A STUDY OF FARM ORGANIZATION IN CENTRAL KANSAS 
29 
STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR OATS 
Since the same operations are performed in the production of oats 
and of wheat and the same equipment and team used, the standards 
set up for wheat production on page 22 will also serve for oats. 
It is true, however, that the oats acreages are usually smaller and 
consequently the standards will not be so easily attained by the 
individual in the production of oats as in the case of wheat, and as 
this work is done in the spring, the teams are not yet hardened to 
steady work and there is less rush in getting the work done than 
in the case of the wheat. 
MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR OATS 
The usual rate for seeding oats is from 8 to 10 pecks per acre. 
The average rate of seeding for three years was 8 % pecks per acre, 
the lowest quantity seeded being 5 pecks and the highest Yiy 2 pecks. 
The quantity of twine used for binding oats varies directly with 
the yield. In 1922, 0.8 pound per acre was used for a crop yielding 
11 bushels per acre, whereas 4.1 pounds were used for a crop yielding 
DISTRIBUTION OF MAN LABOR ON 
ACRES OF OATS 
MAN. 
HOURS 
60 
50 
U0 
30 
20 
I 
II 
10 20 10 20 
JAN. FEB. 
10 20 10 20 
MAR. APR. 
10 20 
MAY 
10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 10 20 
JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC. 
Fig. 18.— Oats are seeded early in March when there is no work on wheat to be done, but they conflict 
directly with wheat at harvest. Oats are often seeded on land that was seeded to wheat in the fall but 
failed to come through the winter in good condition 
36 bushels per acre. The average quantities of twine used for bind- 
ing oats in 1920, 1921, and 1922 were 2.7, 1.6, and 1.9 pounds, respec- 
tively. The average yields for these years were 33.3, 18.3, and 23.3 
bushels. Two pounds of twine per acre are ordinarily required 
for a 25-bushel yield. 
The threshing rate for oats in 1922 was from 5 to 10 cents per 
bushel, depending primarily upon the crew included with the thresher. 
The most common rate for oats threshed from the shock was 10 
cents; 6 and 8 cents per bushel were the most common rates paid for 
stack threshing. 
DISTRB3UTION OF LABOR ON OATS 
The usual dates for performing the different operations in pro- 
ducing oats in this region are shown below. Oats compete directly 
with wheat for labor at harvest time. However, a considerable part 
of the labor on oats comes in the early spring when it interferes but 
little with other farm enterprises. 
Figure 18 shows the daily distribution of man labor on 30 acres 
of oats. Twenty-four acres were plowed before seeding and 6 acres 
