FARM EXPERIENCE WITH THE TRACTOR. 



25 



COMBINATION WORK. 



The percentage of tractor owners who reported combination work 

 with their tractor, i. e., performing two or more operations at one 

 time, such as plowing and harrowing, was much smaller than 

 might have been expected. The figures in connection therewith for 

 the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and California are 

 shown in Table XV. From this it would seem that combination work 

 is practiced considerably less in the semiarid regions than in the more 

 humid sections, although the total number of owners who attempt 

 other operations than plowing and harrowing at the same time is very 

 limited. 



There are several reasons for this lack of combination work. 

 Usually there is not much excess power available for other imple- 

 ments if the plow is the full width of the tractor, and, too, additional 

 implements require more attention and this frequently causes more 

 delays,, a stop for one implement meaning a stop for the entire outfit. 



Table XV. — Zhe of farm tractors for combination work in the States of North Dakota, 

 South Dakota, Iowa, and California. 



Number 

 reported. 



State. 



Using plows only. 



Using plows and 

 harrows. 



Using plows, har- 

 rows, and drills. 



Number. 



Per cent. 



Number. 



Per cent. 



Number. 



Per cent. 



266 



Men having one season's ex- 

 perience: 



155 

 47 

 19 

 10 



140 



30 



4 



6 



68 

 19 

 4 



2 



22 

 19 

 5 

 



58.3 

 57.3 

 23.2 

 22.7 



53.4 

 50.9 

 11.8 

 22.2 



54.8 

 48.7 

 23.5 

 13.3 



40.0 

 50.0 

 55.6 



106 

 35 

 63 

 34 



118 



29 

 29 

 20 



52 

 18 

 13 

 12 



32 



18 

 4 

 



39.8 



42.7 

 76.8 

 77.3 



45.1 

 49.1 

 85.3 

 74.1 



42.0 

 46.2 

 76.5 

 80.0 



58.2 



47.4 

 44.4 



5 

 

 

 



4 

 

 1 

 1 



4 

 2 

 

 1 



1 

 1 

 

 



1 9 



82 



South Dakota 





82 







44 



California 



Men haying two seasons' ex- 

 perience: 

 North Dakota 





262 





59 







34 







27 

 124 



California 



Men having three seasons' ex- 

 perience: 



3.7 

 3 2 



39 







17 



Iowa 





15 





6 7 



55 



Men having four seasons' ex- 

 perience: 

 North Dakota 



1 8 



38 







9 











California 















But the principal reason is probably the fact that it is difficult to 

 have the implements follow each other in proper alignment, especially 

 on curves and at corners, which causes poor work to be done. This is 

 especially true in drilling, and most farmers prefer to do this work 

 with horses in order to have it done properly. The harrowing is not 

 so important, as ground missed by it does not so materially affect the 

 crop and does not show after the crop has grown. There is a distinct 

 advantage in the case of many soils in having the harrowing done 

 promptly, yet it appears, considering the four States as a whole, that 

 only about 52 per cent of tractor owners pull harrows with the plows. 



