Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1920-06-15
prepared by the United STATES Depart
ment of Agriculture.)

Binder Increases Efficiency of
prepared by the United STATES Depart
ment of Agricultural
The relative efficiency of plows of
different sizes. the value of the tractor
compared with horses. the saving eff
fected by corn binders, hay lOaders,
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 publica-
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 ordi-
narily do In that part of the work day
devoted to given farm operation,
such as the number Of acres plowed
with 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, 1t Is shown that one man
does from 20 to so per cent more with
the 28-inch horse-drawn gang pillow
than with the one-bottOm 16-inch plOw
Figures are given for spring and fall
blowing, narrowing, planting, cultivat-
inp har h1tSI-in.r cAAdinty
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. d. c.
The farms represented by this in
qury are fairly typical of those
throughout the middle western states
since the average crop area IS 1914
acres and an average of 321 acres is
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 OFF
| 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
Inv md fnr,
minutes per day devoted to spring
field work and corn cultivation; nine
hours and 30 minutes for haying and
grain harvesting; nine hours and &c
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 q
twO-roW corn cultivator is practicable
this machine enables one man on these
farms TO cover nearly twice as much
ground per day as with a OncrOw cult
vator Three horses are most com
monty used on the two-row cultivatOr
and the addition of fourth horse ap-
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 so 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
husking corn from the standing stalk
by hand.
The use of a portable elevator re-
duces the time required to unload grain
into the bin by about Is per cent.
The use of a hay loader reduces by
about 25 per cent the time required to
put on load of hay. The amount of
labor required for unloading into the
NOW is only little more than half
as great when a hayfork is used as
when the work is done by hand.
The men In this territory who use
manure spreaders haul and spread a
given amount of manure In less than
half the time required by men who
haul in wagons and spread by hand
A large majority Of the men report
ing broadcast their small grain. using
endgate seeders attached to the
box of an ordinary wagon. Only about
% per cent of the farmers reporting
own grain drills.
The bulletin analyses each field OBJ
GRAFTON from the standpoint of man
labor requirements, hOrse-labOr re-
quirements, 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 80 per cent of the
farmers reported the use of sulky
plows. about 80 per cent stated that
they use hOrse-drawn gang pIows, and
ii per cent reported the use of tractors
for blowing.
16-Inch SuIky PIows Popular.
A large majority Of the farmers use
16-inch sulky plOws, nearly all OF
them with three horses In the spring
Three acres is an average days work
for this outfit. For the comparatively
few farmers using 14-inch sulky plows
with three horses In spring, blowing
about three acres is an average days
work. While theoretically the 16-inct
pillow should cover about ID per cen
more ground IN the same length Of
Most Profitable Layers.
The age when hens are most prof