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Washington, D. C.

CROPS

By

A. D. McNAIR, Farm Management Specialist
* Bureau of Agricultural Economics

X CONTENTS

How These Data May Be Used
Scope of Study .
Method of Gathering Data . 5
Construction of Charts . °
Labor Requirements of Specified eee 5
Interpretation of the Tables and Charts .
Calculation of Approximate Cost of Production
“Improvement of Crop Systems . AR
How to Calculate Crop Systems rman the Eabet Stundgaiat .
Labor Data Condensed A ile ARE a ase te a Fae

WASHINGTON
ud GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
1924

March 15, 1924

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

March 15, 1924

Washington, D.C.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS.

By A. D. McNarr, Farm Management Specialist,
- Bureau of Agricultural Economics.

CONTENTS.

Page. Page.
How these data may be used.............--- 2 | Calculation of approximate cost of production. 54
Scope of study......... ws soe et sdcee es = 3 | Improvement of crop systems.-.............- 57
Method of gathering data...............-.--. 3 | How to calculate crop systems from the labor
Construction of charts. -... PEP ELE: 2234-6 5 Stamigywemitl C8: 95. ea 57
Labor requirements of specified crops.......- 6 Labor dafa condensed: -__. - 5 es ne 60
Interpretation of the tables and charis....... 52

A farmer knows, in a rough-and-ready way, the labor require-
ments of the crops he has grown. He knows that cotton requires
more labor than corn and that there is a busy season for cotton in
the spring and early summer, an idle period in August, and another
busy season in the fall in harvesting the crop. This knowledge about
crops, like his knowledge of the seasons and rainfall, is of utmost
importance in managing the farm, but unless this knowledge is
translated into figures and charts it can not be used by others who may
be interested in these problems.

The purpose of this study is to put that knowledge in tangible
form for ali the crops grown in Arkansas. The figures, however,
must be interpreted with reason and judgment, as they can not, in
the nature of the case, be anything more than fair averages for a
series of years. These labor data are subject to modifications due to
weather, character of soil, relative weediness of land, presence of
stumps and stones, length of rows, and other factors which will be
discussed later.

This bulletin presents, both in chart and in tabular form, the
quantity of man and horse labor expended on each of the important

1In cooperation with the Arkansas College of Agriculture.
53503°—23—Bull. 1181——1

2 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

crops raised in Arkansas, distributed by months and by operations.
All charts and tables are made on the basis of 10 acres except those
for a few fruit and vegetable crops and for rice, which are made on
the basis of 1 acre and 100 acres, respectively. For the most impor-
tant crops more than one chart is given, to show the variations in

quantity of labor and seasonal distribution of labor in various parts |

of the State. The data are for average seasons and average condi-
tions, but suggestions are made for estimating departures from the
average. Instruction is given for using the labor data in calculating
the cost of production of various crops and also for calculating crop
systems from the standpoint of the seasonal distribution of labor.

HOW THESE DATA MAY BE USED.

On presenting some of these data to farmers, it is found that the
first impulse is to calculate costs. To illustrate: A farmer-banker to
whom the data on the crop of cannery tomatoes in northwest Ark-
ansas were shown looked at the total of 131 days of man labor and
82 days of horse labor on 10 acres of that crop and immediately
began to calculate what the cost of that amount of labor would be
and how it would compare with the probable returns from 10 acres
of that crop.

CALCULATION OF PRODUCTION COSTS.

For the purpose of calculating cost of production, this bulletin
should be exceedingly helpful, even though it is not primarily a
cost study. Farmers and business men who use it for this purpose
will apply current rates of wages to the quantity of man labor and
current charges for the time of horses to the quantity of horse labor.

The trouble with the rough-and-ready methods of even the best
farmers and business men in calculating cost of production is that
the result is good only for the year for which the calculation is made.
As time goes on and wages rise or fall, or other costs rise or fall, a new
calculation must be made. The quantity of labor required to pro-
duce a crop, however, and the quantity of seed and manure used,
are less subject to variation than prices and wages. The same labor
data can be used year after year and new rates for man labor and
horse labor can be applied to them. For this reason all the data in
this bulletin are given in days of man labor and horse labor instead
of in dollars. The cost in dollars changes from year to year, but
the time in hours of labor remains substantially the same.

SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF LABOR.

Fully as important as production cost is the planning of the crop
system and all the enterprises of the farm, so that the work may be
distributed throughout the year to the end that the time of both
men and teams shall be well employed. Although farmers are not
primarily interested in keeping busy, it is generally true that they
are anxious to find ways of increasing the spread between their farm
costs and incomes. And herein lies their interest in labor distribu-
tion studies, for upon close investigation it will be often found that
incomes may be increased without a corresponding increase in costs
by reorganizing the farm for more efficient use of labor and power.

vice tea alll 6 ae

>
S.
i

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 3

This bulletin furnishes the data whereby crop systems can be
improved so they will properly distribute the labor in season, increase
the efficiency of men and teams and add to the income by enabling
a larger business to be handled with little, if any, increase in the
cost of man and horse labor.

SCOPE OF STUDY.

In this bulletin the man labor and horse labor required for all
the important crops of the State have been put in graphic form.
For the most important crops, such as cotton and corn, several
charts for different parts of the State are shown, because labor require-
ments on a single crop vary according to soil, latitude, and other
conditions. For muskmelons, watermelons, and sweet potatoes there
are two charts each for different conditions. For strawberries and
blackberries there are charts for the year of planting and other
charts for the bearing crops. For oats there are charts for spring-
planted and fall-planted oats. For wheat there is a chart for wheat
planted on oat stubble and one for wheat planted after a crop of
cowpeas. For cowpea hay there is a chart for an early-planted crop
and another for a late-planted or second crop after small grain.

It is believed that enough data are presented to help almost any
farmer in improving his crop system. Perfect crop systems are
impossible, but improvements of existing systems are practicable
and necessary and the data and charts in this bulletin can be of
assistance in establishing them.

~ METHOD OF GATHERING DATA.

In gathering these data the survey method was used. Farmers
were personally interviewed and estimates of labor requirements
were recorded on a form sheet of letter size, which was designed for
the purpose (see p. 4). There has been much difference of opinion
as to the utility of such a method for the purpose of obtaining accurate
data, and many persons hold that actual daily records are more
desirable.

The survey method is doubtless more accurate in regard to the
total labor requirements than in regard to its seasonal distribution,
because the latter is affected by variations in seasons and by the
shifting of certain operations that are not fixed as to time, such as fall
versus spring plowing. There is, however, an approximate average
date for the performance of various operations. The charts are based
on these average dates and can not show the departures from the aver-
age, but the reader, by the exercise of common sense and by the aid -
of the discussions in the text, can estimate departures for himself.
For this purpose it will be particularly helpful to read “Interpreta-
tion of the tables,’ beginning on page 52.

To base the charts on actual labor records would involve careful
records kept by many men in many parts of the State for several
years and on all the crops discussed in this bulletin. There is no
certainty that farmers would not forget occasionally to keep account
of their time. Because of these difficulties in obtaining actual records,

_ the survey method was used.

BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

er

Wei elas

“00d

ied ce ge hd RS A 28 00)

“AON

F = 2S (oy ale eel tes ye eT ee ae at Cee fee ee pen ge | See Se ee ea oy Or al ea!
go Bales |e ae ARH ay Rape rT es. ae Se myhier= "IT gat [ere dig wot oar l= $a coce ec Hl: eek Oo | Rbal bre <I leer | oO ad ae $a.1o8 —— U0 ]®}0q,
|| eee ees Pee eras a sol iat Galea hel. eit oe ll atercnel| aR IMME, ateil = Sacre | Groner a eceul| sorte! | Bee aA a: come | EMMES ills onthe. of ke cbcll Enarete | aStys = ake Soaaete draletetet crave Sime cretete stie aterm etn ate

see ejoeer|ececloree | Pe ALS A Lars = etl Me el eae fiero ate |= a eediaee SV = well mdm ||Sea sia le wie e)| ele me alt® =/eie'|\e lela ellate oa: had Rear i al ean nl MCI Yh CTS SIO A ORO AE 9 2 ODO
ane Bea peat tree edt eas de eek: tees
Beeallesaee os casuae code A eae |e Oe oe lod ee eT re
|
ee ee ee ee | . weeeln wwe cas a es emweele ee ele wewe a lea . [iaye ahee oie'e 6 cM Shae Seal oS ed
ED (eg act SRE mae Mong NN feo 8a (Ie
‘WH | WH |W KOH WO) (CN OE | ON | | OO) OWN | OA I) ON A ON Hi | WW
oa a peri ee wee — ‘suoyesedg
‘po “ydag “Sny “ADE | ‘ouns AVX ‘idy “IBIL ‘qoy] "uur OR MID
|

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. 5

At the beginning of the year 1914 the writer obtained estimates

of labor on cotton and corn from 29 farmers in Faulkner County,

:
4

; =

Ark., and then asked the same farmers to keep labor records. These
farmers were visited once a month and the records were inspected
and collected. Table 1, which is a comparison of the data secured by
the two methods, shows that the difference between the results is too
small to influence in any way the conclusions drawn.

TaBLE 1.—Labor per acre on cotton and corn.

Records. | Estimates. | Difference.
Man-days per acre: Per cent.
DDE sh Ses ee oe 8 ee ns es ee ee ee beset as 9. 80 10.14 +3.5
Eee pn Ee ee ee ee ee 4,78 4.44 —7.1
Horse-days per acre:
2 SDL 2 ee ee eater oo ae eae ee Se 6.05 | , 5. 76 —4.8
ie ree ait fie ol Reget ata Te aie ae ate te 5. 39 | ay: —3.2

CONSTRUCTION OF CHARTS.

ASSUMED YIELDS.

Since the amount of labor expended in harvesting a crop depends,
in great measure, on the yield per acre, it is necessary to assume
certain yields for the purpose of making these charts uniform. (See
Table 2.) These yields are a little larger than average yields for all
crops except hay, for which a yield of 1 ton per acre is assumed,
for all kinds except Bermuda, red clover, and alfalfa hay.

TABLE 2.—Assumed crop yields per acre.

Crop. | Yield. | Crop. Yield.
ES BRS | Ee ee ee
|

Cotton (seed cotton)........... ounds..| 600 Early peletoee ee ee bushels. . 100
ULE Ee ie See ushels. . | 25 || Second crop potatoes .........-.-. do.... 50
PONS OSO oe oe oe oo es gcc ya tons. | fy. ARUN Derss. 2. aes aes ooo ase eck do 150
EUERNES Se Sees ne oe. SS bushels 25 GI pES!. Bocce ee en cee eee tons 2
Soy-bean seed..........2....2-.... te) | 12-15 Peaches. 35223 me ores - £53 bushels 100

2. eS) eee do 15 A ppless Soe. See eS ee de. 2. 150
Oe do....| 30 | Sorghum molasses.............- gallons. . 100
Red clover, 2 cuttings............ tons... 14 | Sorghum cane for factory.......... tons... 6
einlin 5 cuttings... 2... s =... me. 52: ou |i Blackberries os. fo ose sox crates. . 70
Bermuda hay, 2 cuttings.......... do.... v2 pira wheres: Lele. S32 202.1 .. do:.. 60
Other hay, 1 cutting.............. dos. 1 WREEHOS oo oe os ee do. 100
Cannery tomatoes................ do. -- 5 Ee gy Se a a bushels. . 200
Pantmotpes. 225-6 15.22 crates... 100 Radishes 3252 toc 22. 739. 4601 barrels. . 60
DLT a rs tons. -} pa | Ee cen Oe age omnes fat a na bushels. . 50
Sweet potatoes................- bushels. . | 100 |

If the yield of a crop is larger or smaller than the assumed yields,
the labor of harvesting will be greater or less than the tables show
and in a proportion which can be estimated nearly enough for
practical purposes. The labor of harvesting is given separately
with each chart.

In using the labor data of this bulletin, allowance should be made
for abnormal conditions of weather, soil, and topography. The
figures are for average weather condition and soils, and for land free
from stumps and large stones. The extent of modification for these
factors must be left to the judgment of the man on the ground.

6 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Variations in labor requirements may fall in the period of prep-
aration or cultivation without affecting the harvesting require-
ments; they may fall in the harvesting period only, or they may
affect all operations.

THE BASIS OF ACREAGE.

All of the charts are constructed on the basis of the labor require-
ments of 10 acres of the designated crop, except radishes, cherries,
strawberries in bearing, blackberries in bearing, and pears, for which
the charts are on the basis of 1 acre. The chart for rice is on a 100-
acre basis, but the scale of this chart is multiplied by 10, so that the
chart is exactly as 1t would appear for 10 acres with the normal scale
that is used for small grain.

It is believed that it is better to construct these charts on the 10-
acre basis, because most farmers think in terms of 10 acres more
readily than in terms of 1 acre. The rice grower, however, thinks in
terms of 100 acres or more, and so do the wheat growers of the West
and Northwest. For Arkansas conditions, however, the 10-acre basis
is preferable for all crops but rice, on the one hand, and the very
intensive crops on the other.

No matter what acreage a farmer may have in any crop, he can
calculate the labor required by consulting the tables and multiplying
the figures therein by the proper factor. The labor on 25 acres of
wheat, for instance, would be approximately two and one-half times
that on 10 acres.

THE SCALE OF REPRESENTATION.

Two scales are used for all charts made on the 10-acre basis.
Cotton, ¢orn, small grains, and all kinds of hay are charted on a scale
of 5, 10, 15, etc., and fruits and vegetables are charted on a scale of
10, 20, 30, etc. Those charts that are constructed on the 1-acre basis,
have ascale of 5, 10, 15, etc., and the rice chart uses a scale of 50, 100,
150, etc.

In gathering the data on labor requirements for this bulletin, it was
found that an average of the estimates of 6 farmers was not materially
different from an average of 10 to 12 estimates, hence 6 was the
average number used.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIFIED CROPS.

The amount of labor by months required for the different crops is |
given in Table 3 and in charts which are based on these figures. The
amount of labor can be more easily seen from the charts than from —
the figures, but in making calculations for his own use a farmer can
use the figures more easily than the charts. The charts merely |
visualize the figures. |

The amount of labor by operations or groups of operations is given
in separate tables contained in the legends of the various charts. It |
is desirable to have the data by operations both for cost purposes
and for calculating the seasonal distribution of labor. If the yield is |
larger or smaller than is assumed in making the chart, it will modify
the figures in the table for the harvesting period and for no other.

