AdRIGULTURAL ENGINEERING 271 



to buy it. To determine whether or not to buy a machine 

 requires a Uttle careful study of the facts in the case. It 

 is simply a question of what is the cheapest and best way 

 of doing the work to be done. 



Example: A farmer may have twenty acres of corn to 

 cut each year. He has choice of several things to do. He 

 may be able to hire it cut by hand, and can find out about 

 how much it will cost him. He may be able to hire a neigh- 

 bor who has a com binder to cut it. He will know how 

 much this will cost. He may be able to hire a binder by 

 the day, or by the acre, and cut it himself. He can figure 

 the approximate cost, or he may buy a binder and cut it 

 himself. To determine the cost when he owns the binder 

 himself, he must figure in interest on investment. (A new 

 corn binder will cost about $125.) He must figure deprecia- 

 tion. (A corn binder depreciates about 10 per cent per 

 year.) He must figure repairs, twine, oil and cost of shelter, 

 also the labor required to cut the twenty acres of corn. In 

 this way he may determine rather accurately which is the 

 cheapest way. He must not overlook, however, the advan- 

 tage and satisfaction that comes from owning a machine 

 and having it to use just when he wants it without waiting 

 for someone else or having to spend time looking for a ma- 

 chine or helping to do the work. 



Using Machinery. — Some persons can get much more 

 service out of machinery than others. To do good work a 

 machine must be in good condition, well oiled, well sharpened, 

 if it is a machine that cuts, the parts all adjusted so that 

 there are no loose joints or bearings that do not run freely. 

 One used to a machine can tell instantly by the sound or 

 work of it whether it is running properly or not. A machine 

 that is not in good condition is wearing out much more 

 rapidly, and hauls much harder than one that is in good 

 condition. A good machinist likes machinery, enjoys see- 

 ing it run well, and will repair it at once when it is out of 

 order. Such men get good service out of machinery, do 

 good work with it, and find real pleasure in running it. 



Shelter. — One of the very common causes of loss and 

 short life of farm machinery is lack of shelter. Some ma- 

 chines and parts of machines are not seriously injured by 



