Washington, D. C. April 25, 1924 
TRACTORS AND HORSES IN THE WINTER WHEAT BELT, OKLAHOMA, 
KANSAS, NEBRASKA. 
By H. R. Totiey, Agricultural Economist, Bureau of Agricultural Economics, and 
W. R. Humpuetiss, Assistant in Agricultural Engineering, Bureau of Public Roads. 
»] D] 
CONTENTS. 
Page. | Page. 
Description of areas... .. SSAA an eee ae 4 | Farms operated with one tractor and horses— 
Farms operated with one tractor and horses. . 5 continued. 
size and ace of tractors... 5.22... 2.0.25. 6 Changes after purchase of tractor.......- 43 
Number, of work stoéke< ie. si... 2 eee Uf Owners’ opinions regarding use of tractors 49 
Work done with tractors. ..-......-.-.. 8 | Farms on which tractors were not owned. - 50 
Work done with horses.................- 19 INumibercofswork: st0ck=.- =~. . =5.5-5.4--5 50 
Horse labor equivalent of tractor work... 22 Cost of keeping work stock...........- 53 
Proportion of work done with different Annual cost of power for drawbar work. - 54 
{OLIMSTOMPOWEFS 2 80) 25. 1a k oS 23 Changes between 1918 and 1921......._.. 5d 
Workstock needed in addtition to tractor. 26 Opinions concerning tractors. ..........- 56 
Cost of keeping work stock.............- 28 Cost of power and man labor for different 
Costioiusine tractors. 2-222. 2.2 ee 32 OVCTAONS Ss c2 tee ae oy) 56 
Reliability of;tractors.......2..505.2.-22- 38 | Farms on which no horses were Owned...... 57 
Annual cost of power for drawhbar work. . 38 | Farms on which twotractors were owned..... 58 
During August and September, 1921, the United States Depart- 
ment of Agriculture, in cooperation with the Kansas State Agricul- 
tural College, end the College of Agriculture of the University of 
Nebraska, made a study of the use of power on 390 farms on which 
tractors were owned, in northern Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska.! 
A personal visit was made to each farm and the following data ob- 
tained: (1) Work done during year with tractor; (2) work done during 
year with horses; (3) cost of using tractor; (4) cost of keeping work 
stock; (5) changes in operation and organization of farm after pur- 
chase of tractor; (6) opinions and ideas concerning use of tractor. 
The investigation also included 85 farms‘on which tractors were 
not owned, but which were comparable in size to those on which 
tractors were being used. These were visited to obtain data which 
would afford a direct comparision between costs and practices on 
farms where tractors were owned and on farms of similar size and 
type where they were not owned. 
60589°—24——1 