All figures in Table 3 are on the basis of the time necessary for one |
man and one horse to do the work required.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 7

TaBLE 3.—Labor requirements on 10 acres of various crops by months.

| | | =
- = . | . 7 ae | . Pe . EME 3S
S/S lSIBIS| S/F) PLB Sel 8] s
Sle i/S2la|/ele/4]4]/aj)ol4/ala
- oh eS rr Seep ae | Cao age | aay re ot j |
Alfalfa, 5 cuttings, Mississippi | | |
Count y:
MeiiaGdes- oa) 42.25.) - a - foc 1 2. cp - oP ged ge 7 | G6.) a ee eee 36
= TTS er eae Ge hat Eee eae tae eS OTT ee Seas ae 41
_ Apples, Ben Davis, Washington |
: ty:
_ _ SS See ee Cee ee a Oa aD tin a
; SS PS el ISS Tee tS | et 6 “Te ie 92
Beans, Soy, seed, Ashley County: | |
ree er aE SE ee: 3 6 rae erg | eee pees ag Bop be be: papa 21
aT Sree ae ree ee Ga 22,4) BF eT eh s s eae ees Bese mbpe 30
: Bermuda hay, 2 cuttings, Faulk-
ner County: | |
5 ee eee Pee ae ee ere Gee 6-64 6 Pe Pe: paee cate 24
: iD ee es ee ee aaa] - eee | 6 6 S) 6 ee ees woe 24
be Blackberries, lst year, Washing- | | |
ton County: | | KEE
Marmlaborcf 25-222... Pen Oh) pelt tee) ee eis 2 he ee | 221 61
To its 8) Bal fe ee iy a a nh A Pepe aS 6 | 46
Blackberries, bearing, Washing-
ton County:
oT SS Se eee Bee 5 | 5 ce [a5 |195 4175. |... Seat AES fei oe 4. 1340
(ESTES LE oh EE en ae ee, ee 5 5. steko: 2) te | Ebr aoe (ei8 2 s[e 2 eee Week!
Muskmelons: | ool |
. Crawford Count y— |
} Mdm daber 4-22: -5:..-.<.- | 1 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 18 2 5A We ae RN Bee martes 23 135
| Horse labor.............- Sa BP OB 2 gt A a eo ls ve eta aad Lapa 2 hE | 86
Hemstead County— | |
eS ee eee Peer Pee eae Re Sie ee ae aes eee eee | 2 as 115
Horse labor-. -.-...-.-... 2 S | 20 ol a 2 9 eh ea as es aie 1 oe gee 95
Cherries, Washington County:
Man Inbar.2 >?) 2... i107) 40,1) 16 3) 28-1) 45- ap fa ee Soret ee [tet | 1 420
| So eee Pee PRES a er] 2 ee a RP (ares) | 90
. “tog Coun red, ptane, Washing- | | : |
Ou | ‘
S «; Man labor. .-..-............. Pics ak bites |-----| 8 | 32 a | ok EER hea oP | 16
j paeapt ie eS ee ese teh, SS Be Ses eines | 8 4 BC See See © ape P16
_ Clover and timothy, 1 cutting,
| Washington County: |
maminnen Po... >), i Se Bet 8 D Ryard fetal fess 4 1S Pa eae ats (pee WME (A adds | pet i 10
Hoshi es eee aeae 4) Gas | Seen eg at sss Soa | 10
m: i |
. Columbia County— | |
Man labor... ............ PSS pert eb G|| Seb ognit has etsy Fy a Ppa Os | 333
Horse labor. : _....=...... Lees ee i 8 8 7 2 9] eer! pete So beanie Se Sees | 38%
) Washington County— Se ie |
, Mon Inmar 7 ft oi: eee | 3 4 \6 gr a. Se Es A ee Ie ees 2 ay ee | <3f
Horse labor...........__- Pe Bas tee es 7 | eee. ae: a ae 5a eee | 52
Pulaski County— |
, Man inter). 22.3... 5 ES gel She OV | ee Ene Tee es
Horse labor.............- Bet ret WEES a eee FRA pa. Lewes he Peg ee aLee 51
F Chicot County— |
Man labor............... ‘ete: RS Be os ie os os el nce cd ee 5 a eo 34
| Hearse labor. .- - 2. 2--:->. 2 9 | 12 7 73 | <i: Ea toaeve fied eee Re 47
Mississippi County— |
: Risin Bibor 222222202: Soe Si oe BY oe MR i MM ty 2 Ren fe I ag. peg Ee | 34
Horse labor.............- = ate at eS Se ae We gh a ex HEP Seip tgtoe ws 54
E June, Pulaski County—
; Mster si... igen | pene ead Beet PP) B® Sidi aie 29
2 Horse labor..............|..--- Pioy aie Ate Ca Pag MN ED. HAART pie lige) | 7 Cae
} Silage, Washington County— |
) Man taber..2 82... opel ae 4) 6/7 | 4 | ¥-- rae CEE ple see 48
Teas ee Se ee oe a er eS 17 [see aie Bes | 63
Q Shocked and shucked, Washi: | |
; ington County— | |
r Te CORE Sree Sees apie ees: 4 6 Vg yes a Pal | be te 9 8 a os 5k
) Harse labor... 3: 1. .<.!|.5.-: ; 8 | 8 | 124/10 | 7 | a Be 4 | 5 |..... 55 ;
Cotton: | |
, Columbia County— | |
a CT) eee eee ee P30) 4°) 16 (ba sheg. ee oa rags IP eede fos 94
7 : (ES Ls ep Se Seen eee EG il Bale ok | Baan | 264 2h eee ee 43
Crawford County— |
Goes peta Bees | eae eg Ping Pood Oe] ee oe eg eae gd 7 |26 |14 | 5 95
JOSS 2 ee aes | 4 94 | 93] 11 7 | eee | £4. 35-2 1 55
Pulaski County— | |
; ee ie as ee ee ee a ee 8 f17 | 1goper a
Horse labor.............. ee ae Ape oe a beg sae pee: i> | 29S 7g oh 55
Chicot County—
Manilabor ........cesrs0: Lepr eras | 4d7 2h 8s Mh 1 | Q (1.28, 38) be eee
Horse labor.............. SGr ee hieSntehhd Abia Mh Bhi le. oad Sot 2 he ee ee

_ The charts for these crops show the labor data for 1 acre instead of 10 acres.

8 . BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

TABLE 3.—Labor requirements on 10 acres of various crops by months—Continued.

7 a/¢ 513 | el|f/S/P/Ble]/5) 8] 8
Slje|ali(<|2 E e\|21e107% 4 eae
Cotton—Continued.
REsesip pt County—
Mari Tagore 04 <2. = 3s oars 1 3 3 = HE a) by fh 1 | 1 6 } 1) +} 19° 7-13 7 119
Horse labor.:2-8 2... 22. - 2 6 6 6 9 9 8 1 1 2 1 1 52
Cowpeas:
Early, Pulaski County—
Mani labor = 2.2.2, - Sass. one bale Fsae 6 Fae ee See fey se BH | secsctan Ses ee 18
Forse labor... -~=-m-2.c- \eracateall etoile wrote 15 9. lee heed 822. Seale hee eee 32
Second crop, Pulaski
County—
Mar labors 7. .Ps.2<t Pan ante i ae ee ll a ae S| a ens 4 4 =|. 25 18
Horse labor... =~. 22. eon Pee Eee Bate ress 10 | 14°] aca gy st one 32
Cucumbers, Crawford County:
Manda bor. 25 Sse: o-2 eee lek os aloe =| 10. - 120 )-25' =|. 50 BOG te si 22 est a es ee 156
HOTselapor.o on: aoacee tess etoe em laeeee 19) ZO AS <2 yO" fo eee: oe | 2 118
Grapes, Washington County:
IMandabor. . <2: 3222 5.<.cteaee M7, 7189, 22, Gir 15) WA a OD) Wc oe eg WB) 217 4
TEOESE IDOL cot. eae cee fee ee 2 2 t Cee me | 9 ie Re al Se Pace 1 1 76
Oats:
Spring, Washington Coun-
ty— ;
Man labor.........---..- 2 | 4 | 2) |.-....]----- 2 RE BR Bak, So ey i ae. 154
Horse labor-.3-2--3:-'- of ao. of AOA Ok slsoe ce }en oa 3 2 hy (Ee, tint 8 be ie bate 29
Fall, Pulaski County—
Man TabOr. 2c. <2 <2 5.5 fs se dentea tales 2 a | ase egae 6 Taal beer be Se 5 20
Horselapor..<. - 2-5... -]. genedaao--|- see=]= eee 1 {10 |-.....]-...- 16 iy MP pan = 35
Oats (fall) and cowpeas, Pulaski
County:
Mana DOR! “cia. 2etscae sf anee lt care] ae aaeeieae ert S| ye a ee bei Ug |B soe ame = 38
HIGISO ADOR.2a5 = can sae oe doc eel acemel os celoaene eZ) i eae ree 20) at VO a ol ener eae

Oats (fall) and lespedeza, south-
east Arkansas:

Maa AOL co... 22 soon Seb as ee|eosau)e sees ‘Be (soap 1 | 10 14|} 14} 9 Qs eee | eee 33
Horse labor..... SF ee eee eo. eee eee Li 0.) 8 5 i he RS he ae eo ce 50
Peaches, Elberta, Pike County:
MATIN DON. -c so ss- caches 7 7 9 3 4 cad | [ie as | eee he brs 10. | aaeee 126
Fiorselahor=--=- 325555. 2525. 1 1 8 3 it 7 Ti by AS Nee pa eer | 52
Peanuts, ppenish, Miller County:
“he go ree ee os Peet ee rae ey 8) SY Pee 22 | 4 4 13] 53
OTSA ADOL 2.2. os -. s saee Sal tahoe ee aan 5 9 | 15 Seal eso 5 2 5 3 50
Pears, Kieffer, Sebastian County:
ANGADOn. S05) dass eee 5 5 5 DE: ton, ofose eels seeetet ot 100) ||\2025/ 26453 eee 1120
EVOrse ADOT: f ete occ oon oes wie ene 5 Can Be ae even Rey | eee 50) [| aacee cee eee 60
Potatoes:
Early, Sebastian County—
IManvla DON. Go... -s25< 3; 140 8 Gil O Acad i. SSIs Ses]. eae oe al een ee 73
Horsejlabor....2 255. 2-22 - 7413 8 OY 12 a 2b atc siete: 2 Sena eee 74
Second crop, Sebastian Coun- |
ty—
SieriMan 1AabOr ec: 2 = 2-5-5 ios e|t seeeleaeee lo aes] easee Reese L-| 42 510 6 bag fees el be: 2 55
Horse labor. 3-2 5+,.hoosee | eels cae eee 4|see-e|beaee 2 | PP WO}: 10 bgt hd bat econ 50
Sweet—
Columbia County—
Maniahors -- -pasctedicones 23 | 54) 4 | 19 | 21 ey | ec eae Rte ltl hae estes es 94
Horse labor fo 4.2cee tel 5 54 | 8 74) 8 ey PES eh ri a Ape ei 63
Washington County—
Man labor. --....-.-. ioe. pA eae ake? A 2 i 2 A aye a ae bess oak 5 5 125
Horse labor.....--.-.- 2 4 4 | 8b| 8} | 13 Oa\ Seale ee 28 2 | olen 76
Radishes, Hempstead County: |
MANA DOR. sho 2.23252 ae eo. 30-4 |42 528 TOO S170) | $2 08| 8 ees Se le eS eee eee ieee ae 1300
Horsedabor. 3...5...-2¢e<c.-+-- AD bees 300 3)50 ic colon ces scmsfe seine | Oecen leeoe lore ola 120
Rice, east Arkansas:
Masta BOF? 7.2226. Pass 1 1 14), 24 | 3 5 44} 44) 4 | 10 7 13 | 2 af
Horse labor. .24 22542-65228 3 3 53] 9 9 4 2 14) 34/11 8 3 6
Sorghum molasses, Sebastian
County:
MAMMA DOr: 3s. ookece cathe secloeene 3 i 5 | 15 t E22 «BB oe Ie ee ae 142
MoOMsedavOr =: Sso7ws-eescee ascot 7 8.311041), 10 6 1 SD ed I Re Peet 82
Sorghum cane for factory, Sebas-
tian County:
Man IabOr 2s. cnc ee gekiseateleseee 3 4 5 .| 16 4 1 5c Wal Ovct lee ees eee
NGTSOTADON../. Hees ae Be eciie es |cike- 4 7 80 104 "10 6 1 5 | 15 ee sen] 02
Strawberries:
First year, Washington
County—
Man labor 3.2522. -6-.cc 2 2 i. 30. 3-18) ¥ 300 30) | 28. 4 a6 2 Ase cele ses 2 160
ATorse labor.jf45..-- e.- 4 402) 16 a Uae was Se az 8 1-2 4 90

1 The charts for these crops show the labor data for 1 acre instead of 10 acres.
2 The chart for rice shows the labor data for 100 acres instead of 10 acres.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. - Gg

TaBLE 3.—Labor requirements on 10 acres of various crops by months—Continued.

. ~ * P ° i os
a} 6 le Bletdleletg| z
2l2(s(F/S/F/2/2/F 1/8/2181 2
Straw berries—Continued. |
Bearing, Washington Coun-
oo
2 a ep es a es eee OOH P01 [s4:- teas) 0-61 2 abe ae 1310
(20) 2 te eee eS ee bone (ae ee 0 ie (U0) Reo a | SR Fee i ad
Timothy, first year, Clay County: |
Mp Ree see rt eee ee eee clea plo oge [socks 2 Rs a 8 2 |. See 24
2S eo ee (eee Pe ees eae! eerie 2 1 2a Ls be ee eee 38
Tomatoes, cannery, Washington
County:
Mamianor st ee eS At 2 2 2 3 | 22 Past 12 22 eae 131
Horse labor ss 2: 05255 FN 2k 4 4 + 6 |- 13 40 f:} 10, 1288 6 E 82
Watermelons:
Crawford County—
Mar Inbor.. +22. 4..222% 2 3{ 18 6 9] 10 2 | 24 Dee Scelbesee lee = = - 75
Horse tapor.£2 2... 52s 02. 4 6| 20 3 8 3 | 20 1 PA eee 73
Hempstead County—
Mam labor = 2)..222% 5.05: 3 4 4 3 6 | 13 14 [530 4 fe oe ots oe ae ere |e eee 77
Pigrnd later. 22. So 2 2. 6 Si is 3 7 UBD Bo Bie eres, een 2 Ee 2 raf:
Wheat:
After oats, Washington
-County—
WIE St emcees 2 |. 22 tes ecu |cue- =|se es lee ees 3 4| 4 3 7) epee ee AEM 164
Parse lpr. 32/5. =22552-:)--.-2 ae PS Nee 2s 3 4|12 GF )UG" pecs ieee 34
After cowpeas, Clay Coun-
y—
SS a ee oes Bae Ee eae 33 A | ee: Ade b Soe |aeee ies } oe 14
Higrag ab0r... ...: 2.0. -- aeee ea ee sees Gores 4 5 cv ae i peas poe 29

1 The charts for these crops show the labor data for 1 acre instead of 10 acres

COTTON.

The five cotton charts for Columbia, Crawford, Pulaski, Chicot and
Mississippi Counties have strong resemblances and minor differences.
(See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). There is a peak load of man labor in
May and June, an idle time in August, and another peak load in the
fall. The peak load in May and June is much higher for the alluvial
bottom lands, where the large plantations are located and where negro
labor is used than on the u andl where cotton is raised by white
farmers on small farms. e amount of hoe work is shown by
shaded areas on the Chicot County cotton chart, and it would appear
similar on the Pulaski and Mississippi County charts if shown separ-
ately. The large amount of work for this one operation is very sig-
nificant. It is expensive and cuts down the area that one hand or
one family can handle.

93903 °——24—2

10 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

a foo nar ae act oe ee

Bee ies ar an we in or JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV.

OF
MAN LABOR ;
94 Ge

Fic. 1.—Labor on 10 acres of
cotton, Columbia County.
Conditions—Light, sandy, up-

land soils; southwestern part of

State; region ofsmall farms oper-

ated by white people; prepara-

tion of land partly two-horse

work and partly one-horse work;

cultivation one-horse work; hoe-

ing light; cotton picked out early;

crops raised with less work than

on other soils; assumed yield, 600

pounds seed cotton per acre;

seed, 1 to 14 bushels per acre; fer-

tilizer, 150 to 250 pounds per acre;
HORSE LABOR planted i in late March, April and
43, DAYS early May; harvested in Septems

| ber, October and November.

ee” Dee eael eo Cultivate.! Hoe. | Pick. | Haul. Total. Before | Harvest

jand Boe harvest. and haul,
Manidayss:.-....-.-- 134 16 14 | 48 | 23 94 43} | 504
Horse'days:...=-.=5-- 21 17 0 | 0 | 5 43 38 5)
Man labor, except contract work, 46 days.
NUMBER MONTHS ; NUMBER
DAYS JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT NOV DEC. DAYS
MAN LABOR |
45 =IE DAYS 1} | } 45
|
40 Leoml! | 4 | } 40
ert Fic. 2.—Labor on 10 acres of cot-
35 | i } 35 ton, Crawford County.
| Conditions. —Sandy upland soils
2p Rea i t 2° but not so sandy asin Columbia
Be County; northwestern part of
25 | 25 State; region of small farms oper-
ated by white farmers; prepaia-
20 20 tion mostly with two- horse teams;
cultivation with two-horseteams;
15 15 hoeing a little more than in Co-
lumbia County; picking a little
10 10 later than in Columbia; man
labor about the same asin Colum-
5 5 bia but horse labor greater;
assumed yield, 600 pounds seed
o— ° cotton per acre; seed, 1 to 1}
HORSE LABOR bushels per acre; fertilizer, 100 to
25 55 DAYS 25 150 pounds per acre; planted in
April and early May; harvested
20 20 from September to December, in-
clusive.
15 15
10 10
: |
ey) Lia
P
| Prepare | lcuttivate! Hoe. Pick. Haul. | Total. pore. pee
Mantdays? 9.5.2.5 4 12 123 19 48 33 95 434 514
Horse days...) 2.2... 2! 23 25 0 0 fi 55 48 7

Man labor, except contract work, 47 days.

-

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 11

The total work of picking is the same in all charts: 48 days’ work
for picking 6,000 pounds of seed cotton on 10 acres of ground, or at
the rate of 125 pounds per hand per day. The distribution of the
work varies from the Columbia County chart, which shows that
most of the cotton is picked in September and October, to the Pulaski
County chart, which shows some picking as late as January. The
rate of a pr with the variety and condition of the cotton
and with the skill of the pickers, and it may be shifted several weeks
later than normal by reason of rainy weather. However, the charts
are believed to represent normal conditions.

