Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1924-08-28
Farm Labor Is
More Effective
Workers Have Decreased
While Mass Of Crop Pro
duction Shows Increase.

prepared by the United States Department
of iAgrcuture.)
Farm labor became about 18 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 4 per cent in that
period, the mass Of crop production in
creased about 10 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 loRger on account Of farm
labor shortage and high wages.
The average crop area per worker
In 1920 was 29.4 ACRES, compared with
25.2 In 1910, an increase Of nearly IL
per cent. The average size Of farms
has also increased, being 148 in 1920
compared with 1873 acres in 1910.
Grain and hay crops, which are espe-
cially machine-produced show high
er rate of Increase in acreage from
the average of 1907-13 to that Of
1923 than other crops, it is pointed
out The acreage Of all crops In
creased about IL 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 cases replaced
walking plows. and tworow cultiva-
tors are being used instead of one
row eultivators. SO long as land Is
more plentiful than labor, high pro-
duction per worker Is the economic
objective instead Of high production per
acre, the department points out. Hence,
farmers are displacing human labor
with machinery.
The automobile, which made posi-
BILE 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 1925
362 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 SO per cent. APP
proximately 70 per cent of the use of
automobiles on farms is for business
purposes, the department has found.
There has also been substitution
of animal power for human power
during the decade, as indicated by the
increased ratio Of horse7 and mules
to agricultural workers. In 1910 there
were LA 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 1928 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
139,1e9 motor trucks on 1851 farms.
Nearly 5 per cent Of the farms in
the Middle Atlantic states had motor
trucks. These time-savers have given
the farmer 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 eff
cheney of farm labor at the end Of the
decade $4,000 has not diminished in
the three subsequent years, the depart
ment says. A net loss of 100000 per-
sons allowing for births and deaths,
of 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 175,O00 men. No
estimate for 1923 has been made, but
1t is thought probable that there was
a continued reduction of the agricul-
tural population, particularly as there
was great Industrial activity last year
and farmers were at a continued eco
monte 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
smaller number of persons with ag-
ricultural occupations combined to in
dictate an increased efficiency of farm
labor little. above the Is per cent
of 1923 over 1907-1S, especially
since the aids to that labor have In
some respects Increased since 1920.