The Ordway new era., 1919-06-20
SAVE LABOR IN
GROWING BEETS
Use of More Horses and Larger
Implements Reduces Work
of Farm Laborers.
COMPARISON OF PLoW CREWS
Approximately One Hour an Acre
Less of Man Labor Is Necessary
to Operate PIow Drawn by
Three Horses Than by Two.

prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
Many farmers are solving the labor
problem by using larger implements
and more horses. Such practices have
enabled sugar-beet growers greatly to
reduce their expenses for man labor
and increase their operations. The
normal man labor required in growing
sugar beets Will vary from so to 135
hours or more an acre.
Under average conditions, where
more horses and larger implements
are used, the man labor on machine
operations will be reduced approx
mately % per cent.
A direct comparison of plowinS
crews in Michigan and Ohio, where
conditions under which the work is
done are uniform, shows that approxi-
mately one hour an acre less of man
labor is necessary to operate plow
drawn by three horses than by two.
With the larger outfit, as also when
tractor is used, float or plank can
be attached to the plow, and thus the
breaking of cloddy surface can be
done with little additional effort or
cost. In dlsking in the Michigan and
Ohio districts it was found that
four-horse outfit saves one-quarter of
an hour of man labor an hour over
the two-horse equipment.
Saving in Sugar Beets.
Cultivation of sugar beets furnishes
striking contrast in crew efficiency.
that 10 man-hours an acre were re-
quired to cultivate once over with
one-row implement, 1.6 man-hours
with n two-row cultivator, and only o
of man-hour for n four-row cultiva-
tor-a distinct saving in man labor by
using the four-rOw machine. AS many
fields require attention before 1t is
possible for the grower to get the
work accomplished, any saving of Ia
bor and time is an advantage to the
growing crops and affords more man
labor for crops competing with the
sugar beet In the distribution Of labor.
Under average conditions a crew of
\ one man and two horses working con-
tlnuously will lift approximately 1h
acres of beets day. A crew of one
man and four horses will probably In
crease this area to two acres, or pos
sibly 2k acres day under favorable
conditions The performance of the
lifting implement can be improved still
further with the addition of more
horse power. II, by using an extra
horse on the litter, this work can be
performed In shorter period, more
time will be available for hauling the
beets to the factory or loading station.
Harvesters Mean Further Economy.
An appreciable saving In farm labor
will undoubtedly be accomplished
through the development of mechanic
nj harvesters. The hand labor on
sugar beets, comprising such opera
tions as blocking. thinning, hoeing.
pulling, topping and loading, consti-
tutes from 81 to 70 per cent Of the to-
tai man labor required In growing the
crop. The pulling. topping and load
ing, when combined. make up "a to AZ
per cent of the work. Estimates made
by several growers show variation
of "a to 80 hours in the labor require
ment for the hand work in harvesting.
1t is very apparent, says the bulletin,
that this amount can be reduced to n
few hours an acre with the introduc-
ton of the mechanical harvester.