138 THE BUSINESS OF FAKMING 



when not in use would be at no cost of mainte- 

 nance; it would be of no expense to the farmer 

 except the slight cost of depreciation, interest and 

 insurance, and would be an immense saving 

 over the cost of keeping an extra supply of horses 

 for plowing which would be doing nothing at other 

 seasons of the year and whose cost of keeping is 

 so great. 



The author ventures the prophecy that the day 

 is near at hand when, not only all our breaking 

 of the soil will be done by the small farm tractor, 

 but cultivation, hauling to market and much, if 

 not all other farm work will be done by these tract- 

 ors, and by cultivating implements propelled by 

 gasoline or electricity manufactured upon the 

 farm. It is practicable and only remains for the 

 genius to invent the farm machinery necessary, 

 and the author has so much faith in the American 

 mechanical genius that he believes that this is a 

 consummation that will come to pass and soon be- 

 come a part of our farm economy. 



But until this is brought about upon our farms 

 we must continue to use the motive power of horses 

 and mules, and we can reduce the cost of such 

 power, and minimize other objections, only by 

 installing upon our farms the heavy draft horses 

 which cost but little more, if any, to feed and 

 care for than the horses of lighter weight. With 

 the heavy draft horses plows can be moved easier, 

 and plowing can be done to proper depths and at 

 the lowest possible cost and at proper times. But 

 to do this, we are again confronted with the ques- 

 tion of lack of capital, for the first cost of large 

 draft horses is heavy. 



