FARM EXPERIENCE WITH THE TRACTOR. 



9 



vicinity?" there were 876 who answered "no" and 891 who answered 

 "yes." Of those answering this question, 748 had used their tractor 

 for only one season. The answers of the men who had used the 

 tractor through two or more seasons show 592 negative and 427 

 affirmative replies. Practically all of the men from whom replies 

 were received were using tractors at the end of 1913, and those who 

 had previously tried them but had discontinued their use are not, 

 therefore, included. It may safely be assumed that nearly all of the 

 latter class would answer the above question in the negative, which 

 would more than double the number of men answering "no," as there 

 are hundreds of men who have discontinued the use of the tractor 

 after a trial. Accurate figures on this point are difficult to secure, 

 owing to duplication among the past users of tractors reported, 

 but a conservative estimate obtained by using the number reported 

 by bankers located in widely separated sections of Montana indicates 

 that more than 400 men have discontinued the use of the tractor for 

 farm work in that State. The answers of present owners of tractors 

 to the above questions are shown in Table III. 



Table III. — Answers of tractor owners to the question, "Do you consider the traction 

 engine a good investment financially for a farmer in your vicinity? " 



State. 



First season. 



Second 



season. 



Third 



season. 



Fourth 



season. 



Yes. 



No. 



Yes. 



No. 



Yes. 



No. 



Yes. 



No. 





108 

 39. 

 56 

 24 

 26 

 52 

 42 

 22 

 25 

 15 

 55 



106 

 28 

 22 

 27 

 26 

 17 



4 

 13 

 13 



5 

 23 



73 

 28 

 26 

 37 

 23 

 14 

 15 

 11 

 4 

 3 

 16 



154 



22 



22 



35 



38 



13 



9 



14 



8 



3 



19 



25 



16 

 9 



13 

 7 

 9 



11 

 4 

 1 

 1 

 9 



86 



19 



9 



12 



12 



6 



2 



- 1 



3 



1 



4 



15 

 15 

 5 

 3 

 2 

 3 

 2 



32 





14 



Kansas 



5 



7 



Montana 



12 

 3 







Nebraska 



3 





2 

 3 





Other States 



4 







Total 



46-4 

 62.0 



284 

 38.0 



250 

 42.6 



337 



57.4 



105 



40.4 



155 

 59.6 



50 

 3S.5 



80 





61.5 







Table III shows that the percentage of men who believe that the 

 tractor is a poor investment increases with each season's use, until, 

 after four years, 61.5 per cent of the owners are of this opinion. 

 If the opinions of those who have discontinued the use of the tractor 

 could have been included, this percentage would doubtless be in- 

 creased to 85, thus approximating the judgment of the bankers. For 

 example, 65 per cent of all present tractor owners in Montana have 

 had more than one season's experience, and 65 per cent of these answer 

 the inquiry in the negative. If 65 per cent of the 950 users reported 

 for Montana in Table I, or 617, be taken as the number in that State 

 having more than one year's experience, then 65 per cent of the 