NUMBER MONTHS NUMBER
DAYS |JAN_FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC) DAYS

MAN LABOR
lm DAYS

Fic. 3.—Labor on 10 acres of cot-
ton, Pulaski County.
Conditions —Sandy loam, al-
luvial soilin valley of Arkansas
River; central part of State;
region of large plantations oper-
ated with negro labor; two-horse
teams used in preparation; culti-
vation mainly with two-horse
cultivators; hoeing more than
double that of Columbia County;
horse labor about the same as in
Crawford County, but man labor
much greater; assumed yield, 600
pounds of seed cotton per acre:
seed, 1 to 14 bushels per acre;
peated in April and Set Aang &
arvested from Septe r to
January, inclusive.

| Prepare F F Before | Harvest
and plant.|Ultivate. Hoe. Pick. Haul. | Total. harvest. |and haul.
ae a let eel Steel FE
Man days..._.._..... 10 | 16 34 48 | 3 111 60 51
Horse days...-...---- 20 | 29 0 0 | 6 | 55 49 6

Man labor, except contract work, 63 days.

The horse labor on cotton runs along almost uniformly from the
time work starts in the winter or early spring until the crop is laid
te July or August, but there is very little for the rest of the year.

e work of hauling cotton to the gin or market is small. With a
yield of 600 pounds of seed cotton per acre, a team hauls the product
of 24 acres on one load and can easily haul more as far as weight is
concerned.

MAN LABOR
45 117 DAYS

40

35 Fic. 4.—Labor on 10 acres of cot-
: ton, Chicot County.

Conditions —Sandy loam, allu-
vial soil; southeastern part of
State near Mississippi River;
epee of large plantations opera- —
ted by negro labor; two-horse
teams used mostly in prepara-
tion; one-horse implements used
in cultivation; hoeing about the
same asin Pulaski; picking fin- —
ished a little earlier than in
Pulaski; assumed yield, 600 —
pounds of seed cotton per acre; —
seed, 1 to 14 bushels per acre;
pines in April and carly ae

arvested from September to —
December inclusive. Shaded —
area shows work of hosing.

30

Prepare F 128 Before | Harvest |
and Ht ant,|Cultivate.| Hoe. Pick. | Haul. | Total. | narvest. |and Haul
Man days............ | 12 24 30 48 B biate pay 66 51
Horse days........-.- 22 24 0 0 6 52 46 6

Man labor, except contract work, 69 days.

NUMBER
oF
DAYS

MAN LABOR
45 119 DAYS

40

Fig. 5.—Labor on 10 acres of cot-
ton, Mississippi County.

Conditions —Sandy, loam soil;
northeastern eu of State;
region of large farms and planta-
tions operated with negro labor;
two-herse implements used
mainly in preparation; one-horse
implements in cultivation; hoe
ing about the same asin Pulaski
and Chicot Counties; total labor
of man and horse about the same
as in Pulaski and Chicot; as-
sumed yield, 600 pounds of seed
cotton per acre; seed, 1 to 1}

35

: a bushels per acre; planted in April

HORSE LABOR and early May; harvested from

re acne September to December inclu-
sive.

Frepare {cultivate.| Hoe. | Pick. | Haul. | Total. | Before | Harvest

and plant.
Man days...........- 11 25 32 48 3 119 68 51
Horse days PDD) eos 21 25 0 0 6 52 46 6

Man labor, except contract work, 71 days.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 13,

CORN.

There are eight corn charts, five of which are for early-planted corn
that is harvested by snapping the ears from the standing stalks. (See
Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10.) These are for the counties of Columbia,
Washington, Pulaski, Chicot, and Mississippi. One is for late corn
or second-crop corn following small grain in Pulaski County, har-
vested by the same method. (Fig. 11.) One is for corn silage in
Washington County and one is for early corn in Washington County
that is cut, shocked, and shucked by hand. (Figs. 12 and 13.)

It will be noticed that the peak load of horse labor on early-planted
corn is in March in all counties except Washington, where it is in
April. This difference is due to a difference in latitude and altitude.
Corn and cotton require labor at the same time, at least until the
corn is laid by. The farmer can not increase the acreage of one with-
out decreasing the acreage of the other. They are partly competi-
tive and partly supplementary in their demands for labor.

MONTHS —
JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OcT. NOV. DEC.| pays

MAN LABOR !

NUMBER
Or
DAYS

33% DAYS

ri

| |

UT
|
|

Fic.6.— Labor on l0acres of early
corn, Columbia County.
Conditions. —Light, sandy, up-
land soils; southwestern part of
State; region of small farms oper-
ated by white farmers; prepara-
tion paGy by one and partly by
two-horse implements; cultiva-
tion nearly all with one-horse
implements; hoeing light; as-
sumed yield, 25 bushels per acre;
method of harvesting, snapping
the ears from the standing stalks;
seed, 6 bs ; — seek acre; fer-
tilizer, o 150 pounds per acre;
planted in February, Merch and eaae ponent
awa April; harvested in Octo- =
r.

|

Ged ieak Cultivate.| Hoe. feat Total. | Before | y
arvest.

harvest.

14 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

NUMBER pete NTH = =e
Se ee JAN. FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV.

MAN LABOR
3) DAYS

F1c.7.—Labor on 10acres ofearly
corn, Washington County.

Conditions.—Sandy loam to silt
loam; northwestern part of State;
region of comparatively small
farms operated by white farmers;
preparation partly with two-
horse and partly with three-horse
teams; cultivation mostly with
two-horse cultivators; oeing
light; assumed yield, 25 bushels
per acre; man labor jess than in
Columbia, but horse labor much
greater; method of harvesting,

snapping the ears from the
HORSE LABOR standing stalks; seed, 6 to 8
52 RAYS pounds per acre; lanted in
April; harvested in October and

November.

Prepare : oer Before

and plant. Cultivate.| Hoe. | Harvest. | Total. harvest: Harvest.
Maa fae! 28-8 | ul ul 3 | 6 | 31 25 6
PIDISOOGYS 4-22." 5.0. Es. 25 21 0 | 6 52 46 6

a toes Eee

Fia.8.—Labor on 10 acres of éarly
corn, Pulaski County.

2. SR eS Re, JAN. FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV DEC] pays

Conditions.—Sandy loam, allu-
vial soil in the valley of the Ar-
kansas River; central part of
State; region of large plantations
operated with negro labor; two
and three horse teams used in
preparation; two-horse teams,
y, in cultivation; hoeing
nearly three-fourths of & day per
acre; horse labor about the same
asin Washington, but man labor
greater; assumed peice 25 bush-

MAN LABOR
37 DAYS
els per acre; method of harvest-

ing, snapping the ears from the

HORSE LABOR standing stalk; seed, 6 to 8

S1, DAYS ponnde per acre planted in late

| rch and early April; har-
vested in October.

Prepare

Before
and plant. Cultivate} Hoe. | Harvest.|} Total. erent Harvest.
iMate days 6 i8 ae a ee 13 10 7 7 37 30 ic
Horse unyse< sso oe a 28 18 0 | 5 51 46 5

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 15

Fic. 9.—Labor on 10acres of early
corn, Chicot County.

Conditions.—Sandy loam, allu-
vial soil; southeastern part ofthe
State; region oflarge plantations
operated with negrolabor; prep-
aration with two-horse teams;
cultivation with both one and
two horse implements; hoeing
about the same asin Pulaski; as-
sumed yield, 25 bushels per acre;
method of harvesting, snapping
the ears from the standing stalks;
seed, 6 to 8 pounds per acre;
planted i in March and April; har-
vested in October.

a eos ., Saaemageans | oe
DAYS |JAN. FES. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. lees vaca on RR devia ane oct. NOV. DEC] pays

MAN LABOR
i DAYS
; |
|
L ’

HORSE LABOR
47 DAYS

|

and porate |

OUR Se ae es
UE 5 See |

to

: | Before .
ae ate. | Hoe. ese A Total. "harvest. Harvest.
eB ne | i a ve
0 | 6 6 28 | 6
17 | 0 | 6 47 | 41 6

Fie. 10.—Labor on 10 ee of
early corn, Mississippi County.
Conditions.-Sandy loam, allu-
vial soil; northeastern part ‘of the
State; region of large farms and
Pl lantations operated with negro
bor; preparation with two and
three horse teams; cultivation
with one and two horse imple-
ments; hoeing light; method of
harvesting, snapping the ears
from the standing stalks; as-
sumed P dei 25 bushels per acre;
seed to 8 ounds per_ acre;
planted in April; harvested from
ptember to November.

: Behe. eee.
DAYS Phe FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV.

MAN LABOR
34 DAYS

HORSE LABOR
$4 DAYS
econ

and plant.

\Cultivate.| Hoe. Harvest.| Total, poe Harvest
12 4 6 34 28 6

eee oe
LG ee Bee Se

18 = 6 54 48 6

16 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

NUMBER “MO aa ea oe
DAYS |ZAN. ee eee MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC! pays

|

29 DAYS

HORSE LABOR
25 42 DAYS

Fig. 11.—Labor on 10 acres of
June corn after oats, Pulaski
County.

Conditions.—Sandy loam, allu-
vial soil; central part of the State;
region of large plantations oper-
ated with negro labor; prepara-
tion with two and three horse
teams; cultivation mostly with
two-horse implements; assumed
yield, 25 bushels per acre; method
of harvesting, by snapping the
ears from the standing stalks;
seed, 6 to 8 pounds per acre;
planted in late June and early
July; harvested in October and
November.

|
eas Ce en Oe Pe eee Prepare . Before
and plant. Cultivate.) Hoe. Harvest Total. harvest: Harvest
J ESTOE A. rE 10 rf 6 29 23 6
HOSS GRY: << ecco tee autos. 24 12 6 42 36 6
Sea SE

F
a 2 Se JAN. FEB. MAR, APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC] pays

48 DAYS
HORSE LABOR :
63 DAYS

Prepare
and plant. Cultivate.| Hoe.

Fig. 12.—Labor on 10 acres of
silage corn, Washington
County.

Conditions.—Sandy loam to silt

loam soil; northwestern part of
the State; small farms operated
by white farmers; preparation
with two and three horse teams;
cultivation mainly with two-
horse cultivators; hoeing light;
cutting with corn binder; as-
sumed yield, 6 tons per acre;
early planted corn assumed; seed,
6 to 8 pounds per acre; twine, 40
5 pounds per acre; planted in
April; harvested in September.

Before
Total. harvest. Harvest.

| S| | |

Man days il
Horse days 25

B
Sx
3

MAN LABOR
Si DAYS

Fig. 13.—Labor on 10 acres of
early corn; cut, shocked, and
shucked by hand, Washington
County.

Conditions.—Same as for pre-
ceding chart except in method of
harvesti the crop; assumed
yield, 25 bushels per acre; seed,
6 to 8 pounds per acre; cut in
early September; shucked and
hauled in October and November.

HORSE LABOR
SS. DAYS

a

Prepare a | Cut and | Shuck Before i
land plant, ate, Hoe. | shock. jandhaul.| 7°t@l- | narvest. | Harvest.
SSS Ge BBeieee
Man dayse:i. 2st c-o~: Bi 11 3 17 51 25 26
Horse days........... [bees ja (25 21 | 0 | 0 9 55 46 9

The total amount of horse labor on cotton is only slightly larger
than on corn, but the large amount of man labor on cotton tends to
restrict the cotton acreage below what the horse can really tend,
whereas with corn the acreage can be all that the horses can tend
without overburdening the men. In actual practice, therefore, the
corn farmer can handle 50 to 100 per cent more acres than the cotton
farmer, assuming the same equipment of men andteams. His smaller
income per acre is compensated by his larger acreage.

With regard to the seasonal distribution of labor on corn, the charts
show only the early-planted corn and June corn following a crop of
small grain. As corn can be planted at any date between these
limits, the seasonal distribution of labor would be governed by the
date of planting and would be like that for early-planted corn or like
that for June corn, according as the preparation is done in a hurry or
is extended over considerable time. The later corn is planted the
fewer the number of cultivations given. No work is assumed for
marketing corn because it is usually fed at home, and even when it is
marketed the time is not fixed.

53503°—24—Bull. 1181——3

18 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
SPANISH PEANUTS.

Although Spanish peanuts are grown generally over the State in
a small way for feed, they are not grown at present for market except
in the region adjacent to Texarkana in Miller County, Ark., and in
Bowie County, Tex. The crop is grown in a small way with much
hand and one-horse labor. (Fig. 14). Man labor has been reduced,
however, by eliminating the hoe entirely—a thing that farmers in
other localities have not learned how to do. This is accomplished by
throwing a very small furrow on top of the nuts when planted and
then running a smoothing harrow across the rows as the nuts are
coming up, which destroys all grass in the row if the work is done at
the proper time. Sometimes a very small furrow is thrown over
the young plants as soon as they are up, which checks the grass but
does not check the peanuts. This furrow can be leveled with the
harrow a little later.

epenin MONTHS ale
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEG] pays

MAN LABOR
S3 DAYS
HORSE LABOR | | |

SO DAYS

4s

40

Fic. 14.—Labor on 10 acres of
Spanish peanuts, Miller
County.

Conditions —Light, sandy, up-
land soil; southwestern part of
State; small farms operated by
white farmers; preparation
mainly with one-horse imple-
ments; cultivation with one-
horse and two-horse implements;
no hoeing; harvest—turning out
with plows, shaking dirt from
vines, carrying to poles, and
stacking in small stacks; threshed
with machine thresher; haul to
market, 5 miles; assumed yield,
25 bushels per acre; seed, 1 to 14
bushels per acre; fertilizer rarely
used; planted in May and early
June; harvested in September.

35

30

met Harvest,
| Prepare F 2 efore | thresh
‘and plant. Cultivate.| Harvest.| Thresh. | Market. | Total. hasvent: aay

| market.
Man days..........-. | i il 224 6 23 53 22 31
Horse :da@ys-....- <<. =. | 14 18 5 8 5 50 32 18

The method of harvesting will appear crude to those who use
labor-saving machinery for their crops, but no method has yet been
devised that takes the place of stacking the vines by hand in small,
narrow stacks around poles with the nuts turned in and the tops out.
This method requires much labor in September and conflicts some-
what with cotton picking. If the hand labor could be reduced it
would minimize that conflict. The crop is threshed with machine
threshers in October and November and is usually marketed before
the close of the year. The threshed straw is baled as it comes from
the machine and is used for feed. Nearly a bale of 60 pounds of
peanut straw is obtained for each bushel of nuts,

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 19
SOY BEANS FOR SEED.

The soy-bean crop is now grown only to a limited extent, but it
promises to become much more important. (Fig. 15) Soy beans are
raised extensively for hog feed interplanted with corn, but they are
also raised alone for seed and harvested with a machine of the North
Carolina type. The seed crop is planted in May and harvested in
September. The variety is the Mammoth Yellow. The crop can be
planted at a later date, hence the labor may come later than is shown
in the chart. If the crop is hogged down there willl be no work in
harvesting except that of looking after the hogs.

MONTHS

MAN LABOR
21 DAYS

Fic. 15.—Labor on 10 acres of
soy beans for seed, Ashley
County.

Conditions —Sandy loam and
silt loam soil; southern part of
State; large farms; preparation
mostly with two-horse teams;
cultivation with one-horse imple-
ments; harvested with machine
stripper, North- Carolina style;
assumed yield, 10 to 15 bushels
per acre; seed, 25 to35 pounds per :
acre; Mammoth Yellow variety:

lanted in May; harvested in HORSE LABOR
ptember. 30 DAYS

:

| | | |
| Prepare et, = Before *
| andpl ant.{Cus ate.| Harvest.| Total | Haccost: Harvest.
i = Tht? =e ian | |
7 0 a2 ie a Sy ile ge 11 6 4 21 17 | 4
_ VUE IVIAS Ss se ee ee eee | 20 6 4 30 26 4

The data for this chart were obtained from W .R. Rich ,whois the agriculturist of the Crossett Lumber
Co.,in Ashley County. ;

20 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

WHEAT.

Wheat is grown in considerable quantity only in the northern
part of the State. The first wheat chart shows the labor on wheat
that is planted on oat stubble land and the second shows it following
a crop of cowpeas. (Figs. 16 and 17.) A third chart might show
the labor on wheat that follows a corn crop according to the custom
followed in Maryland or Kentucky, but it would be similar to the
second chart. It is evident that the month in which land is prepared
for wheat depends on the crop that precedes wheat. If the pre-
ceding crop is oats it is highly desirable to break the oat stubble as
early as possible, as has been shown by numerous tests conducted
in Kansas and Missouri.

