CIRCULAR No. 101 AUGUST 1951 COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES SAND MOUNTAIN AREA of ~ 4/a a~~~~~~~~ ,9 = / L Sand Mountain Area Sample Area STATION EXPERIMENT AGRICULTURAL 4o ALABAMA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE Ie E. V. Smith, Director In cooperation with Auburn, Alabama of AGRICULTURE STATES DEPARTMENT UNITED BUREAU of AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS CONTENTS Page DESCRIPTION OF SAMPLE FARMS ------------------COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES -------------- 5 ---7 Land preparation-------------------------------8 ------------- 9 Seed, seeding rate, planting, and spacing Fertilization------------------------------------11 Cultivation and weed control ---------- 13 Insect control-----------------------------------14 Method and time of harvesting ------------------ 16LABOR AND POWER REQUIREMENTS ----------------- 16 --------------------- 17_ Useofpoer---------Usual labor requirements-------------------------------------- 17 Time of operation---------------------------------------------18 Variation from usual operations----------------------------19 Variations in time required to perform usual operations ------------------------------------------- -------- 19 Possibilities of further changes, and limitations and effects of mechanization---_---------------------------- 20 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS --------------------------------------- 28 APPENDIX----------------------------------------------------25 FIRST PRINTING 4M, AUGUST 1951 COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES SAND MOUNTAIN AREA 44an MORRIS WHITE, Associate Agricultural Economist** HE SAND MOUNTAIN AREA includes most of the Appalachian Mountain areas in Alabama. This area is one of the State's leading cotton-producing areas; it has produced a consistently higher average lint yield per acre than have other areas of the State. While cotton for many years has been the main cash crop of farmers in this area, poultry and poultry products have become important sources of farm income. Cotton acreage harvested in the Sand Mountain Area has been reduced about a fourth during the last two decades. In 1944, however, four out of five farms in the area were growing cotton.' The effects of a 25 per cent reduction in acreage have been more than offset by an increase in lint yield per acre; total production during the last two decades has increased slightly, Appendix Table 1. Major problems that cotton producers in the Sand Mountain Area are facing include high production costs, high labor requirements, maintenance of satisfactory farm incomes, and maintenance and improvement of soil resources. Farmers, therefore, must seriously consider (1) all possible ways of increasing cotton yields, increasing production efficiency, and lowering costs of production; and (2) the addition or expansion of enterprises to supplement cotton and/or a shift to alternative enterprises that may completely exclude cotton from individual farm programs. * The research on which this report is based was made possible by funds provided by the Purnell Act of 1925. The Department of Agricultural Economics, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, assumed major responsibility for conducting the study under provisions of a cooperative agreement between the Ala- T bama Agricultural Experiment Station and the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, United States Department of Agriculture. **The author is indebted to the farmers who furnished the information upon which this study is based. For helpful suggestions throughout the study, special acknowledgment is due D. G. Sturkie, Agronomist; H. B. Tisdale, Plant Breeder; F. S. Arant, Entomologist; staff members of the Department of Agricultural Economics of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station; and E. L. Langsford, Agricultural Economist, Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U.S.D.A. 1 "United States Census of Agriculture, 1945, Alabama-Statistics for Counties," Vol. I, Part 21, Bureau of the Census: County Tables I and II, pp. 18-78. In view of these considerations and of the present importance of cotton in this area, a study of cotton production practices in the Sand Mountain Area was started in the summer of 1948 with a field survey being made in four counties- Cullman, DeKalb, Etowah, and Marshall (cover).2 These four counties were selected as being representative of the Sand Mountain Area. Major objectives of the study were: (1) To obtain current information on cotton production practices, (2) To determine variations in current cotton production practices with respect to type of power and equipment used, by size of cotton enterprises, (3) To interpret and evaluate the economic significance of current cotton production practices and techniques, and (4) To compare current cotton production practices with Experiment Station recommendations and to emphasize points where improvement is needed. This report describes current cotton production practices in the Sand Mountain Area, indicates variations in these practices, and compares present practices with recommendations of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. Current production practices as described in this report are based on an analysis of farm records obtained by personal interview with 103 farmers who produced cotton in the Sand Mountain Area in 1947. Approximately the same number of farms with small, medium, and large cotton enterprises were selected as representative of cotton enterprises of this area. For purposes of this study, the range in cotton acreage for each of the three groups was: small, less than 10 acres; medium, 10 to 29 acres; and large, 80 acres or more per farm, Appendix Table 2. Farms having small cotton enterprises were predominant in this area. Seven out of 10 farms producing cotton in 1944 had less than 10 acres, Table 1. Farms with these small enterprises accounted for 48 per cent of the area's total cotton acreage and 50 per cent of its total production. Farmers who produced 80 acres or more per farm made up only 1 per cent of the total cotton producers in the area; these farms accounted for 7 per cent of the area's total acreage of cotton, and 6 per cent of its total production. SThis study is a part of a larger over-all study that includes all of the major cotton-producing areas of Alabama. These areas include - Limestone Valleys, Sand Mountain, Upper Coastal Plain, Piedmont, Black Belt, and Lower Coastal Plain. [4] TABLE 1. DISTRIBUTION OF FARMS GROWING COTTON, ACREAGE HARVESTED, BALES PRODUCED, AND PRODUCTION PER ACRE, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 19441 enterprise (Acres in cotton) Small (Less than 10 acres) Medium (10-29 acres) Size of cotton Farms reporting cotton Acreage harvested Bales produced Lint cotton Total Per cent Total Per cent Total Per centproduced number of total number of total number of total per acre No. Per cent No. Percent No. Percent Pounds 14,307 6,100 270 69 30 1 88,822 82,489 11,839 48 45 7 78,710 69,289 9,641 50 44 6 426 402 889 Large (80 acres or more) TOTAL (All farms) 20,677 100 182,650 100 157,640 100 406 1"Cotton Farms Classified by Acreage Harvested." (A special report prepared by the Bureau of the Census) National Cotton Council of America. Table 2, pp. 28-29. 