THE TRACTION-ENGINE 



essary to do the same amount of work.^ 

 This method is followed in the West in 

 buying thrashing outfits and is found 

 thoroughly practicable. If it is possible 

 to produce crops at a cost of $2 to $4 less 

 per acre by the use of gasoline engines 

 on our dry-farms this method should be 

 adopted. The saving would be remark- 

 able, especially where the average yield of 

 wheat per acre probably does not exceed 

 15 bushels. Some 20 of these plowing 

 outfits have been placed in Montana this 

 year. In my judgment the gasoline 

 plowing outfit is here to stay and will aid 

 materially in the cheap production of 

 farm crops on our dry-lands." 



The Double Engine System, 



At the beginning of this chapter the 

 writer enumerated the disadvantages of 



1 In the West, 1300- to 1600-pound work horses cost 

 firom $200 to $300 each. 



273 



