12 



BULLETIN 174,, IT. S. DEPABTMEXT OF AGBICTJLTTJBE. 



considered as evidence that the estimated life of the tractor, as fur- 

 nished by the tractor owners reporting, is too high. 



Table IV. — Service rendered annually by tractors on farms in North Dakota and other 

 States west of the Mississippi River, showing the length of life as estimated by the 

 ovmers. 



[Arranged according to the opinions of owners as to the tractor's desirability as an investment.] 

 &r the State of North Dakota. 



Result of investment as reported 

 by owners. 



Average 



annual 



use. 



Hours in field per 

 day. 



Spent. 



Lost. 



Esti- 

 mated 

 average 

 life of 



tractor. 



Number 

 averaged. 



Farms where night 

 work was reported. 



Percent- 

 age of all 

 tractors. 



Average 

 number 

 of nights 

 operated 

 per year. 



Men having one season's experi- 

 ence: 



Profitable 



Unprofitable 



Men having two seasons' experi- 

 ence: 



Profitable 



Unprofitable 



Men having three seasons' expe- 

 rience: 



Profitable 



Unprofitable 



Men having four seasons' expe- 

 rience: 



Profitable 



Unprofitable 



Days. 

 87.1 

 69.2 



97.3 

 76.6 



85.2 

 75.6 



92. 5 

 73.4 



12.5 

 12.4 



13.1 

 12.9 



12.8 

 12.8 



12.6 

 12.0 



1.2 

 2.1 



1.4 

 2.7 



1.5 

 2.7 



1.6 

 2.8 



Years. 

 8.5 

 5.0 



4.9 



8.7 

 5.9 



108 



106 



73 

 154 



14.6 

 13.7 



23.1 

 10.7 



30.0 

 12.9 



10.0 

 8.0 



31.8 

 12.9 



26.9 

 16.0 



17.3 

 11.7 



60.0 

 22.5 



Ix All States West of the Mississippi River except North Dakota. 



Men having one season's experi- 

 ence: 



PTofi table 



Unprofitable 



Men having two seasons' expe- 

 rience: 



Profitable 



Unprofitable 



Men having three seasons' expe- 

 rience: 



Profitable 



Unprofitable 



Men having four seasons' expe- 

 rience: 



Profitable 



Unprofitable 



105.8 

 77.9 



11.4 

 11.5 



1.3 

 2.2 



10.2 

 6.4 



356 



178 



21.3 

 16.5 



102.1 



73.9 



11.7 

 1L8 



1.4 

 2.2 



9.7 

 *0 



177 

 183 



28.6 

 16.0 



98.9 

 73.0 



11.6 

 11.6 



1.4 

 2.5 



9.9 

 5.7 



80 

 69 



16.9 



5.2 



93.5 

 65.2 



11.6 



11.4 



1.6 

 2.6 



9.3 



5.9 



35 



48 



10.7 



7.1 



26.5 

 13.7 



34.7 

 22.2 



38.9 

 18.3 



22.0 

 38.3 



To judge by the estimates, the average life of a tractor in North 

 Dakota is approximately only 6 years, while the average estimated 

 life in other States is about 8 years. It is believed, however, that in 

 the case of estimates on the life of tractors for States other than 

 North Dakota, some allowance must be made for the fact, already 

 mentioned, that most of these estimates are based entirely on the 

 owner's personal experience, which the figures show has been a 

 short one for SO per cent of the men reporting, whereas for North 

 Dakota the figures are to a great extent based on observation of 

 neighboring tractors as well. 



