24 



BULLETIN 338, U. S. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 



Table XXI. — Relation of machinery cost to the total cost of farm operations in western 



New York. 



Operation. 



Men. 



Horses. 



Per cent 

 of cost 

 con- 

 tributed 

 by the 

 imple- 

 ments. 



Operation. 



Men. 



Horses. 



Per cent 

 of cost 

 con- 

 tributed 

 by the 

 imple- 

 ments. 







2 

 3 



2 

 2 

 2 

 2 

 2 

 1 

 2 



4.7 

 12.6 

 11.2 

 11.7 

 19.2 

 14.0 

 32.8 

 48.0 

 69.9 



Cultivating 





1 



2 

 2 

 2 

 2 

 2 

 2 

 2 

 3 



g 2 





Do 



19 1 



Harrowing (spring tooth). 

 Harrowing (spike tooth). . 



Transplanting cabbage. . . 



19.4 



28 7 







18 7 







35 6 





Harvesting beans 



Harvesting grain (binder) 

 Harvesting corn (binder) . 







42 8 



Do 



52 7 







With the exception of corn planters and corn binders, which are 

 used only a day or two annually, the machinery cost of the various 

 operations does not exceed 50 per cent of the whole, while for the 

 standard farm operations the machinery cost ranges from 4.7 per 

 cent for the walking plow to 42.8 per cent for the grain binder. These 

 percentages represent the average of conditions in western New York. 

 The larger farms enjoy a much lower percentage of machinery cost 

 and those smaller than the average labor under much heavier charges. 

 Where larger numbers of horses are used the machinery cost is, of 

 course, relatively less. 



It appears to be more economical to keep the machinery cost of farm 

 operations down by management that will secure a maximum num- 

 ber of days of profitable service from each implement annually than 

 to spend money to shelter idle machinery. It is still more important 

 to keep men and horses profitably engaged the maximum number 

 of days in the year, since these are much more expensive than the 

 machinery, both in daily cost while working and, in the case of 

 horses, in depreciation, interest, and maintenance charges while not 



working. 



CONCLUSION. 



The averages of the foregoing tables represent the normal repair 

 cost for the respective implements doing the annual amounts of work 

 indicated. The data thus made available are of permanent utility in 

 arriving at the cost of farm enterprises where these machines are used. 



The replacement and interest charges computed for the respective 

 implements in this bulletin will serve as a basis for computing the 

 proper overhead charges for machinery at other prices and interest 

 rates and doing the same amount of annual work, by the simple 

 operation of applying proportion to the averages given here. For 

 the conditions in western New York the overhead charges as com- 

 puted are basic in character, and will be of service, in determining 

 the cost of work done or to be done on the farm, in deciding whether 

 to buy or rent farm machinery, and in solving countless other prob- 

 lems in farm management and organization. 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1916 



