COST AND UTILIZATION OF POWER ON FARMS. 3 
Of 267 farmers who did spring plowing, 142 did it all with tractors, 
121 used both tractors and horses, and 4 used horses only. 
Of 225 who did fall plowing, 190 did it all with tractors, 27 used 
both tractors and horses, and 8 used horses only. 
Of 284 farmers who did disking, all but 15 used tractors for at least 
a part of it. Two hunderd and seven used their tractors for harrow- 
ing, rolling, planking, or packing, 130 for cutting grain, and 37 for 
drawing the hay loader. Smaller numbers used their tractors for 
drawbar operations other than those enumerated. 
In all, the power for 30 per cent of the drawbar work on these farms, 
as measured by days or horse labor required for it, was furnished by 
tractors and the remainder by horses. 
On the average, the 2-plow tractors saved 25 to 30 days of man 
labor, and the 3-plow tractor 30 to 35 days, required for drawbar 
work during the year on these farms. 
The average cost per head of keeping workstock on these farms for 
the year ending October 31, 1920, was $159, and the average cost per 
farm was $1,076. 
This cost includes charges for feed at the average price for the year, 
chores at 25 cents per hour, shoeing, veterinary, harness, interest at 
6 per cent, and depreciation. A manure credit of $15 per head was 
allowed. 
Exclusive of grass and stalk pasture, the average ration per horse 
for the year consisted of 1.3 tons of hay, 1.2 tons of straw, 0.2 acre of 
stover, 37.8 bushels of corn, and 22.3 bushels of oats. The cost of 
feed per head was $134. Based on present prices (Sept., 1921), the 
cost of feed per head would be about $60. 
The average cost per day of horse labor for the year of the survey 
was $2.43. At present prices, the cost on these farms would be not 
far from $1.30 per day. 
The average first cost of the 2-plow tractors was $972; of the 3-plow 
tractors, $1,354; and of all tractors, $1,140. The average amount 
spent for equipment, mostly plows and disks, for use with tractors 
was $343. The average value of the horse-drawn implements dis- 
posed of after the purchase of the tractors was $12. 
The average life of these tractors, as estimated by their owners, is 
6.7 years. The annual depreciation of the 2-plow tractors amounted 
to $164, and of the 3-plow, $217. The annual cost of repairs, in- 
cluding the value of the owners' time spent in repairing the tractors, 
was $39 for both the 2-plow and the 3-plow sizes. The tractors were 
out of commission when needed an average of about 2 days during 
the year. A little over 50 per cent were not out of commission at all 
when needed, and about 1 in 7 were out of commission five days or 
more. 
