34 



BULLETIN 174, U. S. BEPABTaEEXT OE AGBIC ULTUBE. 



CUSTOM WOEK. 



In order to ascertain what difference, if any, existed between the 

 figures furnished by men who did custom work with their tractors 

 and found it profitable and those who did custom work but did not 

 make it pay, Table XX was prepared. From this it would appear 

 that the principal factors which operate to make custom work un- 

 profitable are the time lost by the engine and repair charges, which 

 are, of course, closely related, as making repairs and replacing parts 

 take considerable time. It will also be noticed that the men who 

 say that custom work does not pay show slightly less investment in 

 equipment in each case, although not sufficiently less to draw any 

 definite conclusions therefrom. 



Little difference exists in the prices received per acre for custom 

 work by the men who report it profitable and those who find it 

 unprofitable, which would seem to indicate that this factor had little 

 influence on the result. This, together with the fact that nearly 50 

 per cent of the tractor owners who have tried custom work state 

 that it is unprofitable, would seem to justify the assumption that the 

 prices received for custom work, namely, about $2 per acre for 

 plowing and S3. 70 per acre for breaking, are very close to the actual 

 average cost of performing this work, assuming that the cost for fuel, 

 oil, interest charges, etc., were the same for each class of. owners, 

 which would probably be the case. 



Table XX. — Comparison of figures furnished by farm tractor owners in North Dakota 



who had done custom work. 



[Columns headed "Yes"' include figures from men who staled that custom work was profitable; those 

 headed "Xo" include figures from men who stated that custom work was unprofitable.] 



Item of comparison. 



• First season. 



Second 



season. 



Third 



season. 



Fourth 



season. 



Yes. 



>7o. 



Yes. 



No. 



Yes. 



No. 



Yes. 



No. 





118 



23.8 



2. 525. 36 



1.4 



33.60 



648.23 

 730.2 



1.97 



3.66 



40 



23.2 



2,460.85 



1.9 



68,09 



636. 7S 

 795.0 



1.80 



3.48 



92 



24.5 



2, 563. 70 



1.5 



88.03 



733. 16 

 S04.9 



1.91 



3.68 



72 



24.5 



2, 557. 10 



2.4 



249.87 



521.70 

 708.4 



1.91 



3.46 



44 



24.3 



2, 615. 68 



1.9 



197.35 



761.34 

 692.8 



2,03 



3.71 



38 



25.1 



2, 694. 41 



2.8 



411. 00 



748.64 

 806.2 



2.21 



3.71 



20 

 22.6 



2,376.32 



1.7 



227.49 



756. 50 

 682.3 



2.03 



3.81 



15 



Average drawbar rating of 

 Average price of tractor, 



22.9 

 2,431.00 



Average time lost in the field, 



2.9 



Average cost of repairs, 



681.74 



Average value of equipment, 



745.73 



Average size of farm acres. . 



Average price per acre received 



for plowing dollars.. 



Average price per acre received 



820.0 

 2.08 

 3.68 



In this connection it should be noted that very few farmers in 

 figuring the cost of performing work of this character take into con- 

 sideration interest and depreciation charges, which previous tables 

 have shown to be very heavy for the average tractor. 



