40 BULLETIN 1271, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
Table 31. — Horse-labor requirements per acre, by operations for wild hay, 1921 
Acres 
per 
farm 
Yield 
(tons 
per 
acre) 
Hours per acre 
Farm No. 1 
Mowing 
Raking 
Hauling 
and 
stacking 
Total 
7 - 
11 
12 
5 
5 
13 
23 
14 
3 
15 
2 
12 
27 
1.0 
1.9 
1.0 
1.1 
1.9 
1.8 
1.4 
1.0 
1.6 
1.1 
1.7 
1.0 
1.52 
1.12 
2.72 
1.80 
2.87 
2.85 
3.28 
2.30 
2.12 
3.34 
3.27 
4.68 
0.38 
4.00 
5.32 
6.64 
3.79 
5.14 
4.86 
4.56 
6.90 
2.18 
5.56 
12.10 
14.58 
5.90 
2 
6.44 
10 -.-- 
.84 
1.14 
.45 
1.12 
1.66 
1.54 
2.72 
1.66 
.32 
.51 
10.2O 
9 .- 
6.73 
12 
8.46 
20.. 
8.83 
17 
9.50 
13 
10.74 
15 
7.02 
6 
10.56 
14 
15.69 
21 
19.77 
Average: 
12 farms, 1921 _ 
11.83 
18.12 
12.96 
1.4 
1.1 
.9 
3.04 
2.58 
2.16 
1.04 
1.11 
.90 
7.11 
5.08 
4.42 
11. 19 
11 farms, 1920 
8. 77 
9 farms, 1922 . ..... 
7.48 
1 Farms are arrayed in order of total man-labor requirements, beginning with the lowest. 
CAUSES FOR VARIATIONS IX LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR WILD HAY 
The high labor requirements on farms 6 and 13 were due to the 
small fields. The requirement for each operation was higher than 
for the corresponding operation on tame hay on these same farms, 
although the tame hay yield was much higher. 
The high labor requirements on farm 21 were due to the fact that 
the wild hay was on rented land 8 miles distant from the farmstead. 
The high requirements, especially for hauling, on farm 14, were due 
to hauling all hay to the barn from a field three-fourths of a mile 
distant. 
The low labor requirements for raking on farms 7, 12, 14, and 21 
were due to the fact that only parts of the field were raked. The 
remainder was picked up directly from the swath with a hay buck. 
The difference between the hauling and stacking requirements on 
farms 7 and 10 was due to the fact that all hay on farm 7 was stacked 
in the field with a sweep rake and stacker, whereas it was all pitched 
onto a wagon and hauled to the barn on farm 10. 
The higher labor requirement for stacking on farm 2, as compared 
with farm 7, was due to the higher yield. All other conditions on 
these two farms were comparable. The average labor requirements 
for the three years also reflect the effect of increased yield in increasing 
labor requirements. 
STANDARD REQUIREMENTS PER ACRE FOR WILD-HAY PRODUCTION IN SOUTHWEST- 
ERN MINNESOTA 
Those farmers who put up their wild hay with the least labor rake 
it into windrows, pick it up with a sweep rake, and stack it with a 
swinging stacker. Assuming these practices and a yield of 1.25 tons 
per acre, the standard labor requirements for the crop are suggested 
in Table 32. 