1945. The relationship between the size of cotton enterprise and average lint yield per acre was different in this area than in other areas of the State. In 1944, farms with small cotton enterprises had the highest average yield, those with medium-sized enterprises the next highest, and those with large enterprises the lowest average yield. DESCRIPTION a SAMPLE FARMS Some of the more important characteristics of sample farms that should be examined before evaluating cotton production practices include cropland organization and use, tenure of operators, labor organization, livestock organization, and degree of farm mechanization in existence, Table 2. Farms with small cotton enterprises were small in terms of both cotton acreage and total farm acreage. In 1947, these farms averaged 49 acres in size, only 26 of which were cropland. Of the 26 acres of cropland, 6.5 acres were in cotton. Farms with medium-sized cotton enterprises averaged 83 acres in size, 44 of which were cropland. Cotton on these farms occupied 13 acres, or twice the acreage on farms with small enterprises. Farms with large cotton enterprises, all of which were relatively large units and which relied heavily on share cropper and/or tenant labor, averaged more than 200 acres in size. Approximately one half of the acreage on these farms was cropland, averaging 98 acres per farm. Cropland devoted to cotton averaged approximately one-third of the total on these farms. [5] TABLE 2. LAND USE, AND CROPLAND, LIVESTOCK, AND FARM LABOR ORGANIZATION PER FARM, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Size of cotton enterprise Small Medium Large Number of farms Land use: All land in farms Owned Rented in Total cropland Permanent pasture Cropland organization: Number 87 Acres 49.2 37.2 12.0 25.6 8.5 Number 83 Acres 82.6 40.0 42.6 44.1 8.4 Number 83 Acres 203.9 165.9 38.0 98.1 20.7 Cotton 6.5 12.8 .0 .6 .7 13.1 16.9 .1 .3 .1 31.6 80.0 .8 2.6 .2 Corn Small grain Lespedeza hay Truck crops Other crops Livestock organization: Workstock Milk cows Other cattle 4.8 Number 1.7 1.2 1.4 9.9 Number 2.2 1.6 2.9 8.5 Number 3.5 2.1 6.5 Brood sows Other hogs .2 1.7 .2 2.0 1.8 6.4 Hens and pullets Tractors per farm, av. no. Labor organization: 27.6 .2 58.4 .2 263.9 1.2 Families: Operator Cropper 1.0 .1 .9 .1 .7 1.2 Wage hand Workers: .0 2.4 .2 .1 2.8 .4 .3 2.0 8.9 Operator Cropper Wage hand ' Operator's livestock only. .0 .2 .6 In 1947, tractors were reported on 19 per cent of the farms with small cotton enterprises, on 15 per cent of those with medium-sized cotton enterprises, and on 73 per cent of those with large cotton enterprises. In the two smaller enterprise groups, tractors were used only for breaking and preparing land for planting. In the large enterprise group, tractors, in some cases, were used to perform all cotton production operations except chopping, hoeing, and harvesting. Farms with small- and medium-sized cotton enterprises were mostly family farms and were operated largely with workstock power and with family labor. Farms with large cotton enter[6] prises depended heavily on share cropper labor and, in many cases, tractors were the principal source of power. Therefore, on farms with small- and medium-sized cotton enterprises, corn was relatively more important than any other crop, while on farms with large cotton enterprises cotton and corn were of approximately equal importance from the standpoint of acreage. All major livestock enterprises handled by operators increased in size as the size of cotton enterprises increased. Chickens were relatively important, but cotton remained the principal enterprise for all groups studied. With respect to land ownership, there was no consistent pattern between the three groups studied. Generally, farmers on farms with large cotton enterprises owned a larger percentage of the land they operated than did farmers on farms with mediumand small-sized enterprises. Farmers with large cotton enterprises owned 81 per cent of the land they operated, farmers with small cotton enterprises owned 76 per cent, and farmers with medium-sized cotton enterprises owned only 48 per cent. Operators were not necessarily "owner operators." The proportion of farms that was operated without cropper or tenant labor averaged 97 per cent on small-sized enterprise farms, 86 per cent on medium-sized enterprise farms, and 61 per cent on large-sized enterprise farms. On the remainder of the farms, croppers and tenants alone or various combinations of operators, croppers, tenants, and wage hands supplied the labor for cotton production. COTTON PRODUCTION PRACTICES Based on the results of many years of research work and of field testing and observation, the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station has developed a series of recommendations for producing cotton both economically and efficiently. While some recommendations are specific and others are general, most of them must be adapted to individual farms, to individual farm resources, and to the capabilities of individual farm operators. To facilitate an understanding and appraisal of the economic significance of current cotton practices and techniques, both present and recommended practices are given in this report for comparison and for determining needed practice adjustments. Present and recommended practices are discussed by major operations including land preparation, seed and seeding rate, planting and [71 spacing, fertilization, cultivation and weed control, insect control, and harvesting. Land Preparation Recommendations. The operations recommended for land preparation are those that will result in a good seedbed, good weed and grass control, conservation of moisture, and a good stand. On farms operated with workstock, land should be prepared by cutting stalks with a rolling stalk cutter or a disk harrow, and breaking with a moldboard or a disk plow to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Planting beds should then be laid off with a middlebuster early enough to allow them to be settled by rain. Just prior to planting, beds should be cultivated with a section harrow or drag. On tractor farms, crop residues may be leveled by use of a rolling stalk cutter or a disk harrow. After cutting stalks, the land should be broken with a moldboard or disk plow to a depth of 6 to 8 inches, and early enough to allow the ground to be settled by rain before planting is started. Flat-broken land should be harrowed with a disk harrow just prior to planting. When a cover crop precedes cotton, care should be taken in timing the planting with respect to the time of turning the cover crop. Since germination of cotton planting seed may be seriously impaired or destroyed by coming into contact with fermenting material, cover crops should be turned 2 weeks or longer before planting to allow for completion of the fermentation process. An alternative is to plant immediately after turning the cover crop in order that the cottonseed may germinate before fermentation begins. Present Practices. On farms operated with workstock as the principal source of power, the usual procedure in preparing land in 1947 was to cut stalks with a one- or two-row stalk cutter, followed by flat-breaking with a moldboard plow. The flat-broken land was harrowed one time over with a section harrow. Generally the rows were laid off with a Georgia stock. On farms using tractors as the principal source of power, the usual procedure for preparing land was to cut stalks with a tworow stalk cutter, and to flat-break with a two-disk