The charts assume the method of cutting wheat with a binder and
threshing it from the shock. If the wheat is first stacked or housed
in barns it will require more labor than the chart shows, and the
work of threshing may occur any time in late summer, fall or even
in the winter.

NUMBER MONTHS NUMBER
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.) Days

MAN LABOR |

16+ DAYS
A

Fic. 16.—Labor on 10 acres of
wheat after oats, northwest
Arkansas.

Conditions —Sandy loam to silt
loam soils; northwestern part of
State; region of moderate sized
farms operated by white farmers;
preparation mostly with three-
horse teams; harvested with
binder; threshed from shock;
assumed yield, 15 bushels per
acre; breaking of oat stubble in
July and August; seed, 1 to 14
bushels per acre; planted in
October; harvested in June;
threshed in July.

Wi

-|HORSE LABOR
34 DAYS

| Prepare | Cut and | m,,... Before
andplant.| shock. Thresh. | Total. | harvest. | Harvest.
|
tr Ra RY ae | .! pao Mey kd
IMAI CEYSee wae accs cise tenet sec oseen ce 9% 3 mere! 163 93 7
EOIN OIG AN Sat. soe ces wacom eee ee eee eee 27 3 4 34 27 7

ae MONTHS -
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC] pays

. MAN LABOR
14 DAYS
Fig. 17.—Labor on 10 acres of
wheat after cowpeas, Clay
County.
Conditions —Sandy loam soil;
northeastern part of State; region
of medium sized farms; prepara-
ous by disking cowpea stubble
of breaking it, mostly

with three-horse teams; har-
vested with binder; threshed
from shock; préparation shown
in chart by shaded areas; har-
vesting and threshing shown by
solid k; assumed yield, 15
bushels per acre; seed, 1 to 14
bushels per acre; twine, 1} to 3

ounds rt acre; planted in

ober; ested in June;
threshed in July.
| Prepare | | Before
OE 6 See 63 34 4 14 63 73
are ee ee eee 20 4 5 29 20 9
OATS.

' epee oats are grown in the northern half of the State and fall oats
in the southern half. (Figs.18and19.) Preparation for spring oats
is made in winter and early spring, but fall plowing may be practiced
if desired. Where fall oats follow cowpeas the land is disked and
smoothed, which requires less work than plowing.

92 —- BULLETIN 1181, U. & DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

MONTHS NUMBER
JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC DAYS

MAN LABOR

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

q
4

15% DAYS 45
4o
35
30 Fic. 18.—Labor on 10 acres of
april oats, Northwest Arkan-
25
Riba —Sandy loam to
20 silt loam soils; northwestern part
of State; region of medium sized
18 farms; preparation mostly with
| three-horse tea s; harvested
10 with binder; thres ed from shock;
assumed yield, 30 bushels per
5 acre; seed, 2 to 24 bushels per
acre; twine, 2 to 4 Macatee per
° acre; planted in February and
March; harvested in late June;
25 threshed in J uly and August.
| | 20
1S
10
Ss
Prepare | Cut and Thresh Total Before Be
landplant.| shock. ; ; ‘| harvest. | thresh.
LIED ag eee ater alle Ob eee Rees 8} 3 4 153 83 7

HIOrSOMA YS Se sano soak Boece SRS 22 3 4 29 22 7

Me So in ONES ee Se
DAYS JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY a JULY AUG. So in ONES ee Se OCT. NOV. DEC.

; MAN LABOR
i i DAYS

HORSE LABOR
35 DAYS

Fia. 19.—Labor on 10 acres of fall
oats, Pulaski County.

Conditions. —Sandy loam, allu-
vial soil; central part of State;
region of large plantations oper-
ated by ee labor; preparation
mostly wit three-horse teams;
harvested with binder; threshed
from shock; assumed yield, 30
bushels per acre; time of prepara-
tion depends much on what crop
precedes and often comes later
than shown; seed, 2 to 24 bushels
per acre; twine, 2to4 pounds per
acre; planted in September and
October; harvested in late May
and early June; threshed in June
to make way for a second crop.

Harvest
Prepare Shock- Before -
and plant.| #arvest-| thresh. | Tot@l- | narvest igen
Man days soa. b-7 cee oe ee 1. Bees 9 4 a 20 9 11
Horspidays?. 522: sees ee eee ee 24 4 7 35 24 11

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 93
CLOVER AND TIMOTHY.

Red clover is started by sowing on wheat or oats in the spring.
(Fig. 20.) It is clipped in the summer, but ordinarily makes no crop,
until the next year in the region to which the red clover chart applies.
If the clover is unmixed or is mixed with orchard grass it is cut in
June and again the last of July or early in August. If mixed with
timothy the cutting is delayed until the timothy is ready, which is
the last of June or early in July. (Fig. 21.) The seasonal distribu-
tion of labor is thus different in the two cases. These crops may also
be planted in the fall.

oe [ee Cee
DAYS [JAN. Ae eee MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEG! pays

MAN LABOR

16 DAYS
Fic. 20.—Labor on 10 acres of
red clover cut twice for hay,

northwestern Arkansas.

Conditions —N orthwestern
part of State; region of medium
sized farms operated by white
ee le; cut with mower; raked
bunched with horse rake;
| seemed by hand; hauled to barn
on wagons and "unloaded with
horse fork; assumed yield, 1 ton
per acre on first cutting and half
@ ton on second cutting. Or-

chard grassis ready for cutting at :
thesame time as red clover, hence

the chart for red clover would

apply to orchard grass also.

Seed sown in March, 10 to 12 ieahig potion
pounds per acre; cut first time in

June of the next’ year; cut second

time in July and August.

First Second Before ee
Sow Clip. harvest. | harvest. Total. harvest. Harvest.
ERIN OD YS oe Paces teas ce 1 1 8 6 16 2 14
ares dmys>e. sf 5. oS 0 2 8 6 16 2 14

24 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

eee Leak nc 8 MONTHS. .TERUIEEG a °
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG. eas ae MONTES. CORES oct. NOV. DEC] pays

MAN LABOR
10 DAYS
Fig. 21.—Labor on 10 acres of
clover-timothy, northwest
Arkansas.
Conditions —Same as preceding
chart except that there he one cut-
ibe teat ay of two made partly
in June and partly in July; as-
sumed yield, 1 ton per acre; 10 to
12 pounds of timothy and 4 to 5
pounds of clover sown per acre.

HORSE LABOR
10 DAYS

Sow. Clip. | Harvest.| Total: ee ee eee cal ircceolls late mec eae Harvest.
Maridays.-. +...) ... eee eee... ae al 1 8 10 2 8
IOTSOMIA YS ote. a ee. ces 0 2 8 10 2 8

FIRST-YEAR TIMOTHY.

In Clay County in northeastern Arkansas many farmers prepare
their land for timothy as they would for wheat, and sow it alone.
(Fig. .22.) This means considerable work, but the farmers say they
get a better stand and a better crop. They let it stand several
years, hence the work for succeeding years is only the work of har-
vesting and is shown by the solid ‘black on the first-year timothy
chart.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. 25

MONTHS
JAN. FEB, MAR APR ss y AU
MAN LABOR

24 DAYS

Fig. 22.—Labor on 10 acres of
first-year timothy, Clay
County.

Conditions —Sandy loam soil;
northeastern part of the State;
region of medium sized farms;
land Se ka by plowing, disk-
ing and harrowing; two and
three horse teams used in Hut
ration; cutin late June and earl
July with mower; raked wit
horse rake; bunched by hand;
baled in field with horse baler
and hauled to barn; assumed
yield, 1 ton per acre; shaded area
shows preparation; seed, 15 to 25 HORSE LABOR
pounds per acre; sown in Sep- * 38 DAYS
tember and October.

\

Prepare |Cut, rake,| Haul

? Before
and and bale and} Total. Harvest. °
| plant. | shock. | haul. harvest.
rate fo Be ee ee eee ee
Mamdays oe Nes) i ite:. eh a acer | 11 4 9 24 11 13

[EOUSE Gant Se et Sa ee Sa ete 25 4 9 33 25 13

ALFALFA.

That alfalfa is the king of hay crops, especially on lands suited to
its growth, is doubtless true, and it certainly finds a congenial soil in
Mississippi County. (Fig. 23.) Harvest begins the last of April and
continues with intervals between cuttings until October. It is not
attempted to show the intervals between cuttings but only the total
work each month. The intervals would not fall on the same dates
every year anyway. The number of cuttings is ordinarily five.
The chart assumes alfalfa that is already established, hence does not
include the work of preparation and sowing.

53003 °—24——_4

|
{

MONTHS "
JAN. FES. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG, SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC

MAN LABOR | |

36 DAYS

oF
DAYS

Fig. 23.—Labor on 10 acres of
, Mississippi County.

Conditions —Northeastern part
of the State; region of large farms
and plantations; cut five timesa
year; total yield 34 tons per acre;
raked with side delivery rake;
loaded with hay loader; hauled
to barn loose; unloaded with
horse fork; seed, 12 to 25 pounds
per acre; first cutting in late
April and early May; last cutting
usually in October; intervals be-

HORSE LABOR tween cuttings not shown.

41 DAYS

Cut and Haul
rake. |andstore.| Total. | Harvest.
L\ EG SS, ae RE RN TG aie cane Peete ek Pera ea Sy eae 13 23 36 36
POTSO GBYS. PP norte Nee ne ane Ok Pec dace Jib de Cetaepeeaeese 24 17 41 41

COWPEAS.

There are two charts for cowpea hay, one for an early crop that is
harvested in August and one for a later or second crop following small
rains. (Figs. 24 and 25.) Cowpeas may be planted at any time,
owever, from late April to the end of July, and the seasonal distri-
bution of labor varies according to the date of preparation and
Sosa There is a place for cowpeas planted in early May and
arvested in August, because the preparation and planting come
before cotton chopping and the harvest comes in the idle month of
August. Rye or any small grain could well follow such a crop of.
cowpeas or could precede it if used as a pasture crop.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 27

NUMBER MONTHS
DAYS

MAN LABOR
18 DAYS

Fig. 24.—Labor on 10 acres of
early cowpeas for hay, Pulaski
County.

Conditions.—Sandy loam, allu-
vial soil; central part of State;
reparation with two and three

“ss teams; planted in early

May and harvested in August;

hauled to barn loose; yield, 1 ton

per acre; seed, 1 to 1} bushels per

acre.
HORSE LABOR
i 32. DAYS
.

| Prepare | Before
pad plant. Harvest.} Total. Saree Harvest.
|
WS Se ee ee eee | 10 8 18 10 8
(Ptol D ivi #3 er ee eee ee eee 24 8 32 | 24 8

MONTHS oe
JAN FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC] pays

|
|

18 DAYS

Fig. 25.—Labor on 10 acres of
late cowpeas, Pulaski County.

_ Conditions—Same as preced-
ing chart except that the ground
is prepared after a crop of small
grain and the harvest is in Sep-
tember and October; seed, 1 to
13 bushels per acre; sown in June
and July.

; Prepare | 12 - | Before

t, Re: plant, Harvest.| Total. | ewe Harvest.
ooo pa 10 | g | 1s 10 8
ee eee eee 24 | 8 | 32 24 8

28 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

BERMUDA HAY.

Bermuda grass is cut for hay in many of the river bottoms of
Arkansas, Louisana, and adjacent States. (Fig. 26.) It is usuall
cut twice for hay each season and yields about a ton per acre at sat
cutting. One farmer, who raises little cotton but much corn and
much Bermuda hay, says that as soon as his corn is laid by he turns
his men and teams into his Bermuda meadow to make hay and that
there is no conflict of labor between these crops. That is the reason
why he raises much corn and little cotton. The first cutting of
Bermuda would conflict with cotton work in July.

MONTHS
JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT OCJ. NOV DEC

| | |

24 DAYS

eee

NUMBER
oF
DAYS

45
40
35

a Fic. 26.—Labor on 10 acres of Ber-
muda hay, Faulkner County.
Conditions.—Cut twice a year;

first cutting in late June and

early July; second cutting in late

August and early September;

baled in field with horse baler;

hauled to storage; yield, 1 ton per
acre at each cutting. ‘Bermuda
grass makes a permanent
meadow. The chart shows the
average amount of work each
month, but not the time of the

HORSE LABOR month in which it occurs.

24 DAYS

Cutand ay 4. 2
rake into | Pala | Lisa oe | Total.
\windrows area | Be.
zy Pi ipentr |
Man days...... Ah. te ee SB OS ce oe oo ee eee 5 15 4 24
VOGSOIGaY Sea eee see. Heed Me cuba Se Le ee Le oe ea ee 10 10 4 24

The work of harvesting Bermuda is not distributed with the
evenness shown in the chart but as the dates shift from year to year,
the total work is shown as covering the four months within whose
limits the harvest occurs.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. 29

FALL OATS AND COWPEAS V. FALL OATS AND LESPEDEZA.

One of the great advantages of lespedeza as a hay crop, following
small grain, and harvested the same year it is sowed, is shown in the
fall oats-lespedeza chart in comparison with the fall oats- -cowpeas
chart that precedes it. (Figs. 27 and 28.) Lespedeza requires no
work in June, when small grain is harvested and when farmers are
busy with cotton and corn. It is sowed in March as red clover is
sowed on a nurse crop and matures in September and October. A
lespedeza meadow may be continued a number of years, because it
reseeds itself from the prostrate branches that ordinarily escape the
mowing machine.

The elimination of conflict of labor in June by using lespedeza
instead of small grains permits farmers to cultivate more land with
the same equipment and thus get a larger income with little added
expense.

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

MONTHS
JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.

MAN LABOR |
1

45 2018 DAYS

40
35

30

Fic. 27.—Labor on 10 acres of
fall oats followed by cowpeas,
Pulaski County.

Conditions.—This chart isa
combination of the charts shown
in Figure 19 for fall oats and in
Figure 25 forlate cowpeas. The-
work on oats is shown in solid
black; that on cowpeas is shown
by the shaded area; yield, 30
bushels of oats per acre and 1

fon_of co pea hay HORSE LABOR
35%32 DAYS
OATS.
1
Pre }
pare | : Shock- Before
eae thresh. | Total. harvest. Harvest.
we ae Se
I Stet ok bo dae elect lene dcn nee se- 9 4 | 7 20 9 ll
ED Lee eae ee | 24 4 rf 35 24 il
COWPEAS
| Prepare | | Before Sees.
and plant, | Harvest.| Total. “harvest. | Harvest.
aaa — ; Ay
i DET is, Ane ee 10 s 18 | 10 8
re od ee haa ninne not | 24 8 32 | 24 8

Total on both crops 38 man days and 67 horse days.

30 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

pUmEeER MONTHS
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT..OCT. NOV. DEC.

1
MAN LABOR
20%13 DAYS

Fia. 28.—Labor on 10 acres of
fall oats followed by lespedeza,
southeast Arkansas.

Conditions—This chart is a
combination of the chart shown
in Figure 19 for fall oats and a
chart of lespedeza grown in
southeast Arkansas. Lespedeza
is sown in March on top of the
oats; has the weeds _ clipped
from aboveitin July and August
and is harvested in September
and October. Itis assumed that
the lespedezais loaded on wagons
by hand, unloaded with horse
fork, and stored loose in barn.
AZZ Observe the work in June and
HORSE LABOR July on this chart compared with
35%15 DAYS the preaedins one. Yield of

! lespedeza, 1 ton per acre; 1 bushel
ofseed sown per acre for first year
crop; volunteer crop the second
year and later.

OATS.
|
Harvest
Prepare Shock- Before
jand plant.) Harvest. thresh. Total: est ean
Mie @lapaessh. 22.3... eee, Ae 9 4 7 20 9 u
Horse ane eee es eee ae. 24 4 7 35 24 1l
LESPEDEZA.
l
Sow. Clip. |Harvest.| Total. Beton! Harvest.
Man days: .. i... -2 Bees... sees. cones fe 3 9 13 4 9
meccdays. cee... ee. | 0 6 9 15 6 9

The convenience of a noncompetitive or supplementary crop from
the labor standpoint in comparison with a competitive crop, is an
important matter.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 31

CANNERY TOMATOES.

Practically no early tomatoes are grown in Arkansas as a market
crop, at least none were grown when these data were gathered, but
there is a considerable industry in growing tomatoes for cannery
purposes. (Figure 29.) The early crop is staked and pruned but
the cannery crop requires neither operation.

In the chart, preparation is shown as beginning in January, but it
may vary from December to April. The peak loads of labor come
in May when the plants are set out and in September at the height of
the harvest.

NUMBER
or
DAYS

|

4
|
j
|

|
|
|

|
vo f 131 DAYS} jf fF it |
| |

|
|

Fic. 29.—Labor on 10 acres of
cannery tomatoes, northwest
Arkansas.

