The Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1919-current, 1920-10-01


prepared by the United States Depart.
ment OF AgricultureD
The relative efficiency OF plows Of
different sizes the value of the tractor
compared with horses. the saving eff
fected by corn binders, h'y leaders,
and numerous other implements and
other facts bearing on farm manage
ment are discussed by specialists of
the Office Of farm management, In a
bulletin recently issued. The publlca-
ton discusses In detail the standard
days work in central Illinois; that Is.
the amount Of work that the 600 farm
ers included in the investigation ordl-
narily do In that part of the work day
devoted to given farm operation,
such AZ the number OF acres plowed
with II given equipment. In some in
stances the rate OF work Is given In
the bulletin in number of minutes per
load, as In loading and unloading hay.
or hauling and spreading manure.
From the figures published one may
get good Idea Of the rate AT which
different farm operations are done in
the parts of the corn belt In question.
For example, II Is shown that one man
does from 20 to so per cent more with
the 2S-inch horse-drawn gang pillow
than with the one-bottom 16-lnch pillow.
Figures are given for spring and fall
blowing, narrowing, planting, cultivat-
Ing. harvesting. husklng. seeding, I'M
loading ear corn. unloading oats, load
ing and unloading hay, and hauling
and spreading manure. The bulletin
is entitled THE Standard Days Work
In Central Illinois," Copies may be
had by addressing the United States
department Of agriculture, Washing
ton. ID. c.
The farms represented by this In
qulry are fairly typical Of those
throughout the middle western states.
since the average crop area Is 1914
acres and an average Of 32.l acres Il
never planted TO crops. Corn Is the
principal product, at least one-half Of
the crop area being devoted TO II. and
the oat crop Is SECOND In importance.
The ground cultivated In most in
stances Is level. and so represents cas-
Ter working conditions than rolling of
rugged country.
The average time spent In the field.
exclusive of the time used In going
to and returning from the field. at
morning. noon. and night, Is reported
by these men as ten hours and ten
minutes per day devoted to spring
field work and corn cultivation; nine
hours and 80 minutes for haying and
grain harvesting; nine hours and 30
minutes for fall blowing and preparing
ground; and nine hours and 20 min
utes for corn harvest.
Important Facts Emphasized.
Among the significant facts brought
out by this inquiry may be mentioned
the following:
Under conditions where the use OF
two-row corn cultlyatOr Is practicable,
this machine enables one man on these
farms to cover nearly twice as much
ground per duy MS with one.row cult.
vator. Three horses are most com.
monty used on the two.row cultivator
and the addition of II fourth horse mp.
parently increases but little the amount
Of ground covered per day.
These farmers find that the use OF
corn binder increases the efficiency
OF man labor 20 per cent over that
achieved when cutting and shocking by
hand.
Eighty bushels was an average days
work on these farms for one man when
husklng corn from the standing stalk
by hand.
The use OF portable elevator re-
duceS the time required TO unload grain
into the bin by about - per cent
The use Of hay loader reduces by
about - per cent the time required to
put on load of hay. The amount of
labor required for unloading into the
NOV is only n little more than half
rs great when a hayfork Is used MS
when the work II done by hand.
The men In this territory who use
manure spreuder' haul unI spread a
given amount Of manure In les, than
half the time required by men who
haul In wagons aud spread by hand.
A large majority NJ the men report.
ing broadcast their small grain using
endgnte scedcrs attached to the
box Of mn ordinary wagon. , Ny about
- per cent ~ the farmers reporting
own grain drills.
The bulletin nnnlyzcs cnch field op.
Grafton from the standpoint II man.
labor requirements, horse.lnbor re-
qulreyents, size Of machine etc. The
manner In which the data on blowing
have been summarized Is typical OF the
way In which several subjects are
treated. About 81 per cent Of the
farmers reported the Use Of sulky
plows, about 50 per cent stnted that
they use horse-drnwn gang plows and
II per cent reported the use Of tractors
for blowing.
t6.ineh suIky Plows Popular
A large majority Of the farmers use
iG-lnch sulky plows, nearly NIL Of
them with three horses In the rprlng.
Three acres Is an average days work
for this OUTFIT For the comparatively
few farmers using ls.Inch sulky plows
with three horses IN spring plowI11f
about three ncres IL an average da,
w'lrk. while Theoretically the i0-In
pl3w should cover about 10 per GO