COST OF HARVESTING WHEAT. 
method here used of charging interest at 6 per cent on one-half of the 
first cost for each year distributes the interest charges equally over its 
entire life, since it would be unfair to charge the first season’s use 
with interest on the full value and the last season’s use with interest 
only on the remaining value. 
It is difficult to arrive at any satisfactory figures for depreciation 
charges on binders, as the life of these machines varies within wide 
limits; the acreage they cover per year also varies, and the care they 
receive, both in and out of use, has considerable effect on their years 
of service. The small binders are found most commonly in the 
Eastern States, where the acreage covered annually (including all 
crops on which they are used) is comparatively small. 
In Table III are shown some figures on the cost for interest and 
depreciation on binders, based on approximate figures for the cost, 
life, and acres covered annually. All three of these items vary 
in different sections. The acres cut annually by a binder do not seem 
to have a very direct influence upon its life except where the acreage 
is extremely large. There is a certain deterioration due to age which 
appears to limit the length of life in years whether the binder does a 
fair amount of work each season or not. 
Taste III.—Approximate cost, life in years and acres, and annual interest and 
depreciation charges on binders. 
Life in— Average annual cost per acre, 
Acres 
Approxi-| covered 
Type of binder, nate aly naterese at BN 
cost. a. per cent epre- 
grain)! | ¥ears.1) Acres.!) (overage | ciation.| Potal 
investment. 
BAOOG eae ae cee ae ee cet ces Fei wate $125 50 15 750 $0. 074 | $0.163 | $0.24 
FELINE Shuey bye Ila a 135 100 11] 1,100 . 04 12 .16 
SAUD Soacsooqsoo secu sodbhods capdaaeeane 145 150 10; 1,500 - 03 095 - 123 
1 Approximate figures based on tabulation of 235 reports. There is a variation in the cost of binders 
in different States, depending largely upon the freight rates. The acres cut annually, and life in years, 
also vary widely in different sections and with different care. : 
REPAIRS. 
The amount of repairs required by a binder depends to a great 
extent upon the care it receives. If kept well oiled and otherwise 
in proper condition, the repairs, except for the replacement of the 
canvas, should be practically negligible. Occasional breaks will 
occur, but most of the parts liable to breakage can be replaced at 
slight expense. Many farmers have reported the use of a binder for 
several years without a cent being spent for repairs, whereas in other 
cases repairs have ranged from $¢10 to $15 annually. As a rule the 
most expensive item of repairs, as stated above, is the canvas. The 
number of acres which can be cut with one canvas varies considerably, 
