COST AND UTILIZATION OF POWER ON FARMS. 3 



Of 267 farmers who did spring plowing, 142 did it all with tractors, 

 121 used both tractors and horses, and 4 used horses only. 



Of 225 who did fall plowing, 190 did it all with tractors, 27 used 

 both tractors and horses, and 8 used horses only. 



Of 284 farmers who did disking, all but 15 used tractors for at least 

 a part of it. Two hunderd and seven used their tractors for harrow- 

 ing, rolling, planking, or packing, 130 for cutting grain, and 37 for 

 drawing the hay loader. Smaller numbers used their tractors for 

 drawbar operations other than those enumerated. 



In all, the power for 30 per cent of the drawbar work on these farms, 

 as measured by days or horse labor required for it, was furnished by 

 tractors and the remainder by horses. 



On the average, the 2-plow tractors saved 25 to 30 days of man 

 labor, and the 3-plow tractor 30 to 35 days, required for drawbar 

 work during the year on these farms. 



The average cost per head of keeping workstock on these farms for 

 the year ending October 31, 1920, was $159, and the average cost per 

 farm was $1,076. 



This cost includes charges for feed at the average price for the year, 

 chores at 25 cents per hour, shoeing, veterinary, harness, interest at 

 6 per cent, and depreciation. A manure credit of $15 per head was 

 allowed. 



Exclusive of grass and stalk pasture, the average ration per horse 

 for the year consisted of 1.3 tons of hay, 1.2 tons of straw, 0.2 acre of 

 stover, 37.8 bushels of corn, and 22.3 bushels of oats. The cost of 

 feed per head was $134. Based on present prices (Sept., 1921), the 

 cost of feed per head would be about $60. 



The average cost per day of horse labor for the year of the survey 

 was $2.43. At present prices, the cost on these farms would be not 

 far from $1.30 per day. 



The average first cost of the 2-plow tractors was $972 ; of the 3-plow 

 tractors, $1,354; and of all tractors, $1,140. The average amount 

 spent for equipment, mostly plows and disks, for use with tractors 

 was $343. The average value of the horse-drawn implements dis- 

 posed of after the purchase of the tractors was $12. 



The average life of these tractors, as estimated by their owners, is 

 6.7 years. The annual depreciation of the 2-plow tractors amounted 

 to $164, and of the 3-plow, $217. The annual cost of repairs, in- 

 cluding the value of the owners' time spent in repairing the tractors, 

 was $39 for both the 2-plow and the 3-plow sizes. The tractors were 

 out of commission when needed an average of about 2 days during 

 the year. A little over 50 per cent were not out of commission at all 

 when needed, and about 1 in 7 were out of commission five days or 

 more. 