Conditions —Sandy loam soil;
northwest Arkansas; region of
medium sized farms operated by
white farmers; preparation most-
ly with two-horse teams; fertil-
ized by hand; cultivation with
both one and two horse imple-
ments. Plants are set in Ue
harvest begins in August and
ends in early October; yield, 5
tons or 166 bushels per acre; dis-
tance to market 4 to 5 miles;
plants, 3,400 to 3,600 per acre;
fertilizer, 150 to 200 pounds per
acre. Canneries furnish crates.

;
|
}
|

|
!

]

ay

—— a
————— or

32 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
MUSKMELONS.

The two muskmelon charts do not look so similar as one would
expect but the work of packing the crates at the association sheds
was not included in the Hempstead County chart, whereas the work
of packing in the field was included in the Crawford County chart.
(Fig. 30 and 31.) In Hempstead the manure appears to have been
applied entirely in March, whereas in Crawford, which is farther
north, it was applied in March and April. These explanations account
for the principal differences between the two charts,

MONTHS

MAN LABOR
135 DAYS

Fig. 30.—Labor on 10 acres of
muskmelons, Crawford
County.

Conditions. —Sandy loam, up-
land soil; northwest Arkansas;
region ofstmallfarms operated by
white farmers; 6 tons of manure
and 250 pounds fertilizer per acre;
land prepared with two horse
implements; cultivated mostly
with one-horsei mplements ; hoe-
ing rather heavy; cantaloupes
packed in field; yield, 100 crates

per acre; distance to market 4 to

HORSE LABOR 5 Miles; seed, 14 to 2 pounds per

86 DAYS acre; planted in April; harvested
in July and August.

! !

|
Prepare, | Harvest
: :
manure,, Culti- | = Miscel- Before d
| — | vate Hoe. | Pick. | Haul. |yaneous.| TOt#l- | harvest. ree
ee a
Man days.......-... 30 14 22 48 16 | 5 135 71 64
Horse days. .-....... | 36 16 0 0 32 | 74) 86 54 32
} }

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. 33

NUMBER
DAYS

30
|

60 I

Fie. 31—Labor on 10 acres of 70
muskmelons, Hempstead
County. 60
Conditions: Sandy, upland soil;
southwest Arkansas; region of so
small farms operated by white
farmers; preparation mostly with 40
two-horse teams; manure, 6 tons

per acre,appliedin March; ferti- 30
lizer, 250 to 500 pounds per acre;
cultivation with one-horse im-
plements; less hoeing than in
Crawford County; packing done
at association sheds as piecework
and notincluded here; yield, 100
crates per acre; distance to haul, 4
to 5miles;seed, 13 to 2 pounds per
acre; plantedin April; harvested |
in July and August. Pere a= Hf
|

|

HORSE LABOR

j

|
|

Prepare,
manure,} Culti- aoe Miscel- Before
and wate. Hoe. | Pick. Haul. Base Total. ery ese Harvest.
plant.
Cw . 382 22 10 20 18 13 115 77 38
Horse days.......-. 37 22 0 0 36 0 95 59 36

WATERMELONS.

The melon chart for Crawford County shows a peak load of labor in
March, whereas the Hempstead County chart doesnot. (Figs. 32 and
33.) Thedifference is theresult of the practice of using manure in the
first case and commercial fertilizer in the thesecond case. The greater
work of harvesting in Hempstead County is explained by a haul of 3
miles compared with a haul of 14 miles in Crawford County.

One advantage of the watermelon crop is that it can be harvested
in August, which is the idle month on most farms.

34 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

NUMBER MONTHS Ss
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. oct. Nov ec] pays
MAN LABOR
90 75 DAYS 90
60 so
70 7O
Fic. 32——Labor on 10 acres of
ee 26 watermelons, Crawford
County.
50 so Conditions.—Sandy, loam soil;
northwest Arkansas; region of
40 white farmers and small farms;
preparation with two-horse im-
30 plements; manure applied in

March, 4 tons per acre; fertilizer,
150 to 200 pounds per acre; culti-
vated with two-horseimplements
first and one-horse inplements
later; yield, 8 tons per acre; dis-
tance to market, 14 miles; seed, 1
to 3 pounds per acre; planted in
April; harvested mainly in Au-
gust.

F | Harvest
manure, Culti- Miscel- Before
said vate Hoe. | Gather | Haul. |yaneous.| 1°t@l- | harvest. ea
plant arket.
Manidayss os... 52. « 28 11 6 16 11 3 75 48 22

Horse days.....---. - 134 17 0 0 22 0 73 51 27

MONTHS
JAN. FEB. MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT OCT NOV. DEC

77 DAYS

Prepare, : Harvest
fertilize, Culti- Hoe. Pick. | Haul. Miscel- Total. Before

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

90

60

70

60 Fia@, 33.—Labor on 10 acres of

watermelons, Hempstead
County.

Conditions.—Sandy open soil;
southwest Arkansas; white farm-
ers on small farms; prepara-
tion mostly with two-horse im-
plements; cultivation with one
and two horse implements; no
manure; 400 pounds of fertilizer
per acre; yield, 8 tons per acre;
distance to market, 3 miles; seed
1 to 3 pounds per acre; plante

in April; harvestedin August.

50

40

30

HORSE LABOR
78 DAYS

and
wey vate. laneous. harvest wiatiet
plan
Man days:.......2<- 14 12 6 20 20 5 77 37 40
Horse = SOS eee 22 16 0 0 40 0 78 38 40

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 35
SWEET POTATOES.

The sweet-potato charts for Columbia and Washington Counties are
similar except for the larger amount of work required in the latter
county. (Figs. 34 and 35.) This is entirely a matter of soil. The
soil in Columbia County is light and sandy which makes all operations
easier, especially setting out the plants and harvesting the crop.

NUMBER
oF
DAYS
MAN LABOR || |
90 94 DAYS} ;
|
60 f i |
Fic. 34.—Laboron 10 acres_of |

sweet potatoes, Columbia 70 t i

County. :

Conditions.—Light, sandy, up- = [
land soil; southwestern part of
State; white farmers; small 50 I [
farms; preparation partly with I |
one-horse and partly with two- — if |
horse implements; cultivation |
with one-horseimplements; slips 30 f i rel

planted by hand; yield, 100 bush-
els per acre; distance to market
4to5 miles; 300 to 400 pounds of
commercial fertilizer used per
acre; total man labor about the
same as cotton, horse labor great-

| er; tatoes plowed out and HORSE LABOR!
| = up by hand; seed, 4to5 63 DAYS I
ushels per acre or 6,000 to 10,000 | |

plants per acre; planted in May
and June; harvested in October.

i = nd
tion vate crate harvest market
ean Gays. .2225.... 19 17 10 9 28 103 94 554 3
Horse days. ........ o 10 0 5 21 63 37 at

>

36 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

MONTHS At
JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEG] pays

MAN LABOR

NUMBER
oF
DAYS

Fic. 35.—Labor on 10 acres of
sweet potatoes, Washington
County.

Conditions —Sandy loam to
silt loam soil; northwest Arkan-
sas; white farmers, medium-sized
farms; preparation mostly with
two-horse implements but bed-
ding the potatoes is included in
the figures for preparation; culti-
vation with two-horse imple-
ments; yield, 100 bushels per
acre; distance to market, 4 to 5
miles; nearly every operation
required more work in Washing-
ton than in Columbia County,
because the soil is more difficult
to till; potatoes are plowed out
with a plow and picked up by
hand; seed, 4 to 5 bushels per
acre, or 6,000 to 10,000 plants per
acre; fertilizer, not generally
used; slips planted in May and
* une; harvested mainly in Octo-

er.

76 DAYS

: : Harvest
‘| Culti- Dig and Before
Prepare.| Plant. fi Hoe. Haul. | Total. and
vate crate. harvest. hayek.
Man days.......--..- | 19 32 7 174 .« -39 11 125 75 50
Horse days --...-- | 31 1 14 0 8 22 76 46 30

Many people will doubtless be interested in the fact that the work
on cotton and that on sweet potatoes comes to about the same total
in Columbia County, at least for the man labor. Hauling to market
is included in both charts.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. 37

POTATOES.

The southern farmer can and often does grow two crops of potatoes
on the same land in one year, and this is the practice among the
commercial growers in Sebastian County and around Judsonia in
White County. (Fig. 36.) This does not mean that they are grown
in successive years on the same land.

The peak load of labor for the first crop is in June and for the
second crop in November. The yield of potatoes is not so large in
the South as in the North, but the possibility of raising a second crop,
for which prices are always good, is a consideration worth mention.

esa lhase iat act Oe Ea ate tient

Fic.36.—Labor on 10 acres of PIR BEBE DEE

early potatoes followed by a
second crop of potatoes, Sebas-
tian County.

Conditions —Sandy loam, up-
land soil; western part of State;
region of white farmers with
medium-sized farms; prepara-
tion with two and threehorse im-
plements; fertilizer applied at
rate of 600 to 800 pounds per acre
to first crop: cultivation with
one and two horse implements;
early crop planted in February
and mah harvested in June;
late crop Planted in July and
August, harvested in November.
First crop hauled to market 4 or
5 miles away; second crop stored
at home; solid black represents
early crop and shaded area shows
the late crop; assumed yield, 100
bushels per acre for ‘first crop;
second crop, 50 bushels per acre;
seed, 8 to 12 bushels per acre for
each’ crop; arsenate of lead or
Paris green, 1 to 3 pounds per

HORSE LABOR
74°"450 DAYS

acre.
Pre- = Har-
Cut | Pa | Culti- ¢ Har- | Mar- ef0re.| Yess
fertil- Hoe. | Spray.| — Total. | har- and
seed ize, and vate. vest. ket. vest. | mar-
plant. | ket.
a oe a
Mer Gays..-.-2..... 6 | 15 13 2 | 2 25 10 | 73 38 | 35
HOSE days... 2.2 0 | 26 21 0 | 2 5 20 | 74 49 25
LATE POTATOES.
| | Prepare | 3
| ‘ : Harvest Before | Harvest
Cut seed. | per po ee and Total. | har- and
plant. store. vest. store.
LS eee 6 14 10 25
eee ae 0 24 16 10

Total on both crops; 128 man days and 124 horse days.

38 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
CUCUMBERS.

The seasonal distribution of labor on a cucumber crop does not
fit very well with cotton or corn. (Fig. 37.) It is an intensive
crop and is harvested in time to plant late cowpeas on the same
ground, but it is doubtful whether it has the future that some other
crops have.

MONTHS
JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT OCT NOV DEC

| ll

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

156 DAYS

Fic. 37.—Labor on 10 acres of
cucumbers, Crawford County.

Conditions —Sandy loam soil;
northwestern Arkansas; white
farmers, small farms; prepara-
tion mostly with two-horse
teams; manure applied at the
rate of 7 tons per acre in April;
cultivated with one-horse an
two-horseimplements; yield, 150
bushels per acre; distance to mar-
ket, 4 to 5 miles; seed, 14 to 2
pounds per acre; planted in
a harvested in June and

y-

HORSE LABOR
118 DAYS

Prepare, Harvest
manure,| Culti- Pick and Before
and || vate. Hoe. pack, | Haul. | Total. | narvest. Pi een
plant
Mandays-- 222.2... 29 11 22 68 26 156 62 94
Horse a Pp ee ae 47 19 0 0 52 118 66 52

-

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 39

SORGHUM SIRUP.

When sorghum is made into sirup at home a large amount of
work is required which usually has its peak load in September but
may come earlier or later according to the date of planting and the

variety grown. (Fig. 38.)

If the crop is harvested and made up

in August, a conflict with cotton picking is avoided but the yield is
lighter with the early varieties. From the labor standpoint cotton
and sorghum for sirup do not fit well together.

Fie. 38.—Labor on 10 acres of
sorghum for sirup and made
up at home, Sebastian County.

Conditions —Sandy loam to
silt loam soils; western part of
State; white farmers; medium
sized farms; preparation and
cultivation with two-horse im-
plonane, length of haul from

eld to grinder one-fourth mile;
yield, 6 tons of cane per acre or
100 gallons of sirup per acre;
crew of four men and two horses
make up 80 gallons per day
work of hauling wood for Sear
not included; 1 cord of good wo
makes about 100 gallons of sirup;
a medium early variety is as-
sumed; a late variety would
be made up in September and

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

MONTHS NUMBER
JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.) pays

MAN LABOR | |

142 DAYS

HORSE LABOR
82 DAYS

er Ce “ss

RRR NES <M Eee ee ee OL Eee CUR TES
a ee a

a5 res Were.

ee

October; 800 to 1,000 pounds of
tops per acre are also obtained;

sged, 3 pounds a acre; fertilizer f
250 to 500 pounds per acre;planted
about first of May; harvested in
late August and September.
Pre | | | | | z Har-
Heal efore | vest
eat rome Hoe. | Strip. | Cut. | Top. | Haul. | Make | potal.| har- | and
: BP vest. | make
plant 5: up
Man days... 13 9 10 314 11 10 73 50 142 32 110

Horse days. 26 16 0 0 0 0 15 25 82 42 40

~

40 BULLETIN 1181, U. 8. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

SORGHUM FOR FACTORY.

The labor of growing a crop of sorghum that is to be made up in a

crop is laid by. There is much less conflict with cotton in raising
the crop for the factory than in making it up at home.

— MONTHS
DAYS |JAN. FES. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV.

|

HORSE LABOR
62 DAYS

bpespars Culti- ‘ Bolord eee
and plant.| vate. Hoe. Cut. Haul. | Total.

MAN LABOR
53 DAYS

Fig. 39.—Labor on 10 acres of
sorghum for factory, Sebastian
County.

Conditions.—Same as precedin

except the cane is cut and 1

on wagon without stripping or

topping; distance to factory 2

miles; seed and fertilizer same as

preceding.

harvest. jand haul.

es en ee

Man days=-22...'3.... 13 9 10 11 10 53 32 21
FTOTSC GBYSs% ce555<- 26 16 0 0 20 62 42 20

factory is just the same as for that made up at home, but differs
greatly from harvest time on. (Fig. 39.) Cutting and hauling ©
are the only operations that the farmer is concerned with after the

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 41
CONCORD GRAPES.

The two striking features in the grape chart (fig. 40) are the peak
load of labor in August and the large amount of man labor in the
winter months compared with the small amount of horse labor.

_ August is the month of harvest, whereas the winter months and

March show the work of pruning and tying.
The fact that August is a comparatively idle month in the South
makes it profitable to grow some grapes even if only for home use.
As a commercial crop grapes are not of great importance, but the
establishment of a grape-juice factory at Springdale is stimulating
the industry in northwest Arkansas and is encouraging it in other
parts of the State. There is no reason why a cotton planter could
not operate a vineyard as a supplementary enterprise, but it would
be a matter of growth to get men trained to do the work properly.

MONTHS
JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.

MAN LABOR
217 DAYS |

i

!

|
]
iu

r |
4

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

90

80

Fic. 40.—Labor on 10 acres of
Concord grapes, northwestern
Arkansas.
Conditions.—Gravelly soil;

northwest Arkansas; region of

small farms; most of the work
from November to March in-
clusive is pruning and tying;
larvestin August, when thereis
little other work; rows, 10feet
apart; plants, 7 to 8feet in row;
fertilizer, not generally used but
probably should be; spray ma-
terials—48 pounds copper sul-
hate, 18 pounds arsenate of
ead, and 75 pounds of lime per
acre; data of this chart obtained
from members of an Italian
colony at Tontitown; Americans
would probably perform the
work in at least one-third less
time than the figures show.

7o

60

|
|
|
|
-

50

40

30

| Before.| Harvest

tie, | Spray Hoe. | and |Market.| Miscel- | Total. |“ har- and

ete. vate pack. laneous. vest. | market.
Man days. ..... 68 20 20 8 75 17 9 | 217 125 92
Horse days. 2 11 27 0 1 34 l 76 41 35

49 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
ELBERTA PEACHES.

Figure 41 shows the quantity of labor on 10 acres sf Elberta peaches
in the famous orchard which covers about 7 square miles of the
gravelly hills of Pike County in southwest Arkansas.

Ne bat eal Tae Se Oe

MAN LABOR
126 DAYS

Fic. 41.—Labor on 10 acres of
Elberta peaches, Pike County.

