Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1924-08-29
Farm Labor Is
More Effective
Workers Have Decreased
While Mass of Crop Pro-
duction Shows Increase.

prepared BY the United States Department
Of Asricultnre.l
Farm labor became about Is per
cent more effective In crop production
during the last decade, says the United
States Department OF Agriculture. Al
though the number Of farm workers
decreased over per cent in that
period. the mass Of crop production In
creased about is per cent. The In
creased efficiency Is attributed chiefly
to the use Of more and better ma
chinery, the time saved by the use Of
automobiles, and to the fact that farm
owners and their families are working
harder or longer on account Of farm
labor shortage and high wages.
The average crop area per worker
In 1920 was 2p.4 acres. compared with
25.2 In 1910. an increase Of nearly II
per cent. The average size of farms
has also Increased, being 14S In 1920
compared with 1888 acres in 1910.
Grain and hay crops, which are espe-
clally maehlne-produced show a high
er rate Of increase tn acreage from
the average Of 100T-f3 to that Of
1923 than other crops, II is pointed
out The acreage Of oil crops In
creased about 70 per cent, whereas
that Of grains and hay increased about
IA per cent.
Better Machines Used.
More and better machines are be-
ing used since 1910. the department
says. Two-bottom sulky plows, for
example, have in many cnses replaced
walking plows. and two-row cultiva-
tors are being used instead Of one
row cultivators. SO long as land n
more plentiful than labct, high pro-
iuctlon per worker Is the economic
objective instead OF high production per
acre, the department points out. Hence.
farmers are dlsplaclng human labor
with machinery.
The automobile, which made posi-
bic a saving In human time. was one
of the great gifts to the farmer dur
Ing the decade. the department says.
In 1920 the census found that 1,9Tp, 564
farms in the United States had 2.140,-
1862 automobiles. These farms com
prised nearly 81 per cent Of all farms,
but in some sections of the country
the percentage Of misunderstanding
farms was as high as IS per cent. Ap-
proximately rs per cent Of the use Of
automobiles on farms ls for business
purposes, the department has found
There has also been a substitution
Of animal power for human power
during the decade, as indicated by the
Increased ratio OF horses and mules
to agricultural workers In 1910 there
were 1.94 horses and mules per agri.
cultural worker, and In 1920 the aver
age was 2.13, showing an increase Of
II per cent.
The ratio Of crop acreage to num-
Der of horses and mules has also In
creased, being 1873 acres in 1920, as
compared with 12.9 acres In 1910.
Motor trucks on farms at the time
Of the 1920 census were much less
numerous than automobiles and slight.
ly less than tractors. There were
1870, 1853 motor trucks on 1871, 55l farms.
Nearly per cent Of the farms in
the Middle Atlantic states had motor
trucks. These time-savers have given
the farner In large degree another
pair Of hands, the department says.
They have not Increased his leisure
time. but have multiplied the effective
ness of his labor.
Efficiency Not Diminished.
1t seems probable that the efH.
cheney of farm labor at the end Of the
decade 10000 has not diminished In
the three subsequent years, the depart
ment says. A net loss Of 100000 per
sons, allowing for births and deaths
* the agricultural population during
1922 was estimated by the department
This figure includes men. women and
children which would make the man
labor loss around 175000 men, No
estimate for 1923 has been made. but
i is thought probable that there was
I continued reduction Of the agricul-
tural population, particularly as there
was great Industrial activity last year
and farmers were at continued eco
nomic disadvantage In the purchasing
power Of their products.
There Is reason to suppose, the de-
partment says, that crop production
last year, which was average, and a
smaller number of persons with ae-
ieultural occupations combined to in
dicate an increased efficiency Of farm
labor a little above the IS per cent
Of 1923 over 1901-13. especially
since the aids to that labor have in
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