plow followed by harrowing with a disk harrow. Laying off rows was done with a two-row cultivator or a Georgia stock, Appendix Tables 5, 6, and 7. In most cases, the equipment used in preparing land was the type recommended for such operations. However, since most of [8] the cotton land normally was prepared in April, many farmers probably did not allow sufficient time for seedbeds to settle between the time land preparation was completed and the crop was planted. Such a practice often results in a loose seedbed, and may seriously affect the stand and yield of cotton. Seed, Seeding Rate, Planting, aAd Spacing Recommendations. A good variety of cotton should be a high yielder, and should have a good lint turnout, a staple length that is in demand, good strength, and character. A relatively large boll facilitates hand picking and an early-maturing variety is desirable in the presence of insect infestation. Some of the varieties that are recommended for this area and that have most of these qualities are Stoneville, Miller 610, Coker 100-Wilt, Empire, and Plains. To insure a reliable source of seed, farmers should consider purchasing seed of certified quality or better. The use of home-grown seed usually involves a greater possibility of contamination and mixing. Farmers, however, should not hesitate to save home-grown seed of high quality where proper precautions can be taken to preserve quality. The recommended planting rate for the Sand Mountain Area is three-fourths to one bushel of non-delinted cottonseed per acre. The planting rate for mechanically delinted seed is one-half to one bushel per acre. The recommended planting rate for aciddelinted seed is about one-half bushel per acre. All cotton planting seed should be treated, but whether planting seed is delinted or not delinted is optional. Spacing recommendations are 12 to 18 inches between hills regardless of whether spaced by hill dropping or by hand chopping. A row width of 36 to 48 inches is recommended. Cotton may be planted in the drill or hill dropped with one- or two-row planters. No yield difference has been observed between hill-dropped cotton and cotton planted solid in the drill if uniform stands have been obtained in both plantings. Cotton should be planted in the Sand Mountain Area between April 15 and 25. Present Practices. Planting rates varied somewhat between farms with small, medium, and large cotton enterprises, depending on the method of planting (solid in the drill or hill dropped) and according to the type of planting seed used (delinted or non-delinted). The pounds of delinted and non-delinted seed planted per acre solid in the drill and hill dropped in 1947 are shown in Table 3. [91 TABLE 3. SOURCE, TREATMENT, AND METHOD AND RATE OF PLANTING COTTONSEED, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 ItemSize Small of cotton enterprise Medium Large Number of farms Cotton planted Purchased seed: Proportion of farmers using Proportion of acreage planted Number Acres Per cent 87 242 54 46 78 76 24 80 57 52 33 472 48 41 89 92 47 48 64 67 33 1,891 39 29 78 78 46 45 76 56 Percent Per cent Percent Proportion of purchased seed: Delinted Treated Proportion of home-grown seed: Delinted Treated Delinted seed: Per cent Per cent Per cent Proportion of farmers using Per cent Proportion of acreage planted Proportion of acreage planted with delinted seed: Per cent Solid in the drill Per cent Hill dropped Proportion of acreage planted with non-delinted seed: Per cent Solid in the drill Per cent Hill dropped Pounds of seed per acre: Delinted: Solid in the drill Pounds Hill dropped Pounds Non-delinted seed: Pounds Solid in the drill Pounds Hill dropped 73 27 69 31 87 18 71 29 92 8 84 16 26 28 84 24 27 26 27 82 29 17 82 80 There was no apparent difference between the amounts of delinted and non-delinted seed planted per acre solid in the drill in 1947 except on farms with small enterprises; nor was there any apparent relationship between size of farm and the amount of cottonseed planted per acre. When planting delinted seed, farmers with large cotton enterprises used 12 pounds more seed per acre when planting solid in the drill than when hill dropping. Farmers with small cotton enterprises used about 10 pounds less non-delinted seed per acre when hill dropping. Less than half of the cotton acreage was planted with purchased seed; there was a relationship between the size of enterprise and the proportion of acreage planted with purchased seed. Farmers with small cotton enterprises planted the highest percentage of their cotton acreage with purchased seed, while farmers with large cotton enterprises planted the lowest percentage. 10o] Approximately four-fifths of the purchased seed used in 1947 had been delinted and treated when bought. About two-fifths of the home-grown seed was delinted. Farmers with small enterprises treated about 30 per cent of the home-grown seed used, while farmers with medium-sized and large cotton enterprises treated about 45 per cent. The most popular variety of cotton planted in 1947 was Stoneville. Other important varieties were Coker 100-Wilt and Deltapine 14.1 Most of the home-grown seed was 2 years or more from the breeder. The major portion of purchased seed was 1 year from breeder seed. Generally, the quality of cotton-planting seed was satisfactory in that about two-thirds of the planting seed purchased by farmers was 2 years or less from the breeder, Appendix Table 3. More than 80 per cent of the cotton in the Sand Mountain Area was planted solid in the drill, and all of it was hand chopped to a stand. Most of the cotton planted solid in the drill on workstock farms was planted in 40- to 43-inch rows and spaced 11 to 13 inches in rows. On tractor farms, cotton was planted in 42-inch rows and spaced 11 to 14 inches in rows. Hill-dropped cotton was planted in 88- to 42-inch rows with 18- to 18-inch spacing between hills in the rows. Workstock power and workstock equipment were usually used for all seeding operations in this area. Most farmers in the Sand Mountain Area were within the range of recommendations for planting, rate of seeding, variety, and method of planting and spacing. As a whole, farmers were planting from the last week of April to the middle of May, with the majority planting in early May. This was later than the area recommendation of April 15 through April 25. Late planting may affect attaining a stand, and particularly may affect yields when insect infestation is a problem. Fertilization Recommendations. About 600 pounds per acre of 4-10-7 fertilizer should be used at planting time on the more productive soils in the Sand Mountain Area. Fertilizer applied at planting time should be placed 2 inches below and to the side of the seed. On workstock farms, either a distributor or a planter attachment should be used, while on tractor farms the fertilizer should be applied with a fertilizer attachment on the planter. The appliSThis variety is not recommended for the Sand Mountain Area of Alabama. [11]1 cation of a side-dressing should be at the rate of 48 pounds of nitrogen per acre. This may be applied with fertilizer attachments on cultivating equipment or with a distributor at about the time of the first or second cultivation after chopping. Present Practices. All farmers interviewed in the Sand Mountain Area used some type of commercial fertilizer on all cotton planted. The average rate of application per acre when only complete fertilizer was