Conditions —Gravelly soil;
southwest Arkansas; harvest or-
dinarily from July 10to August1;
pruninginJanuaryand February:
in October suffocating the borers
with paradichlorobenzine, three-
fourths of an ounce per tree;
other varieties of peaches would
be harvested at various dates;
spray materials, 16 pounds arse-
nate of lead, 20 gallons concen-
trated lime- sulphurand 50pounds
HORSE LABOR of atomicsulphurperacre. Data

52 DAYS were furnished by Bert Johnson
of the Highland orchard.

Plow
Pick . Harvest
d Miscel Before
Prune. | Spray. aS and Haul. Total nd
so pack laneous harvest market.
Man Gays. o.2 2-502. 10 7 14 70 124 123 126 434 824
‘Morse/days. ....22- 0 6 21 0 25 0 52 27 25

The peak load of labor comes in July when the crop is harvested.
To be more exact it extends from about July 10 to August 1, but
varies according to the season.

The work in J anuary is pruning and dormant spraying with lime-
sulphur. Pruning requires only about one day of labor. per acre of
orchard. In October the borers are killed by the use of paradichloro-
benzine, a rapid and effective method. In the work of applying the
poison sprays by the dust method two men and a team cover 20 acres
a day at the first application and 40 acres a day at each of the four
later applications.

we oa

tagher a

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 43
FIRST-YEAR BLACKBERRIES.

The work on first-year blackberries is not heavy, because there is

no crop to harvest. The peak load occurs in May and June when the

hoeing and weeding is done. (Fig. 42.) Most growers do all the

cleaning with a hoe, but the largest grower in the community where

these data were gathered thinks that weeding by hand is desirable and
profitable even though it is more expensive.

MONTHS
JAN. FES. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT OCT. NOV DEC

MAN LABOR
'
|
|
|
| |

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

61 DAYS

Fig. 42.—Labor on 10 acres of
first-year Blackberries, north-
west Arkansas.

silt loote nad slightly loam a
oam and s gravelly
soil; northwestern part of State;
white farmers on medium-sized
farms; preparation of soil with
two and three horse teams:
cultivation with two-horse im-
plements; in actual practice
rows of tomatoes or corn planted
between so that part of the cul-
tivation may be charged to those
crops; rows, 8 feet apart; about
5,000 plants per acre, according to
farmers’ practice; some authori-
ties advise planting 8 feet by 3
feet or 1,815 plants per acre;

)
|
|

HORSE LABOR
46 DAYS

plants set out in early spring.
| | |
Prepare.| Plant. (Cultivate. ee ie Top. | Total.
_ oS: Bee: a ae a -ee | 9 13 11 | 24 5 61
Te DTU ae a eee ee | 22 2 22 | 0 0 46

_—SS— Eee
.

If rooted plants are used for planting there is apparently no need
for weeding, but where root cuttings are used they are very slow in
coming and are easily destroyed.

The chart assumes that no crop is interplanted between the black-
berry rows the first year, but there is plenty of room for corn or
tomatoes, and it is a common practice to plant one of these crops,
usually corn.

44 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

FIRST-YEAR STRAWBERRIES.

First-year strawberries require more than double the work of —
first-year blackberries. (Fig. 43.) The plants are set out in March
and then, as soon as grass and weeds begin to grow, they are culti-
vated continuously and hoed intermittently until early September.
The amount of hoeing depends upon the season, being greater in
rainy seasons. It is a common thing to plant the crop on new land
among stumps. This involves the work of keeping the sprouts
down, but practically no crab grass grows the first year.

MONTHS

MAN LABOR
160 DAYS

Fic. 43.—Labor on 10 acres of
first-year strawberries, Wash-
ington County.
Conditions.—Sandy loam to

silt loam soils; northwest Arkan-
sas; white farmers; small farms;
preparation mostly with two-
horse implements; cultivated at
least 12 times, partly with one
horse and partly with two
horses; hoed five times; fertilized
with 200 pounds of fertilizer per
acre; laid by in August or early
September; a crop on new land
ome stumps requires some-
what less hoeing than old land,
because it is not infested with
crab grass; rows, 34 feet oe
each way or 4 feet by 3 feet;
plants are set out in March.

| Prepare ‘Waiti.
and Set. te Hoe Total
fertilize. :
bd Sew SEG WR PSS es SENS CLS La b> UR
‘Man tages et tte ees By a ee ake | 15 25 35 85 160

lorsedayst. <2! 3 issieecscne. abl eeteasyt sss set: | 28 0 62 0 90

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 45

BEN DAVIS APPLES.

Since apples are of many varieties, ripening at various times, and
since the Ben Davis apple is the principal commercial variety in
northwestern Arkansas, the chart for apples is based on that variety,
which is harvested in October. (Fig. 44.) Various other varieties
of apples may be harvested from June to October. |

The work on apple orchards is more nearly continuous than that
on any other crop except rice. Apples are a safe crop and the trees
bear regularly = the orchard is properly managed. Three times
only in 50 years has the crop in northwest Arkansas been destroyed
by freezes. ae

The apple chart assumes that the work of cultivation is done with
horses, but many of the larger orchardists find that the tractor 1s
profitable for that work. It reduces the quantity of man labor
materially.

NUMBER MONTHS
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.

MAN LABOR
80 143 DAYS

Fic. 44.—Labor on 10 acres of
Ben Davis apples, northwest
Kansas.

Conditions. —Sandy loam to
silt loam soil; northwest Arkan-
sas; white farmers; medium
sized farms; trees, 15 to 20 years
old; cultivated with two and
three horseimplements; tractors
are sometimes used; harvested
in October (several varieties
would be harvested earlier); dis-
tance to market, 3 miles; yield,
150 bushels per acre; spray maie-
rials, 20 pounds of arsenate of
lead, 50 gallons concentrated
lime-sulphur, 75 pounds copper
sulphate, and 80 pounds of lime
2 acre; these amounts should

used but the average or-

chardist uses less.
| : ‘ 3 Harvest
| Prune. | Spray Culti- Pick and} Haul to} Miscel- Total Before
vate, ack. | market. | laneous. * |harvest.
| Dp market.
Man days.-.......... | 30 27 10 60 12 4 143 71 72
EIOESE C28 .. -2-+- 5s. | il 24 25 4 24 4 92 64 28

Man labor, except picking, 113 days.

46 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,
BLACKBERRIES IN BEARING.

All previous charts have shown the labor on 10 acres of each
crop, but this is not possible in the case of the very intensive crops
unless the scale is changed greatly. For this reason l-acre charts
of the intensive crops were made using the scale of 5, 10, 15, ete.

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

MAN LABOR
34 DAYS

Fic. 45.—Labor on 1 acre of
blackberries in bearing, north-
west Arkansas.

Conditions.—Same as for first-
year blackberries (see p. 43);
rvest work 85 to 90 per cent
ofall manlabor; harvestis partly
in June and partly in July; no
work ordinarily after harvest; old
canes taken out the followin
February ,leftin the middles an
disked in the ground; rows are
HORSE LABOR : 8 feet apart; haul 2 to 3 miles;
DAYS yield 70 crates per acre.

Re : Hoe F Harvest
move i and Top. | Pick. | Haul. Pea Total. ronan and
canes. * | weed 3 *!market.

Man days........... 1 1 3 z 29 1 | 4 | 34 4 30
Horse days..-2- - .,<.< 0 2 0 0 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 3 2

Man labor, except contract work, 5 days.

If root cuttings are planted it is the third year before a full crop
of blackberries is obtained. The peak load of work comes in June
and July, when the crop is harvested, and it is not customary to
do any work after that time until the old canes are taken out the
followmg February. (Fig. 45.) They are then rotten enough to
break off. They are thrown on the ground between the rows and
cut to pieces with a disk harrow. The Early Harvest and the Snyder
are the two varieties most grown.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 47

STRAWBERRIES IN BEARING.

The chart (fig. 46) for 1 acre of Klondyke strawberries shows that
_ they are harvested in May. The Aroma harvest usually extends
into early June. Three cultivations or plowings constitute the work

required after harvest.
MBER MONTHS
JAN FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC

TW

il Hh

Fic. 46.—-Labor on 1 acre of
Klondyke strawberries in
bearing, northwest Arkansas.

Conditions.—Same as for first-
_ year strawberries (see p. 44);
3 est in May, followed by
about three plowings in June;
harvest of Aroma variety runs
- into June; haul to market, 3
miles; yield, 60 crates per acre.

3 DAYS

{
| Pickand Culti- | Miscel- Harvest
Haul. Total. and /Allother.
| pack vate. | laneous. TaFkee:
ee ee ee i
; 5 Ss ess ee
eT EA ee 28 | i! 1 | 1 31 29 2
m Horse days::.-2.......-..-----. 0 | 2 1 0 3 2 1

® Man labor, except contract work, 4 days.

48 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
CHERRIES.

No sweet cherries are grown in Arkansas for commercial purposes,
but the Early Richmond, Montmorency, and English Morello are
grown to a limited extent in the northwestern part of the State.
(Fig. 47.) Harvest begins in late May and is finished by June 15,
so there is little or no conflict with strawberries. Cherries are one
of the most intensive crops.

MONTHS Ga
JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC.| pays

| | [|

42 DAYS

NUMBER
or
DAYS

Fic. 47.-Labor on 1 acre of cher-
ries, northwest Arkansas.

Conditions —Same as for straw-
berries; trees 6 to 8 years old;
varieties Early Richmond, Mont-
morency, and English Morello;
haul 2to3 miles; yield, 100 crates
per acre; harvested the last of
May and first halfofJune; trees,
25 feet apart each way; spray ma-
terials, 15 pounds arsenate of
lead, 35 gallons lime sulphur, 25
pounds copper sulphate, and 30

Bere LABOR pounds of lime per acre.

$8 DAYS

: | es, Harvest
Culti 3 Miscel- Before
Prune. | Spray vate, |Harvest. Haul. Fe ceed Total. SEATS sane i
Mamdsysets 22.0.2 2 2 1 35 1 1 42 6 36
Horse days: .<...... 1 13 3 g Z 1 9 63 24

Man labor, except contract work, 7 days.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. | 49

KIEFFER PEARS.

Pears blight badly in the Southern States and they blight more
when cultivated and highly fertilized than when left in sod with
little or no fertilization. The crop requires little work, therefore,
except at harvest time. (Fig. 48.) Some farmers clip the grass and
weeds in the orchard and some do not.

MONTHS -—
JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE-JULY AUG. SEPT. ocT. NOV. DEC] Days

MAN LABOR
12 DAYS

NUMBER
Or
DAYS

Fic. 48.—Labor on 1 acre of
Kieffer pears, Sebastian
County.

Conditions —This chartis based
on the work ofa 6-acre orchard in
Sebastian County; trees about 15
years old; no cultivation attempt-
ed; harvest in September.

Miscel- Before Harvest
Prune. | Spray. Pick. Haul. Total. | and
laneous. | harvest. meee,
PMS SE ee bas ee Rs Pe ee ee ee ee ee
ee ene 1 1 7 24 2 12 2 10
Horse days. ......... 0 1 0 0 6 1 5

oy

50 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
RADISHES.

The crop of radishes is unique among the commercial crops of the
State in the earliness of its harvest, which begins in late March and—
is finished by April 15 or 20, giving ample time for planting cotton, —
corn, or almost any other crop. (Fig. 49.) All of the intensiaal
crops have a high value per acre; they also necessitate a low acreage —
per man. Intensive farms are small if measured by the number of ;
acres, but they may be considered large if measured by the invest-_
ment or by the number of days of labor required to operate them. —

am MONTHS a
DAYS [JAN. FEB. MAR APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. NOV. DEC! pays

MAN LABOR :
30 DAYS
Fig. 49.—Labor on 1 acre of rad-
ishes, Hempstead County.
Conditions—Sandy, upland soil; —
southwestern part of State; white —
farmers; small farms; manure ap- —
plied broadcast, 8 to 10 tons per
acre; seed sown broadcast, hence —
no cultivation; 10 to 15 pounds of —
seed per acre; yield, 60 barrels per
acre; 75 pounds of ice used per
; barrel; haul 2 to 3 miles; nitrate
of soda, 100 to 150 pounds per

acre; planted in January or
HORSE LABOR earlier; harvested in late March
12. DAYS and early April.

nn ,

Pre- Harvest
Harvest Before
er and pack. Haul. Total. harvest. markets
LEC) = nn ea ae aS A 3 23 4 30 3 27
Horse es ALS RE Be EAS eli tient 4 0 8 12 4 8

|

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF APKANSAS CROPS, 51

RICE.

The rice chart is the only one for which 100 acres is used as a basis
but it is comparable with the cotton, corn, hay, and grain charts,
because the acreage and the scale are both 10 times those of the
latter charts. (Fig. 50.)

Rice requires some work every month of the year. No sooner does
|

the rice farmer thresh one crop than he begins plowing for the next.
Horse work is assumed in this chart, but tractors are more common
in the rice region than in any other part of Arkansas, and these reduce
the amount of man labor required.

The two principal varieties of rice are the Early Prolific and the
Blue Rose. It is becoming popular to plant both varieties, so that
the harvest will not all come at one time.

NUMBER
OF
DAYS

T
MAN LABOR
456 “ra tg

Fig. 50:—Labor on 100 acres of
rice, eastern Arkansas.

Conditions.—Silty soils; east
central part of State; large farms;
preparation with four-horse
teams, although tractors are used
extensively; pumping done with
oil engines; if done with steam
engines the labor is more; if done
with electric motors it is less;
cutting sometimes done with one
man and four horses, but oftener
with two men and six horses;
binder carries an engine that
tes the machine even when

the teams stop; threshing ertirely
from the shock; yield, 50 bushels
per acre; haul 4 to 5 miles to HORSE LABOR
market; seed, 1 to 3 bushels per 625 DAYS
acre; lanted April 15 to early
June; Early Prolific harvested in
September and Blue Rose in late

September and in October.
| PPumap- | Har-
id ing and| y, Cut | Thresh | Before} vest
at levee | fuel an and Total.| har- | and

| vest.

52 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

INTERPRETATION OF THE TABLES AND CHARTS.

As stated in the beginning, the figures in the tables and charts can
not be anything more than fair averages, just as rainfall data by
months are fair averages. Common sense and judgment must be
used to make the tables apply to a particular farm.

The farm to which one might wish to apply the data may not be
in the county where the figures were gathered, but a farmer can use |
the data from the county that is nearest to him and make such modi-
fications for latitude, longitude, or average rainfall as may seem _
reasonable. <A difference of 100 miles makes little difference in itself,

ALLOWANCE FOR SOIL.

Most of these data are for sandy or sandy loam soils. If they are
to be applied to silt, clay or so-called “buckshot” soils, 10 to 40 per
cent should be added for the work of preparation.

WEATHER.

Very dry weather, by making soils dry and hard, makes them —
difficult to break and prepare and everyone must use his own judg-
ment as to how much to allow for this factor.

If the weather is wet in the spring when the ground should be pre- |
pared, it will shift the work to a later date. If it is very wet after
row crops are planted grass and weeds grow more rapidly, which
adds to the work of both cultivation and hoeing, especially to the
hoemg. No rule can measure the amount of such increase. Every
one must use his own judgment in regard to it. Rain at such a time
will also shift some of the work from the normal time to a later time.

Wet weather during the haying and harvest of small grain increases
the amount of work because the hay and grain may have to be ;
handled an extra time, and it certainly delays the work to some
extent. During cotton picking or the harvest of other crops wet
weather delays the work even if it does not involve an extra hand-—
ling. It is likely also to lengthen the time of work by decreasing ©
the work accomplished in a day. — -

In harvesting corn and other crops a storm may so beat them —
down that more work is involved. 1

Work that is performed in the winter months is shifted according 7
to the winter weather. In January of some years a farmer can plow —
22 days out of the month and in other years no plowmg at all can —
be done. In the former case, much plowing is done, hence the work
is shifted from the normal date to an earlier date. In the latter
case, it is shifted to a later date. All such contingencies must be |
kept in mind.

{

WEEDINESS OF LAND.

Some fields are much more foul than others with weeds and grasses;
this makes a difference in the amount of hoework required on row
crops and it may also affect some other operations. The difference
between the amount of hoeing on cotton in Columbia and Pulaski
Counties is partly but not entirely due to differences in weediness of
land. Nut grass, Bermuda grass, and Johnson grass land involve |
much extra work.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, 53
STUMPS AND STONES.

There are all degrees of stumpiness and stoniness, and these things
add to the amount of labor required. The figures in the tables are
for smooth land; hence each farmer should add whatever he thinks
is necessary for the presence of stumps and stones.

LENGTH OF ROWS.

If rows are exceedingly short, some work should be added to cover
the extra time spent in turning around, but if they are about the
average for the community the figures in the table will apply.

SIZE OF TEAMS OR POWER UNITS.

