18 



BULLETIN" 338, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The mower requires repairs amounting to $0,065 per acre, or $0.60 

 per day used. The total repairs necessary during the life of the 

 average mower amount to $26.94, or about 66 per cent of the cost of 

 a new mower at 



THE HAY RAKE. 



From the standpoint of shelter when not in use, the hay rake 

 (Table XV) is probably the most abused implement on the farm. 

 It is a tool which covers large acreages in a day, so that its low 

 record of actual days of work is offset by a low overhead cost per 

 acre and per ton. The average 10-foot rake in this section lasts 14.5 

 years in doing 37 days of work, and raking 623 acres of hay. 



Against hay rakes in western New York costing an average of 

 $24, the average depreciation charge per acre is $0,038 and the 

 interest charge $0,019. These overhead charges become steadily less 

 as the acreage raked annually is increased. 



Table XV. — Hay rakes — relation of work done annually to service and cost per acre and 

 per day used on 1,217 farms. » 



Range of area covered annually acres. . 



Number of records included 



Average area covered annually acres. . 



Years of service rendered 



Acres covered during life 



Days actually used during life 



Average width of rake feet . . 



Cost when new 



Total cost of repairs during life 



Total interest during life, at 6 per cent 



Total of depreciation, interest, and repairs during life 



Cost of hay rake: 



Per day used 



Per acre raked 



lto25. 



26 to 50. 



51 and 

 over. 



402 

 17.8 

 13.0 

 231.4 

 16 

 8.6 



$22.00 

 3.64 

 9.23 



82.19 

 .151 



525 



39.1 



15.6 



610.0 



36 



9.9 



290 



84.9 



13.8 



1,171.6 



67 



11.4 



824.00 

 5.93 

 12.01 



826.00 

 6.07 

 11.49 



41.94 



43.56 



81.17 

 .069 



80.65 

 .037 



43.0 



14.5 



623.5 



37 



824.00 

 5.22 

 11.17 



40.39 



$1.09 

 .065 



The hay rake is used without heavy repair charges, the average 

 being only $0,008 per acre, or $0,141 per day used. The total re- 

 pairs during its life are only $5.22, or about 22 per cent of its original 

 cost. 



THE HAY TEDDER. 



The hay tedder is an implement that must be kept on hand by 

 growers of considerable acreages of hay, but in some seasons it is not 

 used much. Of the 416 tedders reported in Table XVI, the average 

 service is 14 years, out of which only 21 days' use of the tedder is 

 obtained. 



The overhead charges per acre on hay tedders average $0,112 for 

 depreciation and $0,051 for interest. 



