CAPITAL-GOODS AS A FACTOR IN PRODUCTION 303 



a factor in increasing his annual income. In addition to this, if the 

 farmer should desire to sell some of his machines at any time he will 

 find that they will bring a much higher price if they bear evidences of 

 careful housing than they would if they were weather-beaten in 

 appearance. 



Likewise, when machines are not properly housed but are exposed 

 to the elements during idle seasons, much more time and effort is 

 required to get them working properly. This extra time and effort 

 is frequently expended during the busiest season, when the farmer's 

 time may easily be worth several dollars an hour. It often falls to 

 the lot of farmers who are indifferent about housing their machinery, 

 to have the trying experience of getting a harvesting machine to do 

 even a poor grade of work when the crops are spoiling. No doubt 

 there are many costly experiences during the lifetime of such farmers, 

 any one of which might pay for the entire cost of building a suitable 

 machine shed. 



While it is essential that machines be properly cared for while not 

 in use, it is also essential that they be properly cared for while they 

 are being used. When a machine is operating in perfect adjustment 

 it has a characteristic sound. A careful operator of machines, know- 

 ing this sound, is able to detect at once when anything is wrong and 

 stops immediately to find the cause of the trouble. It may be that 

 the discordant note was caused by a bolt which has become loose. 

 If this bolt is tightened at once the machine is again in perfect running 

 condition. If, however, the loose bolt is not given immediate atten- 

 tion it means, in many cases, the breaking of a part that causes a 

 delay of several days. 



It is a splendid plan to go over the machine after the day's opera- 

 tions, adjusting bearings and gears for wear where it is possible to 

 do so, tightening loose bolts, making sure that the lubricating devices 

 have been working properly and that the cutting parts are sharp. 

 The machine may be examined at any time most convenient after the 

 day's run. If this plan is followed systematically, it will require but 

 a few minutes' time each day and will prevent many breakages that, 

 because of the delay in waiting for repairs, are far more costly than the 

 mere expense of their replacement. A machine kept in constant 

 repair will also have a longer life and give more satisfactory service 

 than one that is repaired in a haphazard way. 



NOTE. "It is a well known fact that more machinery is worn out 

 through misuse and neglect than from actual wear. Many farmers 



