22 
BULLETIN 1296, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
ing is more common in the years when there is a short growth of 
straw and on farms having a large acreage of wheat. On many farms 
in the area the choice between heading and binding is influenced by 
the fact that one or two extra horses must be kept for the entire vear 
to provide for a full header crew during wheat harvest. 
STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR WHEAT PRODUCTION 
It is obviously impossible to determine accurately the effect of all 
factors affecting the use of labor, horses, and equipment. The f ollow- 
LABOR IN HEADING WHEAT 
YIELD 
FARM BUS. PER 
NO. ACRE 
7 
146 
10 
12.3 
19 
7.1 
1 
11.6 
14 
12.3 
5 
12.0 
13 
14.2 
20 
11.4 
4 
12,3 
VAN HOURS PER ACRE HORSE HOURS PER ACRE 
un,io«0 ' 2 3 4 uftlVoft 5 
1.80 
1 
! v/eightud 
3.08 
4.12 
3.05 
3.69 
3.00 
3.54 
4.36 
a90 
4.75 
■ 
1.81 
1.83 
2.06 
2.10 
2.11 
2.18 
,iU xMflltosa 
EIGHTED 
VERAGE 
3.67 
1 w 
< 
i 
n 1 1 
2.34 
3.07 
■ • | uuiui 
1 li 
! 1 1 i 1 
Fig. 
15.— Heading requires a large crew of men and horses. 
is short 
More heading is done in years when the straw 
ing standards are suggested as a guide to farmers operating in this 
area or under similar conditions who desire to check the effectiveness 
with which their labor is being used in the performance of the various 
operations in wheat production. 
Table 9. — Standard requirements for wheat operations 
Operation and size and type of equipment 
Man 
hours per 
acre 
Horse 
hours per 
acre 
Acres 
per 10-hour 
day 
Plowing: 
2-bottom gang plow and 5 horses. . .. 
1.80 
2.25 
3.00 
.50 
.29 
.50 
1.00 
.50 
.75 
.75 
1.50 
2.00 
9.00 
9.00 
9.00 
2.00 
1.43 
2.00 
4.00 
2.00 
3.00 
5.6 
2-bottom gang plow and 4 horses. 
4.4 
16-inch sulky plow and 3 horses.. 
3.3 
Disking: 
8-foot disk and 4 horses (single disking) 
20.0 
Harrowing: 
3-section harrow and 5 horses.. . ... 
35.0 
Drilling: 
8-foot drill and 4 horses 
20.0 
Listing: 
1-row lister, 4 horses.. . ._ 
10.0 
Working down ridges, 2-row sled, 4 horses ... ... 
20.0 
Binding: 
7-foot binder, 4 horses (14 bushels) . 
13.3 
Shocking: 
14-bushel yield .. .. .. 
13.3 
Stacking bundles: 
3 men and 2 teams (14-bushel yield) . 
2.00 
3.33 
20.0 
Heading: 
6 men and 10 horses, 10-foot header (14-bushel yield) 
30.0 
MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS FOR WHEAT PRODUCTION 
Wheat is seeded at the rate of 3 to 5 pecks per acre, 4 pecks being 
the usual quantity. The average useo on all farms for the three 
years was 63 pounds per acre. The lowest quantity used was 40 
pounds, and the highest 120 pounds. Some pure seed wheat is pur- 
chased by the farmers and part of the farm-grown seed is cleaned 
before seeding. 
