FARM MACHINERY AND IMPLEMENTS 739 



generally requires more power to operate it. Some one -has well said, 

 "Constant vigilance and oil is the price of smooth-running, efficient farm 

 tools, and to spare either is dangerous as well as expensive." Saws that 

 will saw, knives that will cut, hammers that will stay on their handles, 

 are much to be preferred. 



Utilizing Machinery. — A full equipment of farm machinery costs so 

 much that interest and depreciation are a burden for the small farmer. 

 This may be overcome by joint ownership of the more costly machines. 

 Large farms can own a complete outfit and utilize it quite fully. The 

 smaller the farm the greater the machinery cost per acre. On small 



Where Do You Prefer to Keep Your Implements? Under the Sky? 



farms the use for certain machinery may be so small as to make owner- 

 ship unprofitable. 



The greater the skill and higher the wage of workmen, the greater 

 the necessity of using the best and most efficient machinery. 



For the general farmer tools that are adjustable and can be used 

 for several purposes are advantageous. A combined spike and spring- 

 toothed harrow that may be changed from one to the other by the use of 

 two levers often saves an extra trip to the house or prevents one being 

 used where the other would have served better. The same principle 

 applies to cultivators where gangs or shovels can be changed for disks 

 or sweeps. 



Cost of Farm Machinery. — The principal items in the cost of farm 

 machinery are depreciation, interest on the capital invested, cost of repairs, 



1 Courtesy of Wallace's Farmer. 



