CHAPTER XV 



THE VALUE AND CARE OF FARM MACHINERY 



392. Value and cost. Few realize the enormous sums 

 spent annually by the farmers of the United States for 

 machinery. Of the $2,910,138,663, the value of all crops 

 raised in 1899, about 3.4 per cent was spent for 

 machinery. The total amount of money invested in ma- 

 chinery was $749,775,970. The following is the census 

 report of the value of machinery manufactured each 

 census year since 1850: 



Year Total for U. S. Year Total for U. S. 



1850 $6,842,611 1880 $68,640,486 



1860 20,831,904 1890 81,271,651 



1870 42,653,500 IQOO 101,207,428 



In closing, it is fitting that the subject of the care of 

 farm machinery be considered, for one reason at least. 

 The American farmers buy each year over $100,000,000 

 worth of machinery, which is known to be used less effi- 

 ciently than it should be. The fact that farm machinery 

 is poorly housed may be noticed on every hand. Even 

 the casual observer will agree that if machines were 

 housed and kept in a better state of repair they would 

 last much longer and do more efficient work. It has been 

 stated by conservative men that the average life of the 

 modern binder is less than one-half what it should be. 



The care of farm machinery readily divides itself into 

 three heads: First, housing or protecting from the 

 weather; second, repairing; third, painting. 



