South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-06-15
BUSY SEASON IN
CORN BELT FROM
JUNE | To JULY |
Demand for Labor Usually
Crowded to Limit for
Numero4S Crops
This Year.

July 10. During this period the
| labor schedule Of the average corn
! belt farm is crowded TO the limit
| by the most important operations
OF the year-the cultivation OF corn.
making Of alfalfa, clover and mixed
| hay. and the harvesting Of oats and
wheat This season is now open
| ing in the most vital year that the
| agriculture OF the country has
/ known, and there will doubtless be.
J difficulty in meeting the labor re-
! qUirements at the more critical
stages.
| The Cultivation or Corn.
BY the use OF such implements
as the harrow. weeder. and rotary
| hoe. the labor OF cultivation may
be materially reduced. In many
! instances the sprouting corn is gone
! over with one of these implements
two or even three times before cul-
| tivation between the rows. thus
keeping down weeds and putting
| the surface soil in excellent filth.
The TNvO-Row CultivatOr.
Perhaps the greatest saving in
man labor in corn cultivation is ef-
! fected by the use of the two-row
| cultivator. which is especially suit
ed 10 work on level fields such as
predominant throughout the corn
! belt. Out Of 2S7 farms visited in
| recent investigation by the Unit
/ ed states department Of agriculture,
! 3c farms reported both one-row
/ and two-row cultivators, and on ten
4 OF these the two-row cultivator was
used exclusively. With this imple-
ment one man with three horses
may do practically the work OF two
men and four horses with One-row
Cultivators. With the one-row cult
vator. a man can cover from five 10
eight acres per day; with the two
row cultivator from ten 10 fifteen
acres. BY the use or one extra
horse and a two-row cultivator the
| efficiency of each man employed is
thus practically doubled.
Putting Up Hay.
If the cultivation of corn were
the only job TO claim attention dur
! ing this period the labor situation
would be an easy matter, but before
the cultivation is we'll under way
| those who have alfalfa must quit
/ the corn, some time between June
l and 10. to take care of the first
| cutting of alfalfa hay. Glover har-
vest follows about June j. 10 %.
| This being a season when the
weather is often unfavorable for
| taking care of hay il is Of utmost
/ importance that rapid methods OF
handling these crops be used. not
| only TO save time for corn cultiva-
ton. but TO insure a good quality
of hay. 4 big advantage is gained
! by having adequate hay machinery
| in first class condition.
The Barn Fork and Hay Sling.
The barn fork is indispensable bic
where any amount of hay is to be
| handled Luckily tn the corn belt
most barns are thus equipped, but
the hay sling is not so common. The
use OF one Of these slinss. laid fat
on the wagon rack before loading.
saves much time in cleaning up the
! last OF the load, which otherwise
must be pitched 10 the NOV by
hand.
| Delivery Rake and Hay Loader
BY the use of the side-delivery
/ rake and hay loader the hay
can be cured mainly in the wind
row and then can be taken up by
+, the loader. thus saving time and
! eliminating the labor Of shocking
and OF pitching by hand. ii il rains
! the windows can be turned again
/ by the rake. all hand labor IN turn
| Ing the hay being thus avoided.
! crew Of six men and eight horses
with a good hay loader and an et-
fective barn fork and sling proper
| ~ used will put in the barn from
! two 70 three tons OF hay per hour
The Buck Rake and Hay Stacker.
| Perhaps the fastest and most ef-
| fective way OF handling hay is oy
| the use OF the buck rake and some
effective form OF hay stacker. such
a combination is not often seen in
the corn belt. but where there Is
| any great amount OF hay to be put
| in stacks these tools viii prove OF
great value. By this method the
hay may be shocked or taken d.
rectly from the windroV, in the lat
ter case eliminating the labor Of
! shocking. which is very desirable,
il weather conditions are good. Five
men and siN horses viii stack from
two and one half - ,Aree tons on
hay per hour with such an outht
when handled effectively and there
are many homemade stacking de
vices in successful use.
The Hayiug Grew.
10 Is highly important that the
hsying crew DC large enough 20 DO
/ effective work In many instances
it Is difficult 10 hire enough extra
labor 10 handle the hay crop 20 the
best advantage IN such cases II Is
otter advanta geous 10 have sood
equipment which requires several
men. and exchange labor with one
| or more OF the neighooring farms.
With good equipment and = fall
crew. the hay ON Two farms c-n
generally be handled in less time
than that OF single farm with d
smaller crew and with less effective
machinery.
INC Advantages 81 Planning
This year. tho advantage in haV-