290 POWER AND THE PLOW 



tatives of each class, the two latter have the advantage of 

 reliability gained in many more years of field service. 



One horse cares for twenty-five acres of crops. To his 

 value of $150 to $250 must be added the value of his harness, 

 and the breeding stock necessary to maintain the supply. For 

 every horse at work the farmer has an investment of $250 to 

 $300, or more than $10 per acre. A steam engine complete 

 with all equipment, except plows, will cost about the same as 

 a gas tractor of equal tractive horsepower with its less exten- 

 sive accessories. For each actual drawbar horsepower, either 

 type of engine and its equipment will cost from $90 to $100 in 

 the sizes commonly used for plowing. For the ordinary size, 

 the farmer's investment per acre is thus about half what is 

 required with horses. The smaller the tractor the greater 

 the cost per horsepower, hence in the smallest sizes the ad- 

 vantage in investment is wiped out. 



These figures take no account of the fact that the farmer's 

 horses are part of a factory equipment for producing power 

 animals, hence the investment in tractor factories should 

 possibly be considered also. On the other hand, the farmer 

 who does not raise his horses must pay a higher price than is 

 assumed above. In the West a sound, well-trained horse, 

 capable of developing a full mechanical horsepower in plowing, 

 brings from $200 to $300. Western Canada in 1910 imported 

 $10,000,000 worth of horses at the rate of $300 each, 

 and pressed thousands of oxen into service at the plow for 

 want of horse flesh at any price. The mechanical motor can 

 be more quickly supplied to meet the needs of the season, as 

 factories working over-time can maintain an enormous out- 

 put, while a steady demand in the horse market waits four 

 years for a response. 



The plow equipment required for each acre tilled by the horse, 

 is small. Three horses require a sulky plow, costing $40 and 

 plowing seventy-five acres per year, or less than 50 cents an 

 acre. A large steam engine will require an investment of 



