GRAIN FARMING IN NORTH DAKOTA. 23 
community own a thrashing- rig jointly and do their own thrashing as 
w r ell as some outside work. In some cases rigs are owned and oper- 
ated by men who are not farmers but who make thrashing a busi- 
ness. Steam engines cost from $1,500 to $3,000 (1914) and separa- 
tors cost from $750 to $1,200. The cost usually depends on the size 
more than any other factor. An engine lasts from 12 to 20 years, 
according to the use and care given it. The life of a separator is not 
so long, being from 7 to 15 years. 
It was formerly the practice to use straw for fuel, flax straw be- 
ing the best for this purpose. During the last five years this practice 
has been almost entirely discontinued, and now coal is the fuel com- 
Fig. 15. — Buck-rake and hay-stacker commonly used where a considerable acreage of 
prairie hay is cut. 
monly used. An ordinary 25 to 30 horsepower engine consumes from 
1,800 to 2,000 pounds of soft coal per day. It was suggested that 
during the shortage of coal (1918) the former practice of burning 
straw be revived. 
The use of straw as fuel involves the use of a larger amount of 
labor than where coal is used, as a fireman is required to feed the 
straw to the fire box almost continuously, and it is necessary to keep 
one man and team hauling the straw from stack to engine. Further- 
more, the risk from fire is great, on account of the proximity of a 
load of straw to the engine and the danger from flying sparks. 
Improvements and simplifications of the gas tractor have made it 
possible for many more farmers to use it now than formerly. No 
data are available as to the number of tractors on farms in North 
Dakota at present (1918), but among 37 representative farmers in the 
