MOTOR TRUCKS OjST EASTERN FARMS. 6 



J-ton trucks, 34 cents with the f-ton, 26 cents with the l-ton ; 24 

 cents with the l|-ton and lj-ton, and 18 cents with the 2-ton trucks. 



About four-fifths of these men state that their trucks save hired 

 help. On the average they estimate that this saving amounts to $324 

 per year. 



About half the men have decreased the number of work stock by 

 at least one head since purchasing their trucks. Less than one man 

 in ten had disposed of more than two head, however. . 



Over half of the men whose farms contain more than 120 crop-acres 

 own tractors. The number of work stock kept on the farms where 

 both trucks and tractors are owned is only slightly less than the num- 

 ber kept on the farms of corresponding size where only trucks are 

 owned. 



METHOD OF STUDY. 



In December, 1919, the crop reporters of the Bureau of Crop Esti- 

 mates were asked to report the names and addresses of farmers who 

 owned motor trucks for farm use. Nine thousand six hundred and 

 fifty-nine names and addresses of farmers in the 11 States included 

 in the study were received, and to each was sent a questionnaire on 

 which to report the type and size of his farm, the use he makes of his 

 motor truck, the cost of operating it, his idea of its profitableness, 

 the advantages and disadvantages of a truck for farm use, and other 

 related information. In all, 2,314, about 24 per cent of the farmers 

 queried, replied to the questionnaire. 



However, no reports from men owning second-hand trucks nor 

 trucks made by the addition of truck units or attachments to pas- 

 senger cars, were included in the study. Twenty-seven per cent of 

 the reports were on machines of these classes. About 10 per cent of 

 the reports were from men who had owned their trucks only six 

 months or less, and they were also excluded. Another 30 per cent of 

 the reports were excluded for other reasons. Some were from farmers 

 who are using their trucks primarily for custom work, or in connec- 

 tion with other business, and only incidentally for farm work; some 

 were from men who had sold their trucks; and a few of the reports 

 were not filled out in sufficient detail to make their use worth while, 

 The questionnaire called for information on over 150 items. 



LOCATION OF FARMS AND TYPES OF FARMING. 



The number of reports tabulated from each State follows : 



Maine 11 



New Hampshire 11 



Vermont 16 



Massachusetts 63 



Rhode Island 16 



Connecticut 17 



New York 241 



New Jersey 92 



Pennsylvania 235 



Delaware 11 



Maryland 40 



