18 BULLETIN 1447, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
for fuel was: Gasoline, 2014 cents; kerosene, 1814 cents; and distil- 
late, 1714 cents, per gallon. In 1924 the price of gasoline was 2314 
cents; kerosene, 21 cents, and distillate 2014 cents, per gallon. The 
prices for lubricants in 1923 and 1924 were approximately the same 
each year. During these years cylinder oil cost 85 cents per gallon; 
other oil, 1484 cents per gallon, and hard grease, 9 cents per pound. 
TABLE 17.—Estimated cost of using tractors in 1923 and 1924 (averages for 
tractors of all sizes) 
Cost 
Item Quantity 
| 1923 1924 
Fuel and oils: Dollars | Dollars 
(RAS OLITIG 2 ere pee Sree ae wees cope ieee a gallons___| 2, 082 427 489 
Kerosene: - #6522 Saves eat e. Pestee  Sa eee ees ee doz se 82 15 17 
DD IStiN ate: 22 ese OTe ee ee ee oe eee, ee doz = 651 112 132 
@ylinderioil! "Fees Se EE Sie a eS do____j 116 99 99 
Other Oil se sa ee Se re a doee= 198 29 29 
lard @t@ase® 22s Soe Fe eee ee ee ee eee pounds__ 143 13 13 
Repairs: i 
Gash Se a oe See Reg ee ee pier Ee ee 281 281 
Owner's labore ese ee ee eee gph rod Sections sere days __ 9 28 27 
Oper abr ae a ae ee ee ae ea ee does 10 45 44 
ANSUPATICE 2k eS se ee ee 8 RS eh ey ae en ane ee | AE ee 11 il 
Wepreciation 2. — Lek = AS Na at Se ee ee ee ee ee al eee 652 652 
EVOtal.. 302 = Sean ee eee eee eT ee ae eae Spe Ss ee ho [eee teeget 1, 794 
Interests s02 Se Sh be 2S Ve De ee ee a ee eS ee Eo eee 141 141 
‘Fotal/ cost -perADractOr: so tee et es Sea et ape on eee weer | as eee 1, 853 1, 935 
Cost per:10-hour' day ofuse. 732. 3 sss is eee Berit oe et days__ 56. 6 32.74 | 34. 19 
The charge for labor maintenance was calculated by charging 
the average amounts of time spent by the owner and other man 
labor in the maintenance of these tractors over the period 1920 to 
1922, at the prices which prevailed for such labor in 1923 and 1924. 
The cash repairs, insurance, depreciation, and interest charges are 
the same as those for the year 1922. The cost per 10-hour day 
of use in 1923 and 1924 is based on the average of the days of use 
over the period 1920 to 1922, inclusive. 
EFFECT OF DAYS OF WORK PER YEAR ON COST OF OPERATING TRACTORS 
The influence of the days of annual use on the cost of operating 
tractors in 1922 is illustrated in Table 18 and in Figure 6. The total 
cost per tractor hour of use decreased decidedly as the days of use 
increase, which, of course, is reflected in the cost of the operations 
performed with the tractor. The cost per tractor hour for those 
tractors used less than 30 days per year was $5.71, whereas those 
tractors used 60 days and over annually had an average cost of 
$3.04 per hour of use. 