used varied from 628 pounds on farms with small cotton enterprises, to 666 pounds on farms with large cotton enterprises. Where both complete fertilizer and side-dressing were used, the average rate per acre varied from 600 pounds on farms with small cotton enterprises to 1,151 pounds on farms with medium-sized cotton enterprises; the rate of side-dressing varied from 111 pounds per acre on farms with medium-sized cotton enterprises to 154 pounds on farms with large cotton enterprises. Approximately three-fourths of the cotton acreage received complete fertilizer only; the other one-fourth received both complete fertilizer and side-dressing. The most commonly used grade of fertilizer in 1947 was 6-8-4, although a considerable proportion of the acreage was fertilized with 4-10-7, Table 4. On workstock farms, one-row distributors were used in applying fertilizer, while on tractor farms both one- and two-row distributors were used. In the three enterprise-size groups, the amount of plant food in the fertilizer used ranged from 36 to 46 pounds per acre of N, from 56 to 78 pounds of P20s, and from 32 to 50 pounds of K2 0. The average per acre was about 41 pounds of N, 64 pounds of P2 0s, and 39 pounds of K20, Table 4. Sand Mountain farmers were using the recommended rate of 600 pounds of complete fertilizer at planting time, though a majority were using 6-8-4 instead of 4-10-7. They were considerably under the recommendation on the rate of side-dressing. The over-all rate of fertilizer application indicates that Sand Mountain farmers were under the recommended rate of N, a little above the recommended rate for P 20 5, and slightly under the recommended rate for K20. Some farmers in the Sand Mountain Area can increase yields by using more fertilizer, and many of them can reduce labor requirements by using distributor attachments on planting and cultivating equipment for applying fertilizers. [ 12] TABLE 4. FERTILIZER PRACTICES, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, SAND MOUN- TAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Item Unit Size of cotton enterprise Small Medium Large Number of farms Cotton planted Proportion using complete fertilizer only: Farms' Acreage Proportion using complete fertilizer and side-dressing: Farms' Acreage Number Acres Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 37 242 86 83 33 472 67 66 3388 1,391 73 74 19 17 86 34 89 26 666 839 154 Rate of application where used: Complete only Complete and side-dressing: Complete Side-dressing Rate of application per Pounds Pounds Pounds 628 600 124 631 22 71 38 6 1 17 0 36 56 32 688 1,151 111 829 39 planted acre: Complete Pounds Side-dressing Pounds Analysis of complete fertilizer: Proportion of acreage receiving: 2 6-8-4 Per cent 4-10-7 Per cent 4-10-4 Per cent Other Per cent Analysis of side-dressing: Proportion of acreage receiving: Sodium nitrate Per cent Ammonia Per cent Summary of fertilizer elements: N per fertilized acre of cotton P20 5 per fertilized acre of cotton K20,O per fertilized acre of cotton Pounds 677 35 57 58 5 2 25 10 68 51 6 3 20 8 40 61 37 Pounds Pounds 46 78 50 ' Farm totals add to more than 100 per cent because some farmers applied complete fertilizer and side-dressing to part of their acreage and complete fertilizer only to the remaining acreage. 2 Summed percentages fail to agree with sum of proportions of acreages using complete fertilizer only and complete fertilizer with side-dressing, because some farmers used two complete fertilizers on the same acreage. Cultivation and Weed Control Recommendations. Cultivation should begin just before cotton comes up or just after cotton is up to a good stand. Cotton should be cultivated to a depth of 1 to 3 inches with one- or tworow cultivators with sweeps. Cultivation should be continued throughout the crop's normal growing season as often as is necessary to control weeds and grass. Cotton should be chopped when [13 ] it is up to a stand and after the permanent leaves are present. Chopping should allow a spacing of 12 to 18 inches between hills with two to three stalks per hill. Hoeing may be necessary if grass and weeds cannot be controlled by cultivation. Present Practices. On workstock farms in 1947, cultivation usually was accomplished with half and one-row equipment; both one- and two-row cultivators were used on tractor farms. Cotton, on the average, was cultivated five or six times. Cotton was chopped, and hoed once. By using one-row cultivating equipment instead of half-row equipment, farmers may be able to materially reduce both labor requirements and costs of production. It is doubtful that labor requirements for chopping and hoeing can be reduced substantially, since the majority of farmers in the area are now going over the cotton only twice (once for chopping and once for hoeing). As a whole, farmers in 1947 were using recommended types of cultivating equipment, Appendix Table 7. Insect Control Recommendations. The following materials were recommended for general use in the control of cotton insects in 1951: Insecticide 3 per cent gamma BHC-5 per cent DDT, or Lb. per acre 10 -15 Application When 25 per cent infestation at 5-day intervals until top bolls are mature; during migration at 4-day intervals. Same as above. 20 per cent toxaphene, or 10 - 15 Calcium arsenate alternated with 8 per cent gamma BHC-5 per cent DDT, or Calcium arsenate alternated with calcium arsenate containing 2 per cent nicotine 7 10 7 -10 - 10 15 10 15 Same as above. Same as above. Same as above. Same as above. With added precautions these materials may be used: (1) A mixture of 2.5 per cent aldrin- 5 per cent DDT, or (2) 1.5 per cent dieldrin- 5 per cent DDT. These materials have not been tested as long as have other cotton poisons, but they have given good results for 2 years in Alabama tests. They are recommended only for tractor or airplane spraying. For boll worm control, apply 10 per cent DDT or 20 per cent toxaphene at the rate of 15 pounds per acre. If a good boll weevil control program is followed, boll worms are not likely to become numerous. S141 Except where stated, cotton poisons can be applied as a dust or as a spray. Dust can be put on with hand, mule-drawn, tractor, or airplane equipment. Dust when the air is still and cotton plants are dry. Spray can be applied by tractor or airplane, but row spacing must be taken into consideration where tractor poisoning equipment is used, since this equipment is usually designed for specific row spacings. The amount of diluted spray used to cover an acre may vary from 2 to 10 gallons. The right amount of poison to. use per acre for each application (regardless of the volume of spray) is as follows: 1/Vto 1/2 pound of gamma isomer BHC plus 1/2 or more pounds of DDT. 2 to 2 pounds of technical toxaphene. 