20 



BULLETIN 627, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



largest outfits, which show about the same efficiency as the small 

 ones. It is also interesting to note that the number of bushels 

 thrashed per clay per man with these small combines is usually equal 

 to and sometimes greater than the amount of grain thrashed per day 

 with the small thrashing outfits used in the East. When to this is 

 added the fact that two men have covered almost as great an acreage 

 in a day with a combine, cutting, thrashing, and sacking the grain, as 

 two men could cover with a binder, cutting, binding and shocking, 

 the saving which is accomplished through the use of combines is 

 readily apparent. 



In order to ascertain the cost per bushel for thrashing with a 

 combine it is, of course, necessary to consider depreciation, interest on 

 investment, repairs, and operating expenses of these outfits. (See 

 Tables X, XI, and XII.) 



Table X. — Overhead expenses per year, per day, per acre, and per bushel; aver- 

 age cost and estimated life of, and acres cut annually by, different sized com- 

 bines (65 reports). 







Average annual overhead expenses on 



•ombine 









Aver- 























Width 













Total per — 



Aver- 



Esti- 

 mated. 



age 



of 



Total.' 



Depre- 

 ciation. 



Interest 

 on invest- 

 ment at 



Repairs. 2 









age 

 cost. 



life in 

 years. 



cut an- 

 nually. 



swath. 







Bushel 









6 per cent. 





Day.3 



Acre.' 



C30-bushel 

 yield; .3 









Feet. 























7 



S172. 49 



S106. 49 



$33.00 



$33.00 



S9. 10 



SO. 734 



SO. 0244 



SI, 100 



10.33 



235 



9 



184.04 



112. 04 



36.00 



36.00 



9.30 



.684 



.0228 



1,200 



10.71 



269 



12 



233. 36 



115.41 



50.55 



<:i. 40 



8.95 



.450 



.0150 



1, 685 



14.-0 



519 



14 



233.31 



114. 59 



50.88 



67.84 



9.73 



.472 



. 0157 



1, 695 



14.80 



494 



16 



209.05 



87.95 



51.90 



69.20 



6.58 



.244 



.0081 



1,730 



19.67 



858 



18 



269. 37 



127.06 



60.99 



81.32 



8.35 



.269 



.0090 



2, 033 



16.00 



1,000 



20 



310. 05 



146.25 



70.20 



93.60 



7.93 



.233 



.0078 



2,3 



16. 00 



1,330 



24 



425.00 



250.00 



75.00 



100.00 



8.92 



.213 



.0071 



2,500 



10.00 



2,000 



1 Exclusive of overhead charges for shelter, taxes, and insurance. 



2 Figured at 3 per cent of first cost for seven- and nine-foot sizes, and 4 per cent of first cost of all larger 

 sizes. (See text.) 



3 Based on figures shown in or derived from Table IX. 



Table XI. — Labor costs per day, per acre, and per bushel for different sized 

 combines and cr&u>8, man-labor being considered as worth $2 and horse-labor 

 $1.20 per day of 10 hours (65 reports). 



Width of cut and crews most commonly 

 used with each outfit. 



Labor cost per day. 



Labor cost 



pei 



acre. 1 



Total. 



Man- 

 labor. 



Horse- 

 labor. 



Total. 



Man- 

 labor. 



Horse- 

 labor. 



$13.60 



$4.00 



S9.60 



SI. 10 



SO. 32 



SO. 78 



16.00 



4.00 



12.00 



1.18 





30 



.88 



34.40 



8.00 



26.40 



1.73 





40 



1.33 



38.80 



10.00 



28.80 



1.88 





48 



1.40 



43.60 



10.00 



a3. 60 



1.61 





37 



1.24 



46.00 



10.00 



36.00 



1.48 





32 



1.16 



46.00 



10.00 



36.00 



1.35 





29 



1.06 



55. 20 



12.00 



43.20 



1.32 





29 



1.03 



Total 

 man- and 

 horse- 

 labor 

 cost per 

 bushel. 



7 feet; 2 men, 8 horses . . 

 9 feet; 2 men, 10 horses . 

 12 feet; 4 men, 22 horses 

 14 feet; 5 men, 24 horses 

 16 feet; 5 men, 28 horses 

 18 feet; 5 men, 30 horses 

 20 feet; 5 men, 30 horses 

 24 feet; 6 men, 36 horses 



SO. 0365 

 .0392 

 .0576 

 .0628 

 .0.538 

 .0495 

 .0451 

 .0438 



1 Based on acres and bushels per day as shown in Table IX. 



