FAEM EXPERIENCE WITH THE TRACTOR. 



39 



Table XXIII. — Displacement of horses on farms in North Dakota ichere tractors have 



been used for two seasons. 



Item of comparison. 



i arms on 

 which no 



horses 

 were dis- 

 placed. 



Farms on which horses were 

 displaced — drawbar rating 

 of engine (horsepower). 



20 or 

 less. 



21 to 29. 



30 or 

 over. 



Number of farms reported 



Average number of horses used: 



Before purchase of tractor 



After purchase of tractor 



Horses displaced: 



Average number 



Average value dollars. . 



Average cost of tractor do 



Average drawbar rating of tractor horsepower. . 



Value of special tractor equipment dollars. - 



Cost of repairs required: 



First season do 



Second season do 



Owners stating that tractor is a good investment. . . . . per cent. . 



Life of tractor (estimated) ." years. . 



Used per year .'days. . 



Time spent in the field per day hours.. 



Time lost in the field per day do 



Fuel used in engines: 



Gasoline per cent. . 



Kerosene do 



Motor spirits do 



Average size of farm acres.. 



Owners doing custom work per cent.. 



Men doing custom work who find it profitable do 



Reporting night work do 



Average nights used by men reporting night work 



16.6 

 16.6 



2,543 

 24.1 



720 



43.34 



115. 64 



10.3 



5.4 

 60.3 

 12.7 



2.7 



57. 6 



39.4 



3.0 



940 



52.4 



■ 37.8 



9.4 



31. 5 



13.8 



8.4 



5.4 

 891. 56 

 2,020 

 18.1 

 556 



46.36 

 83.33 

 37.5 



6.2 

 9S.0 

 13.3 



1.9 



69.4 

 27.8 

 2.8 

 662 

 78.9 

 51.9 

 26.7 

 25.4 



15.9 

 9.2 



6.7 

 1,202.92 

 2,665 

 22.9 

 743 



37.00 

 43.29 

 53.3 



7.4 

 106.5 

 13.0 



2.4 



28.6 

 64.3 

 7.1 

 779 

 75.0 

 60.0 

 18.2 

 17.5 



29 



20.7 

 12.1 



8.6 

 1,489.35 

 3,000 

 31.2 

 S03 



80.49 

 125. 25 

 52.4 



7.3 

 90.0 

 13.2 



1.9. 



-47.6 

 47.6 

 4.8 

 1,024 

 85.2 

 72.2 

 18.2 

 17.3 



While the percentage of farms on which horses were displaced is 

 greater than for Table XXII, this is explained by the fact that many 

 tractor owners in filling out the form on which the information was 

 furnished gave only the number of horses used after the purchase of 

 the tractor, the space for the number previously kept being left blank. 

 It is very probable that many of these were intended to indicate that 

 the number was the same, but in the absence of positive information 

 on this point the data were not tabulated. 



On these farms the number of horses displaced is considerably less 

 per farm than for those shown in Table XXII. In no case is the value 

 of the horses displaced equal to 50 per cent of the first cost of the 

 tractor. 



There appears to be little difference in the results obtained by the 

 two classes of owners. The most significant variations seem to be 

 found in the percentage of owners who report that the tractor is a 

 good investment, the percentage doing custom work, and the per- 

 centage doing night work. In these three cases the men who did not 

 lay off horses after purchasing the tractor show much lower percent- 

 ages than those who report that horses were displaced by the tractor. 



CONDITIONS ESSENTIAL TO SUCCESS WITH THE TRACTOR. 



The fact that some men have found the tractor a profitable invest- 

 ment is proof that under certain conditions it can be used successfully 

 for farm work. 



