ANNUAL REPORTS. 253 



The labor has been figured at $1.50 per day for ordinary 

 laborers, and $2.00 per day for the foreman. The power 

 used was taken from the central college plant and the cost 

 of this was based on the cost of gasolene if a gasolene engine 

 had been used, and was estimated at 15 cents per ton. The 

 average price of baling hay throughout the state is $2.00 per 

 ton, with board and lodging for the usual crew of four men 

 furnished besides one or two extra men for getting the hay 

 to the press. The year previous to baling our own hay the 

 pressing w^as hired done at a cost of $2.71 per ton, which 

 cost represents about what the average farmer must pay. 

 On the basis of this price the 145 tons pressed would have 

 cost $392.95, while the actual cost of pressing was $202.17, 

 or a saving of $190.78, which represents about 75 per cent, 

 of the first cost of the press, or about 40 per cent, of the first 

 cost of a complete outfit, including press and gasolene 

 engine. The cost of pressing is slightly less the heavier the 

 bales are made, since the press can be fed faster and less 

 wire is required. The market demand in a 17x22-inch bale 

 is for one weighing between 100 and 120 pounds. 



Dynamometer. — An Eickemeyer and Osterhald Dyna- 

 mometer was purchased in the fall of 1904 and a series of 

 tests on the draft of wagons and farm implements are being 

 carried out from time to time as the opportunities are pre- 

 sented. The results of these tests are to be published in 

 bulletin form later on. 



Corn planter and cultivators. — A two-horse corn planter 

 and two two-horse cultivators were recently purchased for 

 the purpose of demonstrating to what extent they are an 

 economy over the single-horse implements. 



Snlky-plow. — A reversible sulky-plow has also been pur- 

 chased recently for use in dynamometer tests and for a com- 

 parison of its work with that of walking hillside and landside 

 plows. 



Fertilizer distributor. — One of the large broadcast fertil- 

 izer distributors was purchased in the spring for use in the 

 fertilizer tests on corn and grass. 