For each chart the conditions are printed with the chart, and one ~
of these conditions is the team unit—whether a one-horse, two-horse,
or larger team is used. It makes considerable difference in the
quantity of man labor required whether the worker drives only one

_ horse or more than one. One-horse work involves the maximum of
man labor; hence the higher the wages paid the more necessary it
becomes to have the worker drive as many horses as practicable, or
even to drive a tractor. This necessity does not hold true, however,
when the worker is a share cropper who receives half the crop or some
other share as his pay. The loss of efficiency by driving one horse
instead of two or more in the case of the share cropper falls on the
share cropper and not on the owner who alone can change this
condition.

The important point concerning size of teams or power unit is that
if a farmer uses more horses or mules to the team than the table
assumes, it will change, to some extent, the figures in the tables.

CHANGED PRACTICES.

Changed practices of any kind are likely to affect the quantity of
labor required. The substitution of machine work for hand work or
of a larger machine for a smaller one will change the amount of labor
required.

ADJUSTMENT FOR YIELD.

The charts are all based on certain assumed yields which are given
in Table 2. In the case of cotton, a picking rate of 125 pounds of
seed cotton per hand per day has been assumed. If the picking rate is
ereater or less than this, the data may be changed accordingly, but
if the data of the tables are used as a standard, and if the vield of
cotton is 1,200 pounds of seed cotton per acre instead of the assumed
600 pounds, the time for picking may be doubled or nearly so.

If the crop is corn and the yield is 50 bushels per acre instead of 25
and if the Pulaski County corn data are used (fig. 8), the 7 days of
man labor and 5 days of horse labor required for harvesting may be
doubled. The same principle will hold for most other crops. It
must be remembered, however, that a crop can be gathered a little
faster if the yield is large than if it is Eraall

54 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

CALCULATION OF APPROXIMATE COST OF PRODUCTION.

Although this is not primarily a cost study, it may be used as a
basis for calculating approximate costs. The labor data from the
various tables may be used directly or they may be modified according
to circumstances and the cost of man labor and horse labor deter-
mined on that basis.

SKELETON FORM FOR COST ACCOUNTING.

A skeleton form for cost accounting on any crop grown in the ~
State has been designed and is given below. ‘The estimates are for ©
1 acre of crops. |
Man labor on crops, except contract work! ...... days at.... per day........
Man labor picking, if any, ...-.-.... pounds, quarts, bushels, etc., at ...... per

Paid manager

Wermedapor =. - ~. GAYS AG oe cae eS Or Gaye. ie 2s oe nem ose ee ea eee
Implement cost, at 50. to 60:cents: per horse day -.< tec si. -.42- seegast --idecket pee
Béedin ses pounds, bushels, etc., at ........-. per. 35): 2734 oe
tsa d/l ee pounds at ...... DOT TOG nos ag wasls dau ee ES hn
Gaming, ete a5 i325-2 bales at ...... peribales 2 ....72@ ssid deses ibe eae
Penis sas. = = bales or tons at .....- DEN eon. sae wea a ae eee ae Le ae
becnne Sa... - =. bushels at ....-- pet bushel... . .--.252: - j= = 25198 eee
Packing or crating ....-. at EsOse2 per box,'erate'or ‘barrels. 2). eh Jo PE a
epee tIAPINISUTAINCG S-. twat 2 Pasi ee en oe se cop sat oe woke Shee > ope ae

Depreciation of buildings and fences and upkeep of real estate at $1.50 to $2.50 per
nrgpyecre +152 28s bee iete ete chess Pde estes 220 8 Aa . Pe

Package materials, twine, baling wire, ice

mepartimntetials jist eae ip biked che inthe date Ss oes ta ee ee Oe
SeRADT See tet) cba op Sab oma ne eee = gin dale cele =~ = oe oe re
hecellaneous at pO Cents Per Actes. 4.25.0 cbs. = 5<-- o- Ddbe sek see ee ee
otal operstoiees pennies -.s.- S22 Bate st ves 5 oe So eee Bee ee ee ene
reddit tor DN prod UC bis na:42 eam ite tise ins al oe ofa bn Se eet oes
Net opemtine expense. ils Sek Se Aa ee ee iT |
Interest on land at .....- Per COD poet eaecidan Ae Sei Pia pe Oe ee .
Potaaiepeosest=) A000 rh. 2a RAE 10 Sith Sie eae q
PrOGMCtION Per acter. 4.0... - <2... oe eee cee eee oss he Oe eee ae 5
Cost per ...... 2
To find the labor data for any particular crop and region consult F]

the index on page 63.

1 Contract work is picking cotton, strawberries, apples, etc., at a stated price per pound, quart, bushel.
If the rate of wages is different for different operations, use the man days, by operations, given with each
chart as a basis for cost.

2 Levee taxes additional.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. 55

USE OF SKELETON FORM.

To illustrate the use of the form in the calculation of costs, data
for the production of cotton in Pulaski County, Ark. (see fig. 3)
have been inserted in the skeleton form. The estimate is for 1 acre
yielding 600 pounds of seed cotton and turning out 200 pounds of
2 jint and 400 pounds of cotton seed.

Cost or Propucine 1 ACRE OF COTTON.

1. Man labor, except contract work 6.3 days at $1.25 per day............. $7.87

2. Man labor, picking 600 pounds seed cotton at $1 per 100 pounds. ....... 6.00

Senumersmamn ser es) ret afireic cae eiskwiellash add. ocd as daeie 2.50

4. Horse labor 5.5 peat Pet Ga. | 5. oot eases oo na eins oe 5.50

_ 5. Implement cost at 50 cents per horse day (5.550 cents)*..........-..-. 2.75

i nerenee Wemeel ft {4 Cents 2. 2 el. a eee S75

m7. Ginning 2 of a bale at $5.50 per bale. ........-.......-..--2.------+---- 2.20

r eee eer mie TeMTC 22) st TS Lie Skeet #2 eeere ici. at 1.00

9. Depreciation of buildings and fences and cost of upkeep of real estate.. 2.00

Pe meeCUatieourt dt,.90 COHIS Per ACTe.-.- - -~.. ---em - ojo = 22 Soe ees ee eee .50

ee eeecnnennieriomne.6 8 St est te ee 31.07

12. Credit for 400 pounds of seed at 14 cents per pound..............-...---- 5.00

wg Ee ES aR ape oe ae Os Pe Pa oe AP OS 26.07

14. Interest on land, 6 Pen OHO ano en OL ash in jst sca ~ Soe, ae 7.50

15. Total net cost........-- I See Cae Fa eS eee oa ek a 33. 57

«216. Production per acre 200 pounds lint.......... eke are

= 17. gn OR TL 18 Sige eae ey ear Ag aa to oe eleanor . 168

The followmg explanation will help the reader to understand the

- foregoing figures.

| Item 1. The 6.3 man days is one-tenth of the 63 days on

; page 11.

Item 5. The 5.5 horse days is one-tenth of the 55 horse days
on page 11.

Item 6. The implement cost varies considerably, but 50 cents
per horse day is a fair average.

All other items can be estimated for each particular case. The cost
of horse labor per day varies from 75 cents to more than $2, but ought
not to be more than $1 for 1923. This does not mean $365 per year,
but it means $1 a day for the number of days that the horse works
on productive enterprises.

_ Whenever any item of cost is known to be different from that
given in the skeleton form or when wages are different the known
figures should be substituted. The number of days of man labor
and horse labor is approximately correct for the conditions named

_ under each chart, but will vary somewhat under changed conditions.

__._ # The charge for “ Paid manager”’ should include the value of the perquisites which the farm furnishes
_ in addition to the salary.
4 The word implement includes tools and machinery.

56 BULLETIN 1181, U. §. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Even under these circumstances the table figures may be used as a
basis for estimating the true figures.

Every item in the foregoing form is virtually a variable item.
Nothing is constant or absolutely true for all cases. The best one
can do is to fill out the skeleton to the best of his ability, but it is
certainly a help to have the labor data at hand, because the cost of
man labor, plus horse labor, constitutes a large part of the cost of

production.
SUPPLEMENTARY FORM FOR COST ACCOUNTING.

To facilitate the calculation of cost where yields, soil, season, and
other factors are different from the assumption on which the tables
and charts are based, the following supplementary form is provided.

Wield per acre, first product 22.28 ss cee an a i ees Be a oe ee ais
Wield per acre, second product... . s.- 2 < eet Ao ie cess occu sane
Relation of actual yield to assumed yield (Table 2) expressed in percentage... .....
Man days per acre of crop, except contract:

Pe@iOre War Ves bes oe oc Ce earth 2 ee tea Fe Ee ra ae a

Man days per acre of crop, except contract. Total. ....:-... 522-2. .=. a2 is peeneuen
Horse days per acre:

PSGINre AE WORE fom seine os see obo See Ok hw ee ee oe eae oe

TEAL ferssosiotat es Fate Sale SEILO Se, PELE Se Go ee OS ae Se SE eat ee we oe af

Homendaye peracre. - Total 2257-79 ane eee ene See or ent ee

6 In case of cotton, lint is the first product and seed is the second; in case of wheat, grain is thefirst product
and straw the second.

6 The labor for the standard or assumed yields will be found under each chart given separately by opera-
tions.

7 To be obtained by pee ope the figures in the tables contained in the legends by the “Relation of
petal meld, to esanned yield, expressed in percentage,” except that for grain and hay crops the following
rules may be used:

Wheat, Washington County, for harvesting and threshing: Add or subtract 0.18 man day and 0.14 horse
day for each acre for each 5 bushels above or below 15 bushels per acre.

Wheat, Clay County, for harvesting and threshing: Add or subtract 0.2 man day and 0.18 horse day
for each 5 bushels above or below 15 bushels per acre. ‘

Spring oats, Washington County, for harvesting and threshing: Add or subtract 0.18 man day and 0.14
horse day for each acre for each 10 bushels above or below 30 bushels per acre.

Fall oats, Pulaski County, for harvesting and threshing: Add or subtract 0.28 man day and 0.22 horse
day for each acre, for each 10 bushels above or below 30 bushels per acre.

Alfalfa, 5 cuttings, Mississippi County, for harvesting and hauling to storage: Add or subtract 0.4 man
doy aud 0.3 horse day for each acre, for each halfton above or below 33 tons per acre.

ermuda hay, 2 cuttings, Faulkner County: for harvesting, baling and hauling to storage: Add or sub-
tract 0.5 man day and 0.4 horse day for each half ton above or below 2 tons per acre.

Clover, 2 cuttings, Washington County, for harvesting and hauling to storage: Add or subtract 0.3 man
cf and 0.2 horse day for each half ton above or below 14 tons per acre.

lover timothy, Washington County, for harvesting and hauling to storage: Add or subtract 0.13 man
day and 0.08 horse day for each acre for each fourth of a ton above or below 1 ton per acre.

First year timothy, Clay County, for harvesting, baling and hauling to storage: Add or subtract 0.25 man
day and 0.2 horse day for each acre for each fourth of a ton above or below 1 ton per acre.

‘owpea hay, Pulaski County, for harvesting and hauling to storage: Add or subtract 0.15 man day and
0.09 horse day for each acre, for each fourth of a ton above or below 1 ton per acre.

Lespedeza, same as for cowpea hay.

8 By ‘“‘extra”’ is meant the number of days above the chart figures required because of modifications for
soil, season, weeds, stumps, or stones,

'

IMPROVEMENT OF CROP SYSTEMS.

An important purpose of the preceding labor data and charts is
to enable farmers, county agents, and others to plan crop systems or
to amend existing systems, so that the time of men and teams may
be utilized to better advantage, to the end that the income from labor
and management be increased and the cost of production be
decreased.

Every crop has its peak loads of labor in certain months, and these
are shown graphically in the charts. The conflict of labor between
certain crops can be seen plainly and can be measurably avoided by
a proper planning of the crop system. Such planning will increase
the number of day’s work obtained per man and per horse in a year
on crop work, or, if there is a livestock industry, it will enable a
farmer to fit the crop and animal enterprises together more advan-
tageously. - This will tend toward increased efficiency of labor.
Planning will also increase the size of the business. It will enable a
farmer with a given supply of labor and equipment to handle a larger
acreage without lowering the quality of his work, and this in turn will
aig his income with very little extra expense for man and horse
abor.

Properly pened crop systems will reduce the cost of horse labor
per day and the implement charge per day of use, because both

orses and implements will be used more days in a year. Further-
more, plenty of feed will be furnished for the farm animals. It
would be difficult in the cotton country to devise a crop system that
utilizes labor well that does not furnish plenty of feed for home use.

Summing up the advantages of crop systems which utilize labor
to the best advantage it may be said that:

The efficiency of labor is increased.

The size of the business for a given equipment is increased.

There is a tendency toward increased yields.

The unit cost of man labor, horse labor, and implement
service is reduced.

Plenty of feed for home use is provided.

HOW TO CALCULATE CROP SYSTEMS FROM THE LABOR STANDPOINT.
FOR 36 ACRES OF LAND.

As an ee the labor on ole that can be tended by a team of

two horses be calculated. The crops are as follows:
Acres
III ae aoe cn seg ee IF SNL Pe al oy oa no 15
eye penta agin RS a pcp aici ie 15
Sepemnew mae. Se Ol) SII OP ss OI EIB OH aL IL abel 5
oe epeenn ater oats}! ) ie stole Gaisl UG toe. ori iis. meat 5
NUN RROOR 32 uta 7 Shia) cease acres De ayspee <~ <n ieee ems 3
Tt OF CIOUS Ol GO artes Of Jang ..--.i..-5-.-..+-2c.e == 4]

- Data from Pulaski County are used for cotton, corn, oats, and
cowpeas and from Columbia County for sweet potatoes. The latter

_ data might also be taken from Washington County. The difference
_ between the labor on sweet potatoes in the two counties would be
_ about the same as on cotton between Columbia and Pulaski Counties.

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. ya

58 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

CALCULATION OF MAN LABOR.

The calculation of man labor on these crops is as follows:

15 acres cotton, 1; times the |Days. |Days. | Days. | Days. | Days. | Days. | Days. | Days. | Days. |Days. |Days. |Days.
7 9 455 SAD TES | 21.0 12. 25; j

heures! On, P2712. ees 28..5-}°29. 5 |! 21.015 2..08 0 -5; 18.0] 10.5 4
15 acres corn, 13 times the
TASTINOS OMFG 7 2 ol od = ace oe 3 GO ideo, WOO | ASS Opt As Bras 2 tc c\screwra| sverige LOLS oo cae ot ace
5 acres fall oats, one-half of | 5
FignresiOnmp. 8. s.. 324s -.. |e ee Sao elon NE eee oa FO] 020 toss are: 3. 0c) 1D) eto. alee
5 acres late cowpeas, one-
Alf Of HEUrEes,.ON 1) eS ss \aaeaca shee sta epee RiScrs st poker 2.0: | 3. On|. ok - Bn O | pd Onta. gad ah oerncers
1 acre sweet potatoes, one- |
tenth of figures on p. 8...|.-..-- 220) 245 1454 oh, 9200 Hk | PDs See 368 Pate EERE

Wotal ties: Rie sce 12.0 {10.75 |12.45 18.45 | 44.4 | 39.1 ata eer es | 17.0 | 43.3 _— 10.5 @

The grand total for the year is 250.35 man days.

The assumed yields for these crops are stated in Table 2. If the
yields are much larger or smaller it will necessitate some changes in
the number of days of labor at harvest time.

With this crop system the work would be heavy in May and June
and again in October, and there would be no work in August. The
44.4 days of labor in May would be equal to the work of two men for
22.2 days. It is doubtful whether two men could do this work,
however, because after taking out Sundays and rainy days there
would ordinarily be only 20 days available for crop labor.

TIME AVAILABLE FOR CROP WORK.

A fair average of time available for crop work in Arkansas in vari-
ous months is as follows: January, 10 days; February, 10 days;
March, 15 days; April, 18 days; May, 20 days; June, 20 days; July, 20
days; August, 20 days; September, 20 days; October, 20 days; Novem-
ber, 15 days, and December, 12 days. Total, 200 days.

CALCULATION OF HORSE LABOR.

The same method would be used in calculating horse labor, and the
same form of sheet will answer for both. It will not be necessary to
give the calculation in detail, but the results in days of horse labor
are as follows: January, 13.5 days; February, 20 days: March, 24.55
days; April, 26.3 days; May, 28.25 days; June, 31.8 days; July, 19.3
days; August, none; September, 11.5 days; October, 19.1 days; No-
vember, 3 days; December, 1.5 days. Total, 198.8 days.

The busiest month for the horses is June with 31.8 horse days,
nearly the equivalent of using two horses for 16 days.

