, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
VARIATIONS IN THE USE OF THE FARM RESOURCES BY THE DIFFERENT ENTERPRISES 
The crops grown in McPherson County use different amounts of 
labor and equipment per acre and return varied products. The classes 
of livestock use different kinds and quantities of feed, labor, shelter, 
and other equipment. The farmer needs to consider these demands 
and to choose the enterprises that will best use the available resources. 
For example, the McPherson County farmer's choice between cattle 
and hog production is greatly influenced by the fact that he produces 
large quantities of nonsalable roughage which the cattle can use, 
whereas the production of corn for feeding hogs is very uncertain. 
Consideration of the amounts of man labor and horse work required 
by the different enterprises is necessary to determine the acreage of 
the various crops that can be grown and the numbers of the different 
kinds of livestock that can be cared for by a given labor supply. 
THE USUAL PERIOD FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF FIELD CROP OPERATIONS IN 
McPHERSON COUNTY 
WHEAT 
JAN. 
10 20 
FEB. 
10 20 
MAR. 
10 20 
APR. 
MAY 
10 20 
JUNE 
JULY 
10 20 
AUG. 
10 20 
SEPT 
10 20 
OCT. 
10 20 
NOV. 
10 20 
DEC. 
10 20 
' ' 
' ' 
' ' 
' ' 
1 ' 
' ' 
DISKING OR HARROWING 
BINDING OR HEADING 
— 
■SHOCK THRESHING . 
OATS 
___ 
CORN 
LISTING 
HARROWING 
CUTTING 
ALFALFA 
SOWED SORGHUMS 
DRILLING 
SUDAN GRASS HAY 
, , 
, , 
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Fig. 29. — Most wheat farmers must have some help at wheat harvest. The oats and alfalfa have to be 
cut about the same time as the wheat, but unless the acreages are large this does not take much of a 
farmer's time. Work on the sorghums, Sudan grass, and kafir can be made to fit in with the work on 
wheat 
The relationships between enterprises majr be competitive, com- 
plementary, or supplementary. The relationship between two enter- 
prises is competitive when they demand labor and capital at the same 
time. Wheat and rye are directly competitive for the use of labor, 
horse work, and binders in harvest. By considering the distribu- 
tion of the labor requirements (fig. 29), these competitive relations 
can be determined and enterprises chosen which will dovetail into 
each other. 
The relationship between two enterprises is complementary when 
one makes a contribution to the production of the other. This rela- 
tionship exists between silage crops and cattle, between hogs and 
corn, and between feed crops and all livestock. Legumes and other 
crops are frequently complementary, because the legumes improve 
soil conditions thereby increasing the efficiency of production of 
subsequent crops. In choosing enterprises, those should be included 
