Page:The Scientific Monthly vol. 3.djvu/440

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��THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY

��days available for field work. It remains to consider the error in num- ber of adults available for labor.

The object is to determine the relation of time lost through malaria to the total time available and to the time required by the crops. In considering the time available it will be necessary to eliminate the effect of malaria upon the efficiency of the labor. Howard (1909) estimates that one fourth of the productive capacity of an individual suffering with an average case of malaria is lost. One hundred and thiriy-eight persons out of a total of 299 suffered from malaria during the crop season. Not taking account of the cases in children under 8 years of age and the time lost by adult non-malaria persons in attending those who were sick, the equivalent of the time of the malaria people is equal to the time of 74 adults. A reduction of 25 per cent, in the efficiency of 74 adults equals the total loss of the time of 18.5 adults. An average of 2 adults per family would indicate a loss equivalent to the total time of 9.25 families.

On the basis that every man, woman and child worked every avail- able day in the field there would be available the time of 64.75 families. To figure on this basis would be as great an error as it would be to fig- ure that there were 30 days available for field work every month in the year. There would be no day when every available person over 8 years of age would be in the field and all the persons in the field would not put forth maximum effort every day throughout the year. It is estimated that for these reasons the available labor would be reduced at least 25 per cent. This would mean that instead of 64.75 families, there would be only 48.57 families available. With an average of 2 adults per family, there appears to be available the equivalent of 97.14 adults. However, other factors act to reduce the available labor. Account must be taken of those who have passed the age limit for work in the field, the '' pen- sioners '^ of the plantation. A funeral will keep practically all the laborers out of the field for all or a part of a working-day. Other di^ eases aside from malaria keep the laborers at home on working-days. It is estimated that the equivalent of one adult out of every ten would not be available for these reasons. The available man labor on the plantation has been figured on the basis of 90 adults.

Taking 90 adults as representing the available labor and using Mr. Oates's figures on the days available per month for field work, we have the following man days available per month for field work on this plantation.

��Month

�Days

�Montb

�Dayi

�Month

�Dftya

�Month

�Days

�Jan

Feb

Mar

�1,080 1,071 1,305

�April

May

June

�1,337 1,647 1,719

�July

Aug

Sept

�1,935 1,890 1,746

�Oct.

Nov

Dec

�1,773 1,621 1,134

�� �