30 
BULLETIN 1296, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
drilled on cornstalk ground. The entire acreage was harrowed after 
seeding to cover the seed better. Ten acres were threshed from the 
shock in July and 20 acres were stacked and threshed in October. 
Usual dates for performing the different operations in the production of oats 
Operation 
Dates 
Days or- 
dinarily 
available 
for field 
work 
Mar. 1 to Mar. 10 
G 
Binding and shocking 
June 24 to July 3 
6 
Stacking _ . 
July 5 to July 20 
10 
Shock threshing 
July 10 to July 31 
The seed-bed preparations are performed any time after the com- 
pletion of wheat seeding in the fall up to time for seeding oats. There 
is not much uniformity in these practices, but there is usually little 
or no interference between this work and other farm work. 
CORN 
Corn is grown in this area primarily as a feed crop, and the rough- 
age is frequently as important as the grain produced. Corn ordi- 
narily follows wheat, but some is planted after corn and oats or 
other feed crops. Most of the corn is listed in. The listing may 
be preceded by some disking or harrowing, but usually there is no 
preparation of the seed bed prior to listing. Where a corn planter 
is used, the land is plowed and harrowed before planting and then 
usually harrowed one or more times after planting. Listed corn is 
frequently harrowed after the listing. Following the harrowing, a 
sled or 2-row lister cultivator is used for " throwing out" and " throw- 
ing in" and a cultivator for a third cultivation. 
During the period covered by this study, from 20 to 40 per cent 
of the corn produced on the farms studied was put into silos. From 
20 to 30 per cent was husked from standing stalks, and the remainder 
cut and husked from the shock or fed in the bundle as fodder. 
LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR CORN PRODUCTION 
Labor used in the production of corn prior to the cutting or husk- 
ing is shown in Tables 14 and 15. The acre labor requirements for 
sledding and cultivation are also shown graphically m Figures 19 
and 20. 
