UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

 BULLETIN No. 174 



Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry 

 WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



April 15, 1915 



FARM EXPERIENCE WITH 

 THE TRACTOR 



By 



ARNOLD P. YERKES, Scientific Assistant, 



and H. H. MOWRY, Assistant Agriculturist, Office of 



Farm Management 



CONTENTS 



Introduction 1 



Designation of Tractors 2 



Steam and Gas Tractors 3 



The Gas Tractor and the Horse .... 4 



Tractor Ratings 5 



Source of Data 6 



Observations of Business Men .... 7 



Opinions of Tractor Owners 8 



Reports of Satisfied and Dissatisfied 



Owners 10 



Gasoline and Kerosene Tractors ... 18 



Fuel Supply 20 



Fuel Consumption 21 



Lubricating Oil 23 



Cross Section of Plows Drawn and Area 



Plowed by Tractors 23 



Breaking 24 



Combination Work 25 



Depth of Plowing 26 



Packing Soil by Tractors 27 



Comparison of Different Sizes of Tractors 28 



Size of Farm 30 



Use of Tractors at Night 33 



Custom Work 34 



Repairs 35 



Displacement of Horses by Tractors . . 37 

 Conditions Essential to Success with the 



Tractor 39 



Summary 41 



WASHINGTON 



GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 



1915 



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