1/4 pound aldrin plus /2 pound of DDT. 1/A pound dieldrin plus 1/2 pound of DDT. Calcium arsenate is effective only as a dust. Insecticides should be applied while the plants are setting and maturing the crop, and when the number of squares punctured indicates 25 per cent or more infestation. After starting, poisoning should be repeated at 5-day intervals until the top bolls are mature. During a normal year, six to seven effective applications should be enough; more applications may be needed during seasons of heavy infestation and/or frequent rainfall. The recommendation for boll weevil control in 1947 was calcium arsenate at the rate of 8 to 10 pounds per acre. The time and frequency of application was the same as that shown for other poisons in the 1951 recommendations. The difference between 1947 and 1951 cotton poisoning recommendations was due to the fact that in 1947 the newer insecticides recommended in 1951 had not undergone the extensive testing necessary to obtain conclusive evidence of their effectiveness. Present Practices. Present practices are based on the crop year 1947. On the basis of the sample taken, less than 1 per cent of the cotton acreage in the Sand Mountain Area received an application of poison in 1947. Calcium arsenate and sulphur arsenate were the poisons used. The per-acre rate of application was 5 pounds of calcium arsenate and 7.5 pounds of sulphur arsenate. More than 7 farmers out of 10 had done no poisoning during the last 10 years. [15] Method and Time oa Harvesting Recommendations. Cotton, if hand harvested, should be picked immediately after the bolls are open and dry; precautions should be taken to prevent picking wet or green cotton. It should be picked as clean as possible, and usually it will require three pickings during the harvest season. Harvesting dates in the Sand Mountain Area are usually from about October 1 to December 30. Present Practices. All of the cotton harvested on the farms surveyed was hand picked. In 1947, farmers averaged picking over their fields three times. More than three-fourths of the cotton was harvested by family labor on all farms except large operator farms, where slightly more than half of the cotton was harvested by hired labor. Seed cotton required to make a 500pound bale was about 1,350 pounds, Appendix Table 4. Farmers were following harvesting recommendations in 1947. Cotton was picked from two to four times; picking began the latter part of September in 1947 and extended to mid-December. More than 60 per cent of the total hours of man labor required to produce an acre of cotton was required for harvesting. Harvesting requirements may be reduced by picking thoroughly a minimum number of times. LABOR and POWER REQUIREMENTS High labor and power requirements for cotton production are two of the most important factors limiting efficient and profitable production of cotton in this area. The following estimates indicate the relative importance of usual labor and power costs to total costs of producing cotton. On workstock farms power costs amount to approximately 14 per cent of production costs, and labor costs amount to approximately 54 per cent of the total. Thus, power and labor costs make up more than two-thirds of the cost of producing cotton on workstock farms. On tractor farms power costs are about 10 per cent of total production costs, and labor costs amount to about 38 per cent of the total. Therefore, on tractor farms power and labor costs make up roughly one-half of the cost of producing cotton. Power requirements are greatest for land preparation, planting, and cultivating; labor requirements are greatest during the chopping, hoeing, and harvesting seasons. With power and labor costs making up from one-half to over [16] two-thirds of the cost of producing cotton, any sizeable reduction in power and labor requirements, should both increase efficiency and decrease the cost of producing cotton. Use of Power The use of different kinds and combinations of power varied greatly among the farms surveyed. Sixty-eight of the 103 farms studied used workstock only, 28 used both workstock and tractors (combination farms), and 7 used tractors only, Table 5. All but two of the farms using tractors only were farms with large cotton enterprises. TABLE 5. DISTRIBUTION OF FARMS, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, AND BY TYPE OF POWER USED, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Type of power group Small Numher 30 6 Size of cotton enterprise Medium Numher 29 3 Per cent 88 9 Large Per cent 27 58 Workstock farms Combination farms' Per cent 81 16 Numher 9 19 Tractor farms TOTAL 1 37 3 100 1 33 3 100 5 33 15 100 'Farms which used both workstock and tractors as sources of power. Usual Labor Requirements The usual amounts of man labor used varied from 101 hours per acre on tractor (cropper) farms with large cotton enterprises to 161 hours per acre on workstock (operator) farms with large cotton enterprises. Approximately 42 hours of animal power or 11 hours of mechanical power (tractor and truck or car) were required to produce an acre of cotton, Appendix Tables 5 and 6. In comparing labor requirements for various operations among different size and tenure groups, chopping and hoeing, and harvesting were considered separately, since these operations required a relatively large amount of labor and varied widely between size and tenure groups. Chopping and hoeing required about 12 per cent of the total man labor needed to produce an acre of cotton; harvesting required about two-thirds of the total. Labor required for harvesting formed a larger proportion of the total labor required in the Sand Mountain Area than in some other areas of the State because of higher yields in this area. Where a significant difference occurred between labor requirements on operator and cropper farms, this difference was in the amount of labor used in chopping, hoeing, and harvesting. The [ 17] TABLE 6. USUAL TOTAL POWER AND LABOR REQUIREMENTS PER ACRE FOR PRO- DUCING COTTON, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, AND BY TYPE OF POWER USED, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947. Type of power and size of enterprise Man Hours Requirements per acre Workstock Tractor Hours 37 42 44 Hours Workstock Small Medium Large 142 139 153 Combination 1 Small Medium Large 147 136 132 27 84 22 8.4 1.9 4.4 Tractor Large 1Farms 103 which used both workstock and tractors as sources of power. 10.8 differences that occurred in these operations were, for the most part, due to additional times over. More hours of man labor were used on workstock farms with large cotton enterprises than on workstock farms with small and medium enterprises, Table 6. This was because cotton was hoed an additional time, and more time was required for harvesting. On farms using a combination of workstock and tractor power, labor requirements were greater on farms with small cotton enterprises and least on farms with large cotton enterprises. Here the difference was due in part to the greater use of tractor power in cultivation on the farms with large enterprises. In the case of workstock farms, power requirements were least on farms with small cotton enterprises and most on farms with large cotton enterprises. On farms with large cotton enterprises, the hours of workstock power required were reduced from 45 when no tractor power was used to 21 when tractor power was used 4.4 hours. The operators of farms with large cotton enterprises were able to make better use of machinery and equipment and thus substantially reduce man labor requirements. Assuming that all cotton is hand picked, usual labor requirements indicate that tractor power can reduce total man labor requirements about 24 per cent, but can reduce pre-harvest labor requirements approximately 36 per cent. Time of Operation Proper timing of production operations may mean the difference between success and failure in cotton production. During a [18] year in which normal weather conditions prevail, a cotton grower usually will have no difficulty in timing production operations to produce a