COST AND UTILIZATION OF POWER ON FARMS. 



45 



cost per acre of power as furnished by horses for the different opera- 

 tions. While the costs vary widely from farm to farm, the average 

 gives a basis of comparing the cost of power as furnished by horses 

 with that furnished by tractors for the different operations. 



The average cost of power per acre furnished by horses for the 

 principal operations on which tractors were also used was as follows: 



Spring plowing $2. 89 



Fall plowing 3. 04 



Disking •. . .64 



Harrowing, rolling, etc 34 



Drawing hayloader 98 



Drawing grain binder 59 



These figures represent the cost of power only and not the total 

 cost of performing the different operations. The cost of man labor 

 and the cost of the implements must be added to the cost of power, 

 to obtain the total cost. 



Cost per Day 



i 



Num 



20 3 



ber of Fa 



t. 



jrms 



f 50 60 10 



Less than $1.00 



$1.00 - 1.49... 



1 50 - 1 99 























200- 2 49 















2 50- 300 















1 



3.00 - 3.49 













350 -4.00 











4.00 - 4.49... 



















Fig. 13. — Variation in cost per day of horse labor (1920). 



If the 1921 prices of feeds (as given on page 42) were used in com- 

 puting the cost of horse labor, the cost per day would be $1.29 and 

 the cost of power as furnished by horses for the different kinds of 

 work would be 53 per cent of the figures given above. 



The cost per unit of horse labor on these farms where tractors are 

 owned can not be considered as exactly representative of the costs 

 on the farms where tractors are not owned, as on many of the farms 

 the cost per head of keeping the workstock was lower than it would 

 have been if tractors had not been owned, and the number of days' 

 work per head also would have been considerably different on many 

 of the farms. 



COST OF USING TRACTORS. 



The first cost of each tractor and the owner's estimate of its life 

 were given. The cost of any equipment not included in the price of 

 the tractor was added to the reported first cost. This equipment 

 consisted of belt pulleys, fenders, and in a few cases governors. The 

 annual depreciation of each tractor was determined by dividing its 

 first cost by the owner's estimate of its life. 



The cash outlay for repairs during the year and the amount of 

 time spent by the owner in repairing or overhauling the tractor 



