A STUDY OF FARM ORGANIZATION IN CENTRAL KANSAS 
11 
LABOR AND MATERIALS USED IN CROP PRODUCTION 
Knowledge of the labor, materials, and equipment used in the 
production of different crops is necessary when decisions must be 
made as to what crops to grow. A farmer should have these facts 
in mind also in determining the acreage of the various crops which he 
should produce on his farm. Not only is it important to know the 
quantities of the various items of input which are required for the 
production of different crops; in order to make these decisions 
intelligently, he must also know the seasonal distribution of the 
demands of the various crops for attention. 
A careful study of the use of labor, materials, and equipment on 
different farms in the production of a particular crop reveals the 
fact that there are variations from farm to farm in the amounts 
MONTHLY RAINFALL AT McPHERSON, KANS. 
RAINFALL 
INCHES 
1920 
1921 1922 
10 YEAR AV. 
1913-1922 
mi . 
:.i li 
;ll 
1 lL 
0. 
A. 
C 
Fig. 6.— The rainfall in this area varies considerably from year to year. The rainfall of 1920 was mere 
nearly normal than that of other years during the study 
of these factors used per acre or per unit of product. These varia- 
tions are the result of the diversity of conditions existing on different 
farms. In so far as these conditions are within the control of the 
farmer, he must decide whether the possible gains to be secured from 
the use of larger machines and teams, the rearrangement of fields, 
or other changes are sufficient to warrant making the changes. In the 
following pages, man labor and horse work used by several farmers 
in the different operations which are commonly performed in the 
production of the crops of this area are presented. An attempt is 
made to explain some of the significant variations that are found, 
so that a consideration of these factors will help the individual 
farmer to determine what his requirements should be with the 
conditions under which he is working. 
Following the analysis of the variations found in the performance 
of the different operations, standard requirements for these operations 
are given. These standards represent what may reasonably be 
expected under the conditions ordinarily prevailing. They represent 
an accomplishment somewhat above the average of that found and 
are suggested as standards with which farmers in the area may 