crop. However, when adverse weather conditions occur, those farmers that are equipped to cover large acreages in a short time have a great advantage. Land preparation usually begins in March with stalk cutting and seedbed preparation. Cotton is planted during the last of April and the first part of May. In the Sand Mountain Area, peak labor requirements occur normally during June largely because of the requirements for chopping and hoeing, and during October and November, which are the peak harvest months. Variation m Usual Operations A wide variety of machinery and equipment of varying sizes was used in producing cotton in 1947. The greatest variation was found in the types of equipment used for land preparation and cultivation operations, Appendix Table 7. Variations la Time Required to Perform Usual Operations The most labor-saving methods of performing usual operations were selected for comparison with the most common methods of performing them. The greatest labor-saving methods on workstock farms required 185 hours of man labor and 42 hours of workstock labor to produce and harvest an acre of cotton yielding 506 pounds of lint, Table 7. This represented a saving of 10 man hours or about 7 per cent of usual requirements. Large tractor-powered farms were using two-row equipment for the most part. The saving in total man labor by using larger equipment was only 4 per cent in 1947, but the saving in tractor hours was 37 per cent. Man labor required to produce an acre of cotton primarily with one-row tractor-drawn equipment was 112 hours compared to 107 hours with two-row equipment. Particular attention should be given to labor requirements of chopping, hoeing, and harvesting, which together accounted for 99 of these hours with either type of equipment. Savings in man and tractor hours through use of larger equipment and by shifting to use of more tractor power are of major importance in reducing both labor and power costs of producing cotton. However, size of the farming unit must be large enough to justify use of tractor power and large equipment if these savings are to be realized. [19] TABLE 7. SELECTED VARIATIONS FROM USUAL IN PER ACRE LABOR REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCING COTTON USING ANIMAL-DRAWN EQUIPMENT, WITH COMPARISONS, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Size of equipment Cut stalks Flat-break Bed Cultivate beds Plant Fertilize 2-horse stalk cutter 2-horse moldboard plow 1 time per row Section harrow 2-row planter 2-row distributor Times Hours per acre over Man Animal 1 1 1 1 1 1 .9 8.9 1.8 .6 1.4 8.4 1.8 7.8 3.6 1.2 1.4 1.7 1 Cultivate Chop and hoe TOTAL PRE-HARVEST 2-horse cultivator Hand Hand Wagon 5 2 9.0 18.2 89.2 18.0 .0 85.5 Harvest Haul TOTAL 91.8 8.6 184.6 .0 7.0 42.5 Comparison (usual total) Labor and power saved Per cent labor and power saved 144.5 9.9 6.8 40.9 -1.6 -8.9 1 Poisoning was not considered; it would add a small amount of time to the total requirements. Possibilities ao Further Changes ar ad Effects o .Mechanization4 Limitations The Sand Mountain Area will probably continue to be one of the major cotton-producing areas of Alabama. A considerable proportion of the area's cotton land is of a topography that will permit use of mechanical equipment and tractor power, but present size of fields and farms are major limiting factors. Well planned field layouts will aid in reducing both labor and power requirements of many operations that may be performed with machines. It is essential that cotton stalks be well shredded or broken up if efficient use is to be obtained from mechanical equipment during subsequent operations. The use of either horizontal or vertical type cutters is satisfactory for this operation, but when green stalks are cut, the power-driven, rotary-type cutter is more efficient. By performing this operation as soon after harvesting as possible, a protective covering for the soil may be obtained, and decay of stalks and insect control may be aided. Since the type of seedbed preparation influences subsequent mechanized operations, a well prepared seedbed is of utmost im' Prepared on the basis of information furnished by the Agricultural Engineering Department, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station. [20 ] portance. The soil should be thoroughly broken to a depth of at least 6 inches, using a moldboard or disk plow well in advance of planting time. After breaking, a firm seedbed may be formed with harrows and/or cultipackers. The planting operation will be of particular importance if mechanical harvesting is to be practiced, because some mechanical cotton harvester manufacturers have designed their equipment to operate best at a standard row spacing of 40 inches. Cotton that is to be mechanically harvested, therefore, should be planted in 40-inch rows. It should also be planted on the flat, and solid in the drill to obtain efficient use of mechanical harvesting equipment. Thick stands are necessary for use of rotary hoes and mechanical choppers. Also they will result in more suitable plants for mechanical harvesting. The rotary hoe is effective in early weed and grass control, and may be used three to five times beginning with cotton emergence. Each time the rotary hoe is used the cotton stand may be reduced 5 to 7 per cent. To maintain a good stand, a heavier rate of seeding is required in order to allow for reduction of stand resulting from use of the rotary hoe and mechanical chopper. Insect control has become increasingly important in this area due to increases in insect infestation during recent years. Sprayers and dusters are equally effective for applying insect control materials. Tractor fenders may be necessary to reduce damage to rank cotton. Defoliation is becoming an important phase in cotton production in many areas. Defoliation is essential for machine harvesting, and in addition, it has been found to reduce boll rot and to facilitate hand picking. The conventional cotton duster is used to apply the defoliant, which is put on at recommended rates per acre. Defoliation is done when most of the cotton bolls are mature. The defoliant should be applied either in late evening or early morning, since contact with moisture is essential for its maximum effectiveness. Although use of mechanical equipment now available requires some adjustments in cotton production practices, the labor-saving aspects of mechanization make a further shift to mechanization appear more desirable in a period of short labor supply, high prices, and good demand for cotton. The more labor-saving methods of producing cotton with animal-drawn equipment are shown in Table 7. Proper use of the rotary hoe and mechanical chopper can reduce labor require[21] ments of chopping and hoeing approximately 50 per cent. The use of mechanical harvesters can reduce harvest labor requirements to about 2 man hours per acre. By using latest methods of insect control and defoliation, total power and labor requirements would not be seriously affected. Considerable savings in labor requirements of cotton production for this area can be attained if further improvements are made in mechanical harvesters and in ginning facilities. These developments must be made, however, before mechanical harvesting can be recommended in this area. Saving man labor does not necessarily mean that cotton can be produced more profitably. The relative costs of labor and machinery together with the possible effects of mechanical harvesting on cotton quality and price will determine for individual producers how much machinery to substitute for labor and workstock power. 