COST OF PRODUCING WINTER WHEAT IN OREGON 
17 
Table 14. — Average value and use cost of general farm machinery on farms of 
specified sizes, 1922 
Size of farm 
Item 
Farms number 
Average value per farm dollars 
Use cost per farm do.. 
Use cost per tillable acre do__ 
Use cost per horse-hour of use do.. 
The numbers of the principal farm tools represented on farms of 
specified sizes and the estimated years of useful life of this farm equip- 
ment are given in Table 15. The number of the various implements 
per farm was only slightly greater, and in many instances no greater 
on the farms of the larger size, and the estimated years of useful life, 
in most instances, nearly as great on the farms in this group. From 
the standpoint of economy the farms of the larger size were better 
able to obtain the maximum of profitable use annually from the farm 
equipment, thereby reducing their machinery cost per tillable acre 
and per horse-hour of use. 
Table 15. — Kind, number, and years of useful life of principal farm tools on farms 
of specified sizes, 1922 
24 farms — 640 acres 
16 farms— 1,280 acres 
Implement 
Farms 
report- 
ing 
Machines 
Esti- 
mated 
useful 
life 
Farms 
report- 
ing 
Machines 
Esti- 
mated 
useful 
life 
Walking plow... _ . 
Number 
13 
1 
24 
24 
4 
23 
16 
9 
20 
8 
4 
24 
11 
8 
2 
19 
Number 
14 
1 
47 
42 
4 
27 
19 
11 
26 
9 
4 
47 
11 
8 
2 
19 
78 
5 
19 
2 
Years 
9.0 
10.4 
12.3 
9.4 
11.0 
9.6 
11.8 
13.4 
15.2 
10.0 
15.0 
10.5 
9.5 
10.4 
10.0 
10.3 
13.9 
7.9 
6.8 
8.1 
5.0 
Number 
14 
1 
16 
15 
4 
16 
9 
6 
14 
1 
2 
16 
10 
6 
1 
12 
16 
5 
6 
12 
5 
Number 
20 
1 
39 
30 
4 
23 
12 
9 
22 
1 
2 
33 
11 
6 
1 
13 
74 
8 
6 
12 
5 
Years 
8 
Sulkv plow 
10.2 
9 4 
Gang plow 
Spike-tooth harrow _ 
9 2 
Spring-tooth harrow^ 
10 
Disk harrow ._ 
9.3 
12.0 
10 8 
Gas engine 
Packer_ . . 
Weeder ... 
9 1 
Mowing machine 
10 
Hav rake . 
15.0 
8.4 
10.0 
10.0 
8.0 
9.0 
9.8 
5.2 
5.9 
7.1 
7.1 
Grain drill 
Header . ... 
Reaper.. _ . ' . 
Grain binder. 
Grain cleaner 
Heavy farm wagon . 
24 
Autotruck.. 
7 
5 
19 
2 
Tractor 
Combine 
Thresher 
RELATION OF SIZE OF FARM TO MAN LABOR, HORSE WORK, AND OTHER FACTORS 
It is impossible to obtain a large return from farming where the 
business is of small volume. On the other hand, while an increase in 
the size of the business may result in a larger income, there is always 
the possibility of large losses in unfavorable years. The data 
17834°— 27 3 
