COST OF HARVESTING WHEAT. 



9 



cents per bushel for the six-foot, 6 cents for the seven-foot, and 5| 

 cents for the eight-foot binder. Where the yield is above the aver- 

 age the cost per bushel will, of course, be reduced. 



Table IV. — Repair costs on binders. 1 



Type of binder. 



Total re- 

 pairs dur- 

 ing life. 



Per cent of 

 first cost 

 spent for 

 repairs 



during life. 



Cost of re- 

 pairs per 

 acre cut. 







$25. 00 

 33.75 

 43.50 



20 

 25 

 30 



SO. 033 







.03 

 .029 









1 Calculations based on prices given in Table III. 



The cost for shelter has been omitted in all cases because this item 

 varies so greatly and in many cases is insignificant, since a great 

 many binders, particularly in the West, have no shelter whatever 

 except for the canvases and sickles, which usually are taken off and 

 stored in a dry place during the winter. In the East binders are shel- 

 tered almost universally when not in use, ordinarily in barns or other 

 buildings which are used primarily for other purposes, and a legiti- 

 mate charge against a binder for shelter under these conditions is prac- 

 tically negligible. On the other hand, where a binder is sheltered 

 in a substantial implement shed the annual cost for interest, depre- 

 ciation, taxes, and repairs may amount to from $3 to $5, or even 

 more, as it occupies considerable floor space and does not permit of 

 other implements being stored on top of it. 



Table V. — Cost of cutting 1 acre of wheat with binder, calculated from data 

 shown in Tables I to IV. inclusive. 



Width of cut and number of 



horses. 



Cost of cutting 1 acre of wheat. 



Cost per 

 bushel 



Total. 



Man 

 labor. 



Horse 

 labor. 



Inter- 

 est. 



Depre- 

 ciation. 



Repairs. 



Twine. ] 



for 16- 

 bushel 

 yield. 





81. 113 



1.173 



.97 



.97 



.884 



80.18 

 .17 

 .16 

 .13 

 .12 



$0.33 

 .40 

 .29 

 .32 

 .28 



$0. 07J 

 .07* 

 .04" 

 .04 

 .03 



$0. 16J 

 .16| 

 .12" 

 .12 

 • 09| 



$0. 033 

 .033 

 .03 

 .03 

 .029 



$0.33 

 .33 

 .33 

 .33 

 .33 



$0. 0695 





.0733 





.0606 





• . 0606 





.0552 







i Based on 3 pounds per acre, and costing 11 cents per pound (see text). 

 AUXILIARY BINDER ENGINES. 



A factor in reducing the cost of harvesting with a binder under 

 certain conditions is a small gasoline engine attached to the binder 

 and furnishing power to operate the mechanism, which is ordinarily 

 driven by power from the horses through the medium of the bull 

 wheel. The use of these binder engines, as they are called, has in- 

 creased considerably during the last two or three seasons, particu- 

 15472°— 18— Bull. 627 2 