1 22 1 SUMMARY and CONCLUSIONS The Sand Mountain Area is one of the leading cotton-producing areas of Alabama; it has produced a consistently higher average lint yield per acre than have other areas of the State. In view of high production costs, high labor requirements, and other major problems facing cotton producers, and the importance of cotton in this area, a survey was undertaken in 1948 in four counties selected as being representative of the Sand Mountain Area of Alabama to (1) obtain current information on cotton production practices, and (2) to compare current cotton production practices with Experiment Station recommendations in order to point out where improvements are needed. On most farms, the equipment used in preparing land was the equipment recommended. However, there is a possibility that costs can be decreased and efficiency increased through use of larger equipment on some farms, particularly on workstock farms. Most of the land was prepared during April. Indications are that the period between the time of land preparation and planting was too short to allow proper settling of the seedbed. The most popular varieties of cotton were Stoneville, Coker 100-Wilt, and Deltapine 14. Farmers were generally within the range of recommendations for seeding rates. No relationship was observed between size of enterprise and seeding rates, but a slightly smaller amount of seed was used when hill dropping than when planting solid in the drill. Between one-third and onehalf of the acreage was planted with purchased seed. More than half of all seed was treated. Improvement in quality of planting seed, and further treatment of seed may help to increase cotton yields. Some cotton was hill dropped, but all cotton was hand chopped and hoed. Improved cultivation practices may decrease the number of times that hoeing is necessary and reduce hoe labor costs accordingly. All cotton was fertilized with some type of commercial fertilizer. Approximately 75 per cent of the acreage planted received complete fertilizer only; the average rate of application was slightly above the recommended 600-pound rate. The most popular grade used was 6-8-4; the recommended grade is 4-10-7. Where a side-dressing was used, the rate of application was less than half the recommended rate of 48 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Soils of the Sand Mountain Area respond to heavy rates of fertilization, and cotton farmers in the area can increase the per-acre [2831 yield by side-dressing at the recommended rate. The cost of fertilizer applications can be decreased by using fertilizer attachments on planting and cultivating equipment. The equipment used for cultivation and weed control in most cases was the equipment recommended. There is a possibility that costs of performing these operations can be reduced by using larger equipment where practicable, and cultivating earlier and more frequently to decrease hand-labor requirements for hoeing. On the basis of the sample taken, less than 1 per cent of the cotton acreage in the Sand Mountain Area received an application of poison in 1947. Since that time, boll insect infestation has become a serious problem for the cotton producers in the area. If cotton yields are to be maintained or increased, current recommendations for insect control must be followed. Farmers were following recommended cotton harvesting practices. The majority picked over their cotton fields an average of three times. On some farms, harvest labor can be reduced by picking thoroughly a minimum number of times. Experimental results have shown that there are possibilities of reducing harvest labor requirements with mechanical strippers. Before this practice can become economical, however, mechanical strippers, and cleaning and ginning equipment will have to be improved to prevent or offset the loss in grade of machine-stripped cotton. Power and labor requirements for cotton are relatively high. Some farmers in the area can reduce requirements through increased and efficient utilization of equipment already available. The small size of the farming unit and the layout of fields are two important factors limiting economic justification for use of more mechanical equipment in producing cotton in this area. Before shifting to more mechanization, operators of the larger units should take into consideration such factors as topography of cotton land, future government-control programs, relative costs of machinery and labor, and future possibilities of alternative enterprises. [24 APPENDIX TABLE 1. ESTIMATED ACREAGE, YIELD AND PRODUCTION SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1928-471 OF COTTON, Year Acreage 1,000 acres Yield per acre Pounds 233 267 261 278 192 223 272 278 300 394 364 372 302 384 445 392 416 437 394 398 Production 1,000 bales 171.0 193.4 192.9 189.0 126.9 151.3 119.8 121.6 137.7 211.5 153.2 160.4 132.8 155.9 188.6 167.6 161.3 178.8 184.1 200.1 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1989 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 350.5 346.1 353.1 324.4 815.4 323.8 210.3 209.1 219.2 256.9 201.4 205.9 210.1 194.3 197.0 204.3 185.4 195.8 223.5 240.6 1 Source: "Alabama Cotton, Estimated Acreage, Yield, and Production, 19281947." Bureau of Agricultural Economics, U.S.D.A., cooperating with Division of Agricultural Statistics, Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries. APPENDIX TABLE 2. NUMBER OF FARMS AND ACRES OF COTTON, POWER USED, AND BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, SAND MOUNTAIN BY TYPE OF AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Type of power used Size of cotton enterprise Workstock Number Acres cotton farms 25 1 0 20 1 0 6 3 0 162 9 0 274 11 0 144 102 0 in survey. Combination Number Acres cotton farms 9 1 0 9 4 1 14 11 0 60 8 0 108 48 5 895 450 0 Tractor Number Acres farms cotton 1 0 0 1 0 0 5 4 1 2 0 0 25 0 0 117 171 12 Small (87)': Operator Cropper Tenant Medium (3388)': Operator Cropper Tenant Large (833): Operator Cropper Tenant ' Number of schedules included [25] APPENDIX TABLE 3. VARIETIES AND QUALITIES OF COTTONSEED PLANTED, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Size of cotton enterprise Small Number of farms Cotton planted Proportion 1of purchased seed by varieties: Stoneville Coker 100-Wilt Deltapine 14 All other Mixed Proportion 1of home-grown seed by varieties: Stoneville Coker 100-Wilt Deltapine 14 All other Mixed Years from breeder: Home-grown seed: Medium 33 472 Large 33 1,891 Number Acres 37 242 Percent Percent Percent Percent Percent 34 17 27 22 0 82 0 5 25 38 72 14 7 0 7 Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 55 13 11 21 0 48 26 0 19 7 69 6 8 13 9 1 year 2 years 3 years Not known Per cent Per cent Per cent Per cent 0 56 86 8 8 61 31 0 0 76 24 0 12 58 28 2 12 75 6 7 Purchased seed: Direct from breeder 1 year 2 years Not known 0 Per cent 69 Per cent 20 Per cent Per cent VVI-I 11 V -l xVarieties listed are those most commonly used. APPENDIX TABLE 4. COTTON HARVESTING PRACTICES, YIELD OF LINT COTTON PER ACRE, AND GIN TURNOUT, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Size of cotton enterprise Large Medium Small Number of farms Acres harvested Proportion of cotton: Hand picked Proportion of cotton hand picked by: Family labor Hired labor Bales produced Lint