BULLETIN OF THE 
C 
No. 174 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief 
April 15, 1915. 
FARM EXPERIENCE WITH THE TRACTOR. 
By Arnold P. Yerkes, Scientific Assistant, and H. H. Mowry, Assistant Agricul- 
turist, Office of Farm Management. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction 
Designation of tractors 
Steam and gas tractors 
The gas tractor and the horse 
Tractor ratings 
Source of data 
Observations of business men 
Opinions of tractor owners 
Reports of satisfied and dissatisfied owners. . 
Gasoline and kerosene tractors 
Fuel supply 
Fuel consumption 
Lubricating oil 
Cross section of plows drawn and area plowed 
bv tractors 
Page. 
Breaking 21 
Combination work 25 
Depth of plowing 2G 
Packing soil by tractors 27 
Comparison of different sizes of tractors 28 
Size of farm 30 
Use of tractors at night 33 
Custom work 34 
R epairs 35 
Displacement of horses by tractors 37 
Conditions essential to success with the 
tractor 39 
Summary 41 
INTRODUCTION. 
Modern agriculture requires an enormous amount of power to per- 
form the annual farm operations, and there is a continuous, potential 
demand for any device that will afford cheaper and more convenient 
power on the farm. This situation has stimulated the production 
of many types of mechanical substitutes for the farm horse. 
Although mechanical power outfits for farm operations have been 
used in large and increasing numbers for several years, there have 
been very few reliable data available to the public on the perform- 
ance of these outfits under ordinary service conditions. Much of the 
information which has been offered has originated from sources which 
would indicate that the presentation of the subject would be a biased 
one or has been furnished by men who were obtaining good, perhaps 
Note.— This bulletin is intended to make available to farmers who contemplate buying a tractor the 
experience of many other farmers who have already used one; it is suitable for distribution west of the 
Mississippi River. 
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