FARM EXPERIENCE WITH THE TRACTOR. 41 
nt some one of those schools. It will be time and money well spent. 
The knowledge gained will be of great assistance in selecting a tractor, 
as Fell as in operating it. The bime and money which the course 
{requires will be saved in many eases during the first two seasons. 
Another important factor in determining the success or failure of a 
tractor is the amount of capital invested in it. The average farmer 
can not afford to increase his power investment to any great extent. 
In purchasing a tractor he should not, therefore, spend as much for 
it as he can realize on the horses it will displace, for the reason that 
the working life of a tractor is only about half that of a horse, while 
there are many operations for which the tractor can not be used. 
The first cost of a tractor should on that account be correspondingly 
less. It is unsafe to rely on an increase of crops from better work 
with the tractor, as in most cases this is not realized. 
It is significant that many- farmers who have bought second- 
hand tractors at low prices have been very successful with them. 
It is also significant that the sales of the larger and more expensive 
outfits have fallen off, while those of the smaller and comparatively 
cheap ones have largely increased. While there have been numerous 
influences which combined to produce this result, there is a sound 
economic reason for it. The average farmer is not only conserva- 
tive, but he realizes that he can not afford to increase his investment 
in power too much. While the cost of fuel and oil per unit of power 
is less than the cost of feed for horses, the overhead charges, due 
to interest on investment, depreciation, repairs, etc., more than offset 
this on the expensive outfits, except under conditions unusually 
favorable to the use of the tractor. 
By reducing the first cost the interest and depreciation charges 
are correspondingly reduced, and it is to be supposed that the cost 
of repair parts will be proportionate to the first cost. It is apparent 
that the price of tractors has been too high in the past to permit the 
average farmer to use them successfully. The indications at present 
point to a general reduction hi the price of these outfits and an in- 
creased sale as the price is low r ered. 
With a decrease in the price of farm tractors and an increase in 
their mechanical efficiency, simplicity, and durability, all of which 
seem to be assured, together with more efficient operation by men 
-who have been properly trained for their w r ork, it is safe to predict 
that the tractor will soon become an important factor in reducing 
the cost of crop production on the average farm. 
SUMMARY. 
While the data included in this bulletin represent the experience 
of a large number of users of gas tractors, it must be borne in mind 
that they are a record of a machine in the process of development 
