16 



BULLETIN 910, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



which will be saved by the truck when used for such work is small as 

 compared with the time it will save in road hauling. When there are 

 horses on the farm which would otherwise be idle, it would naturally 

 be more profitable to use the horses and let the truck stand idle if 

 there is no advantage in time saved or convenience in using it. 



The reasons for using their trucks, as given by 122 men who re- 

 ported that they did some hauling on their farms with their trucks, 

 are summarized in Table X. Practically all of this hauling was either 

 crops or fertilizer, including lime and manure. The average length 

 of haul for 94 of these men who reported on hauling crops was 148 

 rods, and for 40 who reported hauling fertilizer it was 149 rods. 

 The average size of all the farms included is only 173 acres (see Table 

 I), and 149 rods is considerably greater than the average distance 

 which crops and fertilizer are usually hauled on such farms. 



Table X. — Reason for using truck for hauling on the farm. 



Reason for using truck. 



Number 

 report- 

 ing. 



Per cent 



of 



total. 





7s 64 

 22 18 

 13 11 



9 " 







Other '. .. . . 









Sixty-four per cent of the 122 men reporting gave the saving of 

 time as the reason for using their trucks for this work. A truck will 

 save some time over horses on hauls of this distance if the truck body 

 is suitable for carrying the material to be hauled, and if there is no 

 difficulty in obtaining traction in the fields. It may also save time 

 to use the truck when only one or two loads are to be hauled, and the 

 horses and wagons are not ready for use. 



Eighteen per cent reported that they used their trucks for hauling 

 on their farms because it was more convenient than to use their horses. 

 There is some hauling on the farms where frequent stops must be 

 made, or where the horses or truck must be left without attention for 

 a considerable length of time. In such cases it may be preferable to 

 use the truck even though the horses are aUowed to remain idle and 

 the use of the truck does not save any time. (See fig. 3.) 



The men who do use their trucks for hauling on the farm reported 

 hauling only an average of 45 tons of crops and 37 tons of fertilizer 

 per year (including lime and manure) with them, while the average 

 amount of crops hauled to market per year with trucks for all farms 

 is 119 tons, and the average amount of fertilizer hauled on the road 

 with trucks is 55 tons per year. Thus, even the comparatively small 

 number of men who use their trucks for hauling on the farm still use 

 their horses for a goodly share of such work. 