It should be borne in mind that some of the work can be shifted
from one month to another if necessary. For instance, in the fore-
going problem, if the fall oats were planted after corn it would neces-
sitate putting all the work of preparation in October or possibly part
of it in November. Some work on crops 1s fixed as to date and some
is not. The date of harvesting small grain is fixed in time, but the
work of hauling manure or plowing for a spring crop may be shifted
from fall to spring or from spring to fall.

It will be helpful in calculating such a shift to note the amount of
labor by operations. The work of preparation and planting is a cer-
tain amount of work, but is not always fixed as to date.

An illustration of using common sense in shifting work from one
month to another is shown in calculating the horse work on 20 acres

3 i eer
Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr. | May.| June.| July.| Aug. Sept. Oct. | Nov.| Dec. —

]

5
~
3

LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS. 59 ;

of corn and 20 acres of spring oatsin northwestern Arkansas. Accord-
ing to Table 3, no work would be required in December, 10 horse
days would be required in January, and 37 horse days in February,
which would be equal to the work of a 2-horse team for 5 days in
January and 184 daysin February. The weather in February, how-
ever, usually does not permit that many days of field work. Must
we, therefore, conclude that one team can not handle that number
of acres? No,indeed. Much of the plowing can be shifted back to
January, December, or even to November and the thing will work
out right. One team of 2 horses can handle 30 acres of corn, 10 acres
of oats, and 20 acres of wheat in northwest Arkansas, but it would be
better business to handle 45 acres of corn, 15 acres of oats, and 30
acres of wheat with 3 horses.

If the man labor and horse labor on any combination of crops are
charted according to the data found in Table 3, on the model of those
shown in this bulletin, it can be seen at a glance whether or not any
of the labor can be shifted from one month to another to advantage.

FOR 45 ACRES OF LAND.

A second problem will fix the method in mind and will show a
combination of crops in which the labor is more evenly distributed.
The crops assumed for a 2-horse farm are as follows:

Acres

EE ea Ee Se ea pio ee od Dé Boas 8 Bee 10
ee nee ret ue aig Ss - ee 10
Rye pasture (after corn).....- Se, ne: pot es ake 207 eel eee Sas es 10
NMRREES 29. Pl er att ae oe Se Rs A ARM oa Spee ee oo oe 10
oD RS Sen Ue SS A EA ee pe ae i ie | ae Si oe Dam er 10
nC Omen - Weber ee ee es Se oe }- he ee 10
PENNE 08a 8 pee ee he oe ee Sh ids a oe gak een ke ]
eeCRaIeN: 2.28525. 8 oes ST see Z
CTT. 7 ditty SME ESO cae! a aap ohare ey ces na, eee 2 a ee Z

Total of crops and pasture on 45 acres of land.....-.-.-.-.....-.- 65

CALCULATION OF MAN LABOR.
The calculation of the man labor for these crops is as follows:

. ie =)
June.) July | Aug. | Sept.| Oct. | Nov.| Dec.

|
| Jan. | Feb. | Mar. | Apr.

}
|

May.

|
6.0} 3.0 |3.0 | 5.0 | 19.0 | 17.0 | 14:0 |......| 8.0 | 17.0| 12.0] 7.0

10 acres cotton, Pulaski,
CO A eee oes

2.0/4.0 15.0 | 7.0 | 9.0 | a eee beted ee oe 7.0: bed ee

wheat figures before har-
Web A LA Ree ee alia
10 acres early cowpeas,
Sa ee ee ae ee | Oe te Sas eee $0) 3) eee
10 acres fall oats, Pulaski, |
To eas RS ae a Lee wb. 3 a 6.0 3.0
10 acres late cowpeas, |
Poses tren 82 25 2. ho). Jae
1 acre Sweet potatoes, one-
tenth of data, p.8........ ere 25
2 acres Elberta peaches,
two-tenths of data, p.8...| 1.4} 1.4 | 1.8 6 .8 fe ber |e
2acres grapes, two-tenths of
=a Sa ae 3.4/3.8 [4.4 |1.2

oe 3 Peal, eae 4.0} 6.0|......| 4,0} 40]
.45| .451 1.9] 2.1 Yl Pee ss oe

jee ee ee eee eee

3.0| 2.8] 2.0 | 18.4

Total man days equals 291.45.

No figures were obtained for rye after corn but the work of prepara-
tion and planting would be equivalent to that on wheat, so the
_ wheat figures for before harvest were substituted and the work

_ placed in November.

60 BULLETIN 1181, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

CALCULATION OF HORSE LABOR.

The horse labor on these crops is calculated in the same way and
the total horse days by fobtiths is as follows: January, 9.6 days;
February, 14.1 days; March 18.95 days; April, 34.2 days; May, 32.35
days; June, 38 days; July, 28.5 days; August, 15.2 days; September,
21 days; October, 21.6 days; November, 29.2 days; December, 1.2
days. Total 263.9 days. This is equivalent to the work of one team
for about 132 days.

Comparing this combination of crops with the one previously
iven it is found that the peak loads of labor are not quite so high,
ut the total man labor is about 41 days more. The peak load of

horse labor is a little greater in certain months, but is within the
limits of available time for two horses and the total horse days for
the year is 65 more than in the other case.

This combination of crops also occupies 45 acres of land compared
with 36 acres in the other combination, and it provides more feed
stuff than the other. Forty acres of this combination may be run
as a four-year rotation in which corn follows cotton, rye pasture
follows corn, early cowpeas for hay follow rye pasture, fall oats follow
early cowpeas, and late cowpeas follow fall oats as a second crop.
Then the rotation begins over again with cotton.

The labor for this combination of crops is shown in Figure 51.

ae MONTHS
DAYS |JAN. FEB. MAR. APR. MAY JUNE JULY AUG. SEPT. OCT. N

MAN LABOR
2 DAYS

OF
OV. DEC.

LABOR DATA CONDENSED.

HORSE LABOR
264 DAYS

In addition to the foregoing labor data, it is desirable to present
a table showing the total quantity of man labor and horse labor on
the l-acre basis. This table is arranged in the descending order of
the quantity of man labor required and includes a statement as to
whether the work of hauling to market is included or excluded.

In the case of feed crops, second crop potatoes, and sorghum
sirup made up at home, the work of hauling to market is not in-

_ LABOR REQUIREMENTS OF ARKANSAS CROPS, | 61

cluded. As it may be done at any time of the year, it can not be
charted by months. The work of hauling and applying stable ma-
nure is not included for any crops except radishes, cucumbers, musk-
melons, and for the watermelon crop in Crawford County.

Arranging the labor data in the descending order of man labor
gives an excellent chance to compare crops from the standpoint of
labor, but this table should be supplemented with the labor data by
months as given throughout the bulletin. For assumed yields of
the following crops see Table 2. "

TABLE 4.—Labor requirements for various crops on 1-acre basis.

| Ce ae
include
Crop. Section of State. geen ete ky work of
es ee hauling to
| market?
JURE. 5 3. . 2 OS See Northwest Arkansas........ 42.0 9:0) eves
Te TOI PT Se oi aes AE ee (ee ae Oe Sb eteersk bee” > oe 34.0 5: O55) Wes
SU Tao Ee ee eee GOs Se Pees Bs 31.0 370. | Yies
LESOUTI SUTTER So ole gah le el ll Hempstead County ........- 30.0 | 12::0-5| es
oo eee Northwest Arkansas........ Py (a 726%} wes
asi-Vear Sitaw berries: _.<:.......-..-2<-/+..s £0 Kove ihe ee, eS | 16.0 | 9.0 | No market-
| ing.
ETO DET Sos a ee Crawford County........-.. 15.6 11.31 Yess
INI Goa (ee Ss Be a > = Northwest Arkansas.-....... 14.3 9.2 | Yes.
DOLPMEIH SITE ee O22 tS 2 etch Sebastian County ........... 14.2 8.2 | No.
WISIN Seer ee 2 are se. cick Crawford County.--...2.---- | 13.15 8.6 | Yes.1
MANNER Y COMMA COCSS..5. 22. te ee cee Northwest Arkansas........ 13.1 8.2; =| -Yies
PpCACHENS sreemertia a fey el Se oe pe Sie Pike County .-- eevee. es | 12.6 Fs 2) eS
SUE SERIO | 0022p Northwest Arkansas........ 12.5 7.6 | Yes
Cis a ee Sebastian County ........... 12.0 6.0 | Yes
LUT R KOTT Spep ae 2 MississippiCounty.......... 11.9 5.2 (?)
[UC oe ea eee age ne eee Chicot County es cee. ones fee: | 17 52 (2)
MiISRATCLONS Se See 2582 eh oo Hempstead County ........-. TEs 9.5 (1)
iio 2 5 a ee Pulaski County: eas... 052 UIE A iss (2)
WTS eee en ee Crawford County ..-.........| ° 9.5 ints, (2)
Dit ee a ee ee Columbia County .........-- 9.4 | 4.3 (2)
SRMAOLDIOCRE pire Sule a di 225 Pa, Gta 9.4 | 6:3. | Yes
BEN) SLBUIMelOMS p 2o2- os. soo 2- ee ecw Hempstead County ......... Hee 78 ||| Wes
: iDited bee ain a See an ae a ee Crawford County ~- ......... hes Won | ese
a Pirst-erop potatoes. -.. 2... -2.....-.-.6.. Sebastian County ........... ao Asks |) Ness
=. First-year blackberries. -................ Northwest Arkansas........ 6.1 4.6 | No market-
ing
; Hecond-crop potatoes- 22.6.2 6. ce Sebastian County ........... 5:5 5.0 | No.
ee SOL HF TOF fAChOry...i =. 22 S22 cess ck.|.---- COE se ine eR tes. 5 5.3 G52. -|bavies
SCAG ER a ee 6 hs. oe tence Miller County: 2372-2 24205 Dao 5.0: +) Yes
» Corn, shocked and shucked............. Northwest Arkansas. ....... 5.1 5.5 | No.
| UR RTLAT 2 eee ale a De Ome oe wee nae: hoa 4.8 6.3 7|-No.
“4 EDD oe > Sen ee a. Ree ee ae eee Eastern Arkansas........... 4.6 6:3: Yes
Oats followed by cowpeas....:.........- Pulaskt. County . 35a... 2... s. 3.8 6:7. | ONOe
QUE fget s/he 353 eR eee eee eee BOs ee ce ees oe 3.7 5.1 |. No.
UIT Ry 238 ie 5 ee eee Mississippi County.........- 3.6 4.1 | No.
Bae pe Lg Se see <0 (0 Sen ek el a a Oe 3.49 | 5.4 -| No.
E Gig. Ue Fe. Rak Senet ae Bees SE Se ee eee ChecoCountyn se. oo see 3.4 | 4-7 tl Noe
; CS SS ee ene Columbia County ........--. 3.35 | 3.85 | No.
me Oats and Jespedeza.-.-........-.-....... Southern Arkansas.......... 3.3 5.0 | No.
ee ee ee Northwest Arkansas........ 3.1 5.2 | No.
inte? CO ee Sore eek Pulaski County. 2: ests 25. 2.9 4.2 | No
a First-year timothy .........+..-.-..----- Northwest Arkansas........ 2.4 | 3.8 (3)
LE EO Faulkner County.........-- 2.4 2.4 (3)
- Bay beans for seed. 46 5. we ewe ed ee Ashley-County 5 -.j0-2--<4- Pe | 3.0 | No.
MUL GAL Gee a tos occa lo sae cicm cee Pulaski: County --.<..-.--2.- 2.0 3.0 | No:
LTE ee aa a a en a MOM or. ee ence 1.8 Srok INOS
BE HOAG ALLEY OBUS== — 2/2... secs-sceece Northwest Arkansas. ....... 1.65 3.4 | No.
me axed clover cut twice............-...-.-.|-.-.- 0 [eS Oe ae eRe 1.6 1.6, | No:
Meemenns OES... 220-2... .0.2-.-.--02-- ROR doe: tL * ae 1.55 2.9 | No.
me ©Wheat after cowpeas................-..- Northeast Arkansas......... 1.4 2.9 | No.
See ae ree Southeast Arkansas......... i3 15) Noe
ma Clover and timothy.......-...-...-.---- Northwest Arkansas........ 1.0 1.0 | No.

_1In Crawford County the work of packing the cantaloupes in the field is included but in Hempstead
County the packing is done by contract in the association sheds, hence is not included in the figures.

; 2 The work on cotton includes hauling to the gin and the crop may or may not be marketed on the same
trip.

’ The work of baling in the field is included. The data for other kinds of hay are for loose hay, stored
in barn or stack.

4

——
SS
ee

:

Alfalfa
pee tren Davis. ....°- =~...
Seana ay oY P24 22 855.)

Chicot Ls pelle oles
Columbia County LFF Veet
Mississippi County......-
Pulaski County.........-.
Washington County.....--
ieee
eee ee... SAHA TC. RAR!
shocked and shucked.........

Cotton:

eS eee

INDEX
Page.
BP ARS Paces ise a Hae Yee ere
45 | Oats—cowpeas........-.---------
26 |-Oats-fall ....-—) 2S. SIO eT
Oaislespedezaboe i. sosesols it
46 Obst sprang) oo a= 24
AS: 1: Peaches, Bitherta.. i. 4 - =~ 228
45 seaman, paused. 222. - ne
23 | Pears, Kicher SY own ad
24 | Potatoes:
Marky 22 i... 9-2 ee
Second erpp. 2.2520) 2 a oe
ie ia is 1 Th, aepaenneleeeae eens, Deine eee fe 2
AS he Este@e.+ 2s oes oe PSO
15 | Sorghum
14 ACE y ot eas see
14 PEP TIRM Se oe ae
16:1: Soyheans; seed --- 528222 SS
16 | Strawberries:
17 Beowup it. dss ose: t-setestcd
Wvesh eae et oo Syn ne ee
12 | Sweet potatoes:
10 Columbia County.....-.------
10 Washington County....--..---
12 | Timothy, first-year...........-.--
11 | Tomatoes, cannery...-.-.-.-.-----
WaterInCnes 22.06 2 23 ee
27 Crawford County.......-.----
27 Hempstead County........-..-
38 ahs ok Bs et ce ee
4] TET COMBE. <2 5 5a 32S ae
fg ee eee
32
33
63

ORGANIZATION OF THE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE,

October 20, 19238.

corelary ay Agreultures..: 252 sar). 5 ss Soke ee Henry ©. WALLACE.

PMSEIGUONE SCCROTY = boo wrewes se ckc < Os ae Howarp M. Gore.

pairecior of Seventijic- Works. 2 a.0 os. \ am Sigs sae EK. D. Bau.

Director of Regulatory Work... . {idimweeid o-t 4s WALTER G. CAMPBELL.
Wirector.of Hatension Works. 2ge2 sie: ow. C. W. WarBurTon.

RCRD BUN nos. Se Cola ee hee CHARLES F. Marvin, Chief.
Bureau of Agricultural Economics. .......-.-- Henry C. Taytor, Chief.
mareau of Animal Industry.» jtaes\./ maa i. She Joun R. Mower, Chief.
Bureau of Plant Industry... . ces, 42 BS. WriuraM A. Taytor, Chief.
tire) VICE. eo 336 tesa eat ees oe eek ae W. B. GREELEY, Chief.

BUTCH OF ChEmashry oo. ccs. == = eines eq sk ote Sete C. A. Browne, Chief.

PPM OF SOUS onan 2 aoe ae Foe SSE Ske Mitton Wuitney, Chief.
Bureau of Entomology.......- + -JPV ARs 108. L. O. Howarp, Chief.

iureow of Biological Survey: ..-- 225 f2-. 5: E. W. Neuson, Chief.

Barem Of-PUblic ROOMS . c/o. = 2 aro pla etd = ay - Tuomas H. MacDona.p, Chief.
Bureawof Home Economics 2 2.eca-inecei% 4. 83. Louise STANLEY, Chief.

Fixed Nitrogen Research Laboratory. ........-- F. G. Corrre.u, Director.
Division of Accounts and Disbursements.......- A. ZAPPONE, Chief.

TDG) RNS ES gO Op BY SAS Ras ean, ae Be CLARIBEL R. Barnett, Librarian.
Federal Horticultural Board..........-.----+-- C. L. Maruatt, Chairman.
Insecticide and Fungicide Board. .........-.-. J. K. Haywoop, Chairman.
Packers and Stockyards Administration ......-- CHESTER MorriLu, Assistant to the
Grain Future Trading Act Administration. .... Secretary.

Oijiceoy rae olictionsc wo.) five tectegag Ut « -. <5 he R. W. WituraMs, Solicitor.

This bulletin is a contribution from

Bureau of Agricultural Economics. ......----- Henry C. Taytor, Chief.
Division of Farm Management__--~----- H. R. Toiey, in charge.
64

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