110 POWER AND THE PLOW 



have plowing speeds of about 2 miles per hour. Owing to the 

 fact that the majority carry fuel and water for a continuous 

 run of ten or twelve hours, they are able to deliver from 85 

 to 90 per cent, of their rated plowing speed in net furrow 

 travel. For hilly country, tractors are geared for speeds of 

 from 1 to 3 miles per hour. For Western conditions, even the 

 high speeds are seldom above the latter figure. 



The cost of operating a tractor hinges on so many varying 

 factors that dependable averages are scarcely to be had. Two 

 men will handle almost any gas tractor and its load of plows. 

 These two men and their board will cost from $6.00 to $7.00 

 per day of actual work. A well designed and well built 

 tractor should give 1000 days of service, working 10 hours 

 per day. Interest rates range from 6 to 8 per cent, in the North- 

 west. Repairs should not exceed 10 cents per acre at the out- 

 side, and a reasonable figure is 2 per cent, annually of the first 

 cost. Gasoline costs from 10 to 25 cents per United States gallon 

 in different localities, and from 15 to 30 cents per imperial 

 gallon in Canada. Kerosene costs from 3 to 18 cents in United 

 States and from 11 to 25 cents in Canada. Distillate can be 

 had at from 1 to 4 cents below the cost of kerosene in various 

 localities. The consumption of kerosene or distillate, taking 

 the leading kerosene and gasoline engines as a whole, will prob- 

 ably be slightly in excess of the consumption of gasoline, 

 both in volume and weight, but the fuel costs per acre will 

 be much less, ranging from 10 to 100 per cent, or even more 

 in districts close to refineries. Lubricating oil will cost from 

 50 cents to $1.00 per day in plowing, depending upon the size 

 of the tractor and severity of the work. 



The following estimates of the comparative cost of production 

 of wheat on old ground in eastern North Dakota are comparable 

 for that section. However, the character of the soil, the dis- 

 tance over which supplies and products must be hauled, 

 the type of machine and the personality of the operator are 

 all influential factors. 



