A STUDY OF FARM ORGANIZATION IN CENTRAL KANSAS 
41 
LABOR REQUIREMENTS 
The yearly average labor requirements for prairie hay, sowed sor- 
ghums, and Sudan grass for hay are shown in Tables 21 and 22. The 
small areas in these crops, the variations in yields, and the fact that 
these crops are usually cared for in slack seasons or as odd jobs when 
time can De spared from the major crops, combine to account for the 
variations in requirements. 
Labor on these crops is usually shifted to the most convenient 
time, with the exception of seeding and the harvesting of the sorghum and 
Sudan grass when a killing frost has occurred or seems very probable. 
Standards for labor requirements on prairie hay will be somewhat 
greater than the standards for similar operations for alfalfa hay because 
of the smaller size and more irregular shape of the fields in prairie hay. 
Standards for labor requirements in the seed-bed preparation for 
sowed sorghums and Sudan grass are essentially the same as for plow- 
ing, disking, and harrowing for other spring crops. The seeding 
approximates the seeding of oats. The mowing and raking of these 
crops requires 25 to 100 per cent more time than mowing and raking 
alfalfa. This variation is due to the difference in yield. With a 
yield of 2.5 tons, 4-man hours per acre is a good standard for shocking 
sorghums. Four-man hours and 4-horse hours per acre give a good 
standard for stacking Sudan grass for hay }4elding 1.5 tons per acre. 
Table 21. — Man labor requirements per acre for prairie hay, sowed sorghums, and 
Sudan grass for hay 
Item 
Yield 
per acre 
Total 
seed-bed 
prepara- 
tion 
Drilling 
Mowing 
Raking 
Stack- 
ing 
Shock- 
ing 
Total 
PRAIRIE HAT 
Average: 
55 acres, 1922 1 
Tons 
0.9 
.8 
1.2 
3.2 
1.3 
1.6 
.8 
Hours 
Hours 
Hours 
1.73 
.95 
1.26 
2.81 
1.27 
1.36 
1.48 
Hours 
0.56 
.55 
.84 
4.01 
1.94 
.79 
.66 
Hours 
3.71 
3.46 
4.57 
Hours 
Hours 
6.00 
94 acres, 1921... 
4.96 
83 acres, 1920 
6.67 
SOWED SORGHUM 
Average: 
47 acres, 1922 
4.33 
3.38 
3.25 
4.01 
0.96 
.69 
.69 
1.07 
8.57 
2.33 
20.68 
26 acres, 1921 
9.61 
SUDAN GRASS HAY 
Average : 
37 acres, 1922 
5.90 
4.31 
11.99 
32 acres 1921 
11.53 
Table 22. — Horse work requirements per acre for prairie hay, sowed sorghums, 
and Sudan grass for hay 
Item 
PRAIRIE HAY 
Average: 
55 acres, 1922 
94 acres, 1921 
83 acres, 1920 
SOWED SORGHUMS 
Average: 
47 acres, 1922..- 
26 acres, 1921 
SUDAN GRASS HAY 
ge: 
37 acres, 1922 
32 acres, 1921 
Yield 
per acre 
Tons 
0.88 
.84 
1.17 
3.2 
1.3 
Total 
seed-bed 
prepara- 
tion 
operation 
Hours 
17.73 
13.53 
13.37 
16.81 
Drilling Mowing 
Hours 
3.03 
4.28 
Hours 
1.91 
2.51 
5.62 
2.54 
2.99 
2.96 
Raking 
Hours 
1.12 
1.10 
1.68 
8.02 
1.59 
1.32 
Stack- 
ing 
Hours 
3.95 
5.12 
Total 
Hours 
8.53 
6.61 
9.o'l 
35.23 
22.72 
27.75 
30.15 
