The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1925-07-21
rARMER'S CAPACITY
GREATLY INCREASED
ARrE TO HANDLE THREE
IL TINES AS MUCH ACREAGE
AS IS YEARS AGO.


result Of the increased use of
ar and labor saving machinery in
POM .,,,ing operations and the opening of
ID r5nds we'll suited TO the use of
H'. ~ the average agricultural
A1r .f.er in the United States is now
VIZ Ta IN care for almost three times as
doir a,, acres of crops as an individual
n s'Jj handle IS years ago, according
GU. study made by the division of
0-;r,Itural engineering of the United
g. Department of Agriculture. At
.ta anne time the hours of labor on
. . farm have been reduced and farm
". have been relieved of much OF the
,nogotony and drudgery which for
Iii. characterized their work.
power and labor together account
~ ,onroximately 90 per cent of the
~! .24i cost of farming, and a better
t.ooyredge of the power requirements
81 farm operations and the adoption
u more efficient types of power units
iii do much to cut down production
Leads in Power Consumption.
The primary horsepower available
for use on farms is creators than that
reed in mining and manufacturing, and
: second only to that required for
raiDroads. The total power used an
nmal1v on farms amounts to nearly 10
b;llion horsepower-ho and the an
onat cost amounts to a total of nearly
billion dollars.
IrD to the present little scientific
study has been made of the basic
oower requirements of various farm
6oerations. Although the pillow is one
If the oldest agricultural tools for
which power is required, the funda
mental requirements of pillow design
are still unknown and no satisfactory
method of measuring the actual work
done by pillow has yet been diScov-
cred. The University of Wisconsin has
conducted experiments which show
that it is possible to run an ensilage
cutter with one-ha1f the power ordi-
rarilv used by this machine simply by
employing proper speeds and an inn
proved blower.
Farm power is derived from ami
mails. gas engines (including tractors,
trucks and automobiles), steam en-
gines and electric, wind and water mo-
TORS Up to about 90 years ago little
power other than that furnished by
animals was available to farmers. The
small gas tractor, the truck, the au-
tomobie and electric power have only
become important as sources OF farm
power within the last 10 or II years.
Power Units on Farms.
The estimated total numbers OF
power units now on farms in the
H g,,,rs -. 100000
Mnles ............... 4,654000
0ver .................... 100000
Tractors .......-..... ......-..... 100000
Trucks ...... ............ $4,000
Stationary engines -.---.----,,---- Z,2OO, wy
Electric installations ----..-..-- soy 000
W;rdnills .. .........- 100000
4ntonobiles .......... 100000
The primary Interpretations util-
ized annually per worker varies from
$50 in Alabama to 10000 in California,
the average being $500 horsepower
hours per worker. Farm management
studies and various surveys indicate
that the average agricultural worker
is employed in productive labor ap-
proximately 5000 hours year. which
means that about one Interpretations
of power is utilized for each two hours
Of human labor, varying in different
localities from IS horsepower-hour to
1zs horsepower hours per hour o.
human labor.
Great opportunities exist for the
cutting down of the cost of farm oper-
atoms though the reduction in the la
Dor requirements of each operation
and by a better application OF the
power used Before such savings can
be effected, however, it is necessary
to make a thorough study OF the basic
power requirements, and of the factors
which affect these requirements.
Among these are: climate; character
OF the soil; depth of blowing, cultiva-
ting, etc, condition of the crops size
Of fields; size and type of power units
needed, and mechanical efficiency OF
the tools of machines used.
Topography a Factor.
Topography is a factor to be reck-