yield per acre Seed cotton per 500-lb. bale Number Acres Per cent Per cent Per cent Number Pounds Pounds [ 26 ] 37 242 100 81 19 254 526 1,322 33 472 100 77 23 481 509 1,346 33 1,891 100 66 34 1,287 462 1,387 APPENDIX TABLE 5. MAN LABOR REQUIREMENTS PER ACRE FOR PRODUCING COTTON, BY USUAL OPERATIONS PRFORMED, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, AND BY TYPE OF POWER USED, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Man labor used per acre by specified operations Size of Cotton prise by power groups enter- Land preparation Number Culti- Cultiof records'Cut F vate aferCulti-ay recd stalks bea-ter a stafiatbreakflat vate rows; ing breakbrea- beds ~gfurrows ing m (No.) off Plantig 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 Fertilize Cultivate Chop and hoe H vesting Haul- Total Man hours per acre 1.2 1.2 1.2 .9 1.2 WORKSTOCK FARMS: Small: Operator Medium: Operator Large: (25) (20) ( 6) ( 8) ( 9) 5.5 8.9 8.9 3.9 1.5 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 -- 1.8 1.5 1.8 1.8 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.0 3.0 14.0 14.1 18.9 14.7 14.7 18.2 18.2 26.4 18.2 91.0 90.3 99.0 86.7 8.6 8.6 8.6 8.6 1.93 141.9 139.4 161.4 186.4 147.0 Operator Cropper 2 COMBINATION FARMS: -- Small: Operator __ Medium: Operator 2 Large: Cropper Operator 2 -1.4 - 1.8 ( 9) (14) ( 5) (11) 1.2 1.2 .7 1.5 1.5 1.1 .7 1.1 1.8 1.8 Cropper Large: 1.2 .5 1.5 .7 - - -- -- 18.2 101.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 18.0 15.5 18.2 10.0 18.2 92.0 88.1 86.2 3.6 1.93 143.5 121.2 119.6 1.8 2.5 8.0 8.0 8.0 18.0 26.4 85.6 8.6 8.6 144.8 TRACTOR FARMS: 1.8 5.8 18.2 78.6 1.93 104.6 ( 5) .5 1.5 .7 1.1 1.5 .7 .6 .7 4.6 10.0 80.1 1.99 100.6 CropperZ ( 5) .5 1 Number of records does not equal number of schedules because some schedules contained records of operators and tenants. 2Tenants were combined with croppers. Operator - 'Truck or car power. APPENDIX TABLE 6. POWER REQUIREMENTS PER AcRE FOR PRODUCING COTTON, BY USUAL OPERATIONS PERFORMED, BY SIZE OF COTTON ENTERPRISE, AND BY TYPE OF POWER USED, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 1947 Power used per acre by specified operations Size of cotton enterprise by power groups Land preparation Number of Total y Planting CultiCut Flat ing after Cultiafter flat reords'stalksb break(No.) Culti- Fertilize Cultivate Hauling Tractor vateMule rows; ng breaking a breaking bedsfoefurrows [irs.] (Power requirements 2.4 2.4 5.5 7.8 2.2 2.2 1.8 -- per acre) 14.0 15.4 20.7 16.1 16.1 18.0 15.5 3.0 18.0 5.8 4.6 WORKSTOCK FARMS: Small: Medium: 00 Operator Operator (25) (20) --- 2.0 .2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 .6 .4 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 1.93 7.0 1.93 7.0 7.0 1.93 1.93 36.8 41.7 45.8 40.6 26.6 38.5 25.4 10.9 33.1 3.4 .7 4.1 6.1 2.2 11.6 10.0 3.0 Large: Operator Cropper 2 COMBINATION FARMS: ( 6) ( 3) 2.4 1.8 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.4 7.8 7.8 1.5 .7 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.2 2.2 2.4 2.2 .7 1.1 ..7 .7 .7 -- 1.8 1.8 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 .6 .4 Small: Operator Medium: Operator Cropper 2 Large: Operator Cropper 2 TRACTOR FARMS : ( 9) ( 9) ( 5) (14) (11) -3.6 3.6 __ - 1.8 1.4 _ --- .5 .5 .5 1.8 Large: ( 5) ( 5) 1'Number of records does not 2 Tenants were combined with 3'Truck or car power. Operator Cropper 2 - -- -- equal number of schedules because some schedules contained records of operators and tenants. croppers. APPENDIX TABLE 7. AVERAGE ANNUAL USE A.ND RATEs oF PERFORMANCE FOR SPECIFIED OPERATIONS, BY TYPE OF EQUIPMENT USED, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 19471 Times Operations performed by size of equipment used Farms Annual use Acres Hours Acres 15.5 18.2 10.5 28.3 26.7 11.1 15.7 10.8 21.4 38.3 19.2 13.8 15.8 24.3 AcepeOntieor 10-hour usingd Number Number 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 day Hours 18.6 16.4 22.0 14.2 13.4 61.0 61.2 8.3 32.1 42.1 13.4 14.6 19.0 21.7 13.2 9.7 Man hours per acre Hours 1.2 .9 Mule hours per acre Hours 2.4 1.8 Tractoracre hours per Hours Acres 8.3 11.1 (0- Cut stalks 1-row (mule) -row (mule) Disk harrow (mule) 2-row (tractor) Disk harrow (tractor) Flat-break: Moldboard: -bottom 1-mule) 2 59 23 2 14 3 33 35 16 31 3 4 49 21 10 4.8 20.0 2.1 20.0 1.8 2.6 .5 4.2 .5-.5 5.5 3.9 -- .5 1-bottom Disk harrow (tractor) (2-mule) 5.5 14.3 6.7 9.1 14.3 9.1 8.3 25.0 .7_.7 1.5 1.1 .7 1.1 1.2 .4 Disk plows (tractor) : 2-disk 3-disk 4-disk Cultivate flat-broken land: Section harrow (mule) Drag (mule) Drag (tractor) .. -- .. 2.2 2.4 __.4 1.5 1.1 .7 (tractor) Section harrow(tractor) Disk harrow - 29 7 1.2 1.0 25.8 26.3 14.3 20.0 .7.5 .7 .5 (Continued) 1'Comparable types of equipment in all size and power groups were averaged to obtain rates of performance by types of equipment used for specified operations. APPENDIX TABLE 7 (Continued). AVERAGE ANNUAL USE AND RATES OF PERFORMANCE FOR SPECIFIED OPERATIONS, BY TYPE OF EQUIPMENT USED, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 19471 Operations performed by size of equipment used Farms using Number Times over Number Annual use Hours Acres cov'd used Acres Hours Acres per 10-hour day Acres One time over Man hours Mule hours Tractor hours per acre per acre per acre Hours Hours Hours Bed after flat-break: 1 time to row (mule) Cultivate beds: Section harrow (mule) Scratcher (mule) 26 4 6 41 19 98 5 14 98 5 15 37 5 4 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 11.4 11.2 10.0 17.7 12.0 15.2 27.8 29.4 15.4 27.8 28.6 17.1 26.2 21.2 20.5 6.7 14.0 31.9 18.0 30.4 16.7 11.8 29.3 16.7 11.4 80.8 21.0 81.8 5.6 16.7 7.1 1.8 .6 1.4 1.8 1.5 2.5 1.1 .6 3.0 1.3 .7 1.9 .8 1.5 3.6 1.2 1.4 1.8 3.0 2.0 .6 0 Lay off rows and open furrows: Georgia stock (mule) 1-row cultivator (mule) Plant: 1-row planter (mule) 1-row planter (tractor) 2-row planter (tractor) Fertilize: 1-row distributor (mule) 1-row distributor (tractor) 2-row distributor (tractor) Side-dress: 1-row distributor (mule) 2-row distributor (tractor) Hand 5.6 6.7 5.0 16.7 25.0 5.3 16.7 25.0 5.6 12.5 6.7 .4 1.9 .6 .4 1.8 .8 (Continued) ment used for specified operations. 1 Comparable types of equipment in all size and power groups were averaged to obtain rates of performance by types of equip- APPENDIX TABLE 7 (Continued). AVERAGE ANNUAL USE AND RATES OF PERFORMANCE FOR SPECIFIED OPERATIONS, EQUIPMENT USED, SAND MOUNTAIN AREA OF ALABAMA, 19471 BY TYPE OF Operations performed by Times Operations performed Farms use Annual Hours used Hours 216.8 268.6 123.6 156.7 122.5 165.9 283.7 492.0 598.4 Acres per 10-hour day Acres Man hours per acre Hours 8.1 2.1 1.8 1.1 .7 10.0 8.2 8.2 7.1 One time over Mule hours Tractor hours per acre per acre Hours Hours 8.1 2.3 3.6 size of equipment used by Farms using Times10-ho over Number Cultivate: Number 5.1 6.9 5.2 5.2 5.4 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 Acres cov'd Acres 18.7 18.2 13.2 27.4 32.4 17.1 17.3 20.0 21.5 (mule) 1/2-row and 1-row /2-row 1-row (mule) 1-row (tractor) 2-row (tractor) (mule) 48 82 18 5 16 39 48 26 4 3.2 4.8 5.6 9.1 14.3 1.0 1.2 1.2 1.4 -__ -. 1.1 .7 Chop and hoe: 1 time over 2 times over 3 times over 4 times over . . . Haul: 7.03.6 2.8 66.6 18.5 74 Mule and wagon Truck and/or car and 1.92 1.9 5.3 27.6 14.5 41 trailer 1 Comparable types of equipment in all size and power groups were averaged to obtain rates of performance by types of equipment used for specified operations. 2 Truck or car hours. -