The Colorado statesman., 1917-11-17
Several Methods Are Suggested
by Uncle Sans Agricul-
tural Experts.
LARGER IMPLEMENTS URGED
Difference in Cost often Paid for In
One Season by the Saving That
Is Made in Labor, 1t
is Declared.

Agricultural efficiency, in this ma
tlonal emergency. 1t is pointed out by
experts of Uncle Sans department
of agriculture, is in considerable
measure a matter of efficiency in the
use of farm machinery. Man labor is
scarce. The lack must be made up
largely by better utilization of men,
horses and tractors now on farms.
There are three important ways, the
experts point out, in which the more
efficient farmers improve on tradition
nj methods of using labor for field
operations, namely, Q they increase
the horse power per man by increasing
the size of teams; (2) they increase
the area covered per man and per team
by substituting largcr-sized imple-
ments for smaller ones, and (3) they
increase the area covered in n given
time by increasing the size of fields.
Larger Horse Power Per Man.
To increase horse power per man
the farmer merely drives three
horse team, where before he drove but
two horses, or four-horse or five
horse team instead of a three-horse
team. This is perhaps the simplest
expcdient, it is urged, for increasing
labor efficiency on the farm, and one
which is already very generally prac-
ticed by our farmers. Where horse
labor is abundant and man labor scarce
doubling up teams effects a material
saving of labor. even without any in
crease in the size of implements used,
since naturally the large team works
more easily and more rapidly than n
smaller one.
When the doubling of teams is ac-
compauied by the introduction of
larger implements, a further saving
of man labor and of time is effected.
For example, one man with a two-rOw
cultlvatOr will cultivate twice the crop
area per day covered by the man with
one-row cultivator. Thus, too, un-
der favorable conditions, an eight-foot
mower or binder will cover much more
ground in day than will n siX-foot
machine. Similar economies may be
effected with other machines, where
small-sized implements are the rule.
In general the larger-slzed machines
cost but little more than the smaller
ones indeed, the difference is so small
that one seasons saving in man labor
through the use of big machine will
often pay the excess in cost over that
of one of the smaller size, it is de-
clared.
Large Fields Are Best.
Resort to the third expedient, 1t Is
suggested, for increasing labor efii-
cheney in field operations, namely. en-
larging fields, depends in great meas
ure on the lay of the land. Where the
land is level or rolling, and two ad-
joining fields to be plowed can be
plowed as one If a fence between is
removed. II is often worth while to
tear away the fence and throw the
two fields into one.
Farm-mana cement studies by ex-
perts of the department have shown
that the size of farm is the controll-
ing factor az regards efficiency in the
use of human labor, horse labor and
machinery en- farms. That is to say,
other things being equal, the larger
the farm tie more crop acres worked
per man. 1T is not possible, of course
for the average farmer to increase the
size of his farm at will to meet an
emergency. but many will find it pos
sible to sain at once a measure of
the advantage of a large farm by
making tEeir fields as large and as few
in number as is possible under the con-
ditions OK topography and rotation.