FARM EXPERIENCE WITH THE TRACTOR. 41 



at some one of these schools. It will be time and money well spent. 

 The knowledge gained will be of great assistance in selecting a tractor, 

 as well as in operating it. The time and money which the course 

 requires will be saved in many cases during the first two seasons. 



Another important factor in determining the success or failure of a 

 tractor is the amount of capital invested in it. The average farmer 

 can not afford to increase his power investment to any great extent. 

 In purchasing a tractor he should not, therefore, spend as much for 

 it as he can realize on the horses it will displace, for the reason that 

 the working life of a tractor is only about half that of a horse, while 

 there are many operations for which the tractor can not be used. 

 The first cost of a tractor should on that account be correspondingly 

 less. It is unsafe to rely on an increase of crops from better work 

 with the tractor, as in most cases this is not realized. 



It is significant that many farmers who have bought second- 

 hand tractors at low prices have been very successful with them. 

 It is also significant that the sales of the larger and more expensive 

 outfits have fallen off, while those of the smaller and comparatively 

 cheap ones have largely increased. While there have been numerous 

 influences which combined to produce this result, there is a sound 

 economic reason for it. The average farmer is not only conserva- 

 tive, but he realizes that he can not afford to increase his investment 

 in power too much. While the cost of fuel and oil per unit of power 

 is less than the cost of feed for horses, the overhead charges, due 

 to interest on investment, depreciation, repairs, etc., more than offset 

 this on the expensive outfits, except under conditions unusually 

 favorable to the use of the tractor. 



By reducing the first cost the interest and depreciation charges 

 are correspondingly reduced, and it is to be supposed that the cost 

 of repair parts will be proportionate to the first cost. It is apparent 

 that the price of tractors has been too high in. the past to permit the 

 average farmer to use them successfully. The indications at present 

 point to a general reduction in the price of these outfits and an in- 

 creased sale as the price is lowered. 



With a decrease in the price of farm tractors and an increase in 

 their mechanical efficiency, simplicity, and durability, all of which 

 seem to be assured, together with more efficient operation by men 

 who have been properly framed for their work, it is safe to predict 

 that the tractor will soon become an important factor in reducing 

 the cost of crop production on the average farm. 



SUMMARY. 



While the data included in this bulletin represent the experience 

 of a large number of users of gas tractors, it must be borne in mind 

 that they are a record of a machine in the process of development 



