TRACTORS AND HORSES IN THE WINTER WHEAT BELT. 49 
was no reduction in labor had been run by the operator alone even 
before the tractor was purchased, and it is possible that on some of them 
not enough work stock to carry on the work properly had been kept. 
This was not true in most of the 73 cases, however. 
Although the use of a tractor may increase the yield by making 
possible better tillage practice and more timely work (see p. 46), 
and may reduce the amount of time which its owner must actually 
spend at farm work, it is obvious that one will not often prove profit- 
able unless the owner does at least one of the following: (1) In- 
creases the size of his farm; (2) reduces the number of his work 
stock; or (3) reduces the amount of paid labor used. 
OWNERS’ OPINIONS REGARDING USE OF TRACTORS. 
There are a number of more or less intangible factors connected 
with the use of tractors which are not directly measurable in dollars 
and cents, but which nevertheless must be considered in determining 
whether or not a tractor is profitable. Accordingly each tractor 
owner was asked a number of questions designed to reveal his opinion 
and ideas concerning the use of a tractor on his farm. The replies 
to these questions are summarized in Table 56. 
TABLE 56.—Owners’ opinions regarding use of tractors. 
Southern | Western |Northern All 
area. area. area. | farms. 
Proportion who consider greatest advantage of tractor to be— | Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. | Per cent. 
GE) Shore AvOlK 1M: arP1VeM time... <5. 32 = =2-.5--<5-s053---22- 65 82 | Ys 
(2): oavaneehorses:in hot weather. . = 3. .3.-2.s:-.----+--5s: 28 10 | 27 | 22 
(5) JSSU Tey SP Se SE Sas ee et ad ae Sa se fh 8 16 10 
Proportion who consider greatest disadvantage to be— | 
CDP Rspeos; and depreciation } | 2-3! -5...22Si 2.42.2 565:; 34 27 34 31 
2) SLUM OR ONSOs Soe 45 55. o ns yahoos sess web oadee = 25 31 | 31 29 
pmeito there reese ll hat es tase de 41 42 35 40 
Proportion who use tractors as primary source of power........ 64 74 42 59 
Proportion who use tractors as supplemetary to horses.........- 36 26 58 4] 
Proportion who believe tractors responsible for increased yield 
(PRU GRE SH oe Sa SEG, Ae oe Ce ke a er 29 14 | 20 21 
Proportion who believe tractors have no influence on yield per 
TG a cecseet eS See el See a eee a 69 82 79 77 
Proportion who believe tractors responsible for decreased yield 
Duele Pert 3 2, \ey Bee ESS eg Sl ee oe eet Se ee ee 2 4 | 1 | 2 
Proportion who had owned other tractors. .............-...-.-- 25 25 24 25 
Proportion who believe present tractors will be profitable... ... 78 84 | 65 75 
Proportion-whointenG to buy .others..........-.:2.2..-.-+-.-- 75 85 | 59 72 
There are, of course, in the minds of these farmers many advan- 
tages and disadvantages connected with the use of tractors other than 
those listed in the table, but less than 10 per cent of the tractor owners 
interviewed considered any other single factor the greatest advantage 
or the greatest disadvantage. 
Each farmer was asked whether he planned to use his tractor as 
the primary source of power for field work, i. e., for all work for which 
it was satisfactory and to use his work stock only on operations 
where the tractors could not be used satisfactorily, or whether he 
planned to use his work stock as the chief source of power and the 
tractor only during rush seasons or at times when the horses could 
not work satisfactorily. * 
