34 
BULLETTX 1271, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS PER ACRE FOR RYE 
The average rate of seeding rye on these farms was 1.6 bushels 
per acre. The maximum rate was 2.3 bushels and the minimum 1.4 
bushels. The average twine requirement per acre was 1.7 pounds 
and the range 1 pound to 4 pounds per acre. On account of the 
small acreage of rye grown in the vicinity, the threshing rate has 
not become standardized as have the rates for oats and barley. 
The average rate in 1922 was 6J^ cents per bushel and the range 
5 to 8 cents. (Table 24.) 
Table 24. 
-Standard requirements per acre for rye production in southwestern 
Minnesota 
Operation and implement used 
Hours of labor 
Man 
Horse 
2 
10 
Vi 
ft 
y 2 
2 
% 
3 
i 
2H 
3^2 
Acres 
covered 
in a 10- 
hour day 
Plowing, gang plow and 5 horses 
Harrowing, 22-foot harrow and 4 horses 
Seeding, 10-foot drill and 4 horses 
Cutting, 8-foot binder and 4 horses 
Shocking 
Shock threshing 
5 
60 
20 
13H 
10 
4H 
Seed, \% bushels. 
Twine, 1% pounds. 
These requirements can be adjusted for stack threshing by sub- 
stituting for the shock-threshing hours 2.75 man hours and 3.25 
horse hours for stacking, and 1 man hour and 1.25 horse hours for 
threshing. 
DISTRIBUTION OF LABOR ON RYE 
Table 25 shows the dates between which the different operations 
on the rye crop are commonly performed and the number of days 
available for the operation during the period. 
Table 25. — Dates and work days available for different operations on the rye crop 
Operation 
Dates 
Days 
avail- 
able 
1 
Operation 
Dates 
Days 
avail- 
able 
Aug- 20 to Sept. 20.. 
Sept. 14 to Sept. 30.. 
Sept. 15 to Sept. 28.. 
July 10 to July 18. . . 
25 
13 
11 
7 
Stacking.. 
July 28 to Aug. 10... 
Aug. 25 to Sept. 30.. 
Aug. 1 to Aug. 15.. . 
10 
Harrowing. 
Stack threshing 
Shock threshing 
27 
Seeding 
11 
Cutting and shocking 
Figure 10 shows the distribution of man labor on a field of 29 acres 
of rye. This crop was shock threshed. There is a much longer 
period available for the seed-bed preparation for rye than for the 
spring-sown grain crops. The seeding may also be spread over a some- 
what longer period. The range of seeding dates on these farms was 
from September 8 to October 10. The earlier seedings are less likely 
to winterkill and most farmers plan to get their rye sown by September 
25. The harvesting operations on rye are early enough to avoid 
competition with the spring-sown grains, but may conflict seriously 
with having operations and the last cultivation of corn. 
