Page:The Scientific Monthly vol. 3.djvu/439

 MALARIA AND CROP PRODUCTION

��433

��ratio of the time lost through malaria to the difference between the avail- able labor and labor requirements of the crops. It must be conceded that any loss of labor from any cause in the face of any surplus labor that exceeds the time lost, can not be considered as operating against the crops. In the case of no surplus labor, or an actual deficiency, any time lost through malaria reacts at once upon the crops, the seriousness of the neglect to the crops depending upon the period in the planting, cultivating or harvestiug the crops that the lost time occurs. It will be shown that the time lost through malaria during at least four months of the year falls at periods when there is a deficiency of labor and when the demands of the crops for labor are greatest. For cotton, the prin- cipal crop, these periods are chopping and hoeing, boll-weevil control and picking. Any neglect at these periods is a very serious matter and might mean total failure of a crop.

The available days for field work depend not only upon the number of adult laborers on the plantation, but also upon the available days per month when field work is possible. These two factors decide the avail- able days of adult labor for field work. Mr. M. B. Oates of the OfSce of Farm Management of the Department of Agricidture has furnished the writer the following estimate of available days per month for field plantation work as determined by a study of estimates obtained by him from 50 plantation managers in the Bed Biver region of northwest Louisiana.^

��Month

�Days

�Month

�Dayi

�Month

�Dayi

�Month

�Days

�Jan

F«b

March. ..

�12.0 11.9 14.5

�April

May

June

�15.3 18.3 19.1

�July

Aug

Sept

�21.5 21.0 19.4

�Oct

Nov

Dec

�19.7 16.9 12.6

��The fallacy of figuring total days of adult labor per month on a basis of a 30-day month is evident. The factors of Sundays, holidays and climate determine the number of days available for field work during any month. The error would be as great to reduce all labor on the plantation to terms of adult labor and use this figure in obtaining the days of adult labor available. With 74 families averagrag 2 adults per family there would be indicated a total of 148 adult days for every day in the year, 4,440 days adult labor available per month or the great total of 63,280 man-days of labor per year. Mr. Oates, on the basis of estimates from 72 plantations, finds that in this region 13.29 adult days of man labor, not including horse labor, are required per acre of cotton. On this basis the above figure shows that this plantation has an amount of labor sufficient to work over 3,200 acres of cotton, a condition which does not exist. The above table by Mr. Oates eliminates the error in

I The region included in the estimates is within the 50-inch rain belt. Madison Parish, where this study is located, has a normal rainfall of 51 inches.

VOL. III. — 30.

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