40 BULLETIN 1446, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
threshing could be done with tractor motive power. This would 
allow a reduction in the number of work stock of from 28 to 14 and 
in the 2-year-old and yearling colts of from 3 to 2 each. 
This change would make it possible to reduce the acreage of 
wheat hay cut for feed by 21 acres, and of barley by 6 acres. This 
acreage planted to wheat would produce an additional 540 bushels 
of wheat for sale. The reduction in the number of horses kept would 
result in the sale of one less head of work stock each year. The 
reduced requirements of chaff for horses and colts would result in a 
saving in man labor and horse work of the amount required to pick 
up about 32 tons. 
Records obtained in this area show that on tractor farms after 
the purchase of a tractor there is some saving in total months of 
man labor for the year. The amount of man labor saved, however, 
is slight, and it is assumed that the extra man labor on account of the 
200 acres of custom harvesting and threshing would about off-set 
any saving in man labor that might have been possible had no out- 
side work been done after the tractor was purchased. 
The total annual tractor repairs and cost of fuel and oils, as well 
as the additional cost for combine fuel and oils because of the outside 
work, are shown in Table 37. After taking into consideration the in- 
creases and decreases in current cash receipts and in current cash 
expenses after the purchase of the tractor there is a total increase in 
net cash returns of $167. The increase in net cash returns is slight, 
and if set aside each year the amount saved will not be great enough 
to buy a new tractor when the old one is worn out, but all of the 
benefits from the ownership and use of tractors on these farms can 
not be accurately measured in dollars. The opinions of tractor 
owners relative to the use of tractors are discussed in Department 
Bulletin No. 1447, "Cost of Using Horses, Tractors, and Combines 
on Wheat Farms in Sherman County, Oreg. " Of the points to con- 
sider in the purchase of a tractor probably the one of greatest import- 
ance is the mechanical skill of the tractor operator. Unless the 
tractor owner is mechanically inclined and operates the tractor 
himself or is able to hire a thoroughly competent tractor man he is 
almost certain to find his tractor an unprofitable investment. 
Table 37. — Changes in current cash crop and livestock receipts and in current 
cash expenses on a 1 ,280-acre farm after the purchase of a tractor 
Increase in wheat receipts, 540 bushels, at $1.25 $675 
Decrease in sale of horses, 1 75 
Net increase in crop and livestock receipts 600 
Custom work harvesting and threshing wheat, 200 acres, at $3 600 
Net increase in total cash receipts... 1,200 
Increase in current cash expenses: 
For 52 days of tractor drawbar work- 
Gasoline, 2,392 gallons, at $0.20- 478 
Cylinder oil, 104 gallons, at $0.88 92 
Other oil, 151 gallons, at $0.14 21 
Hard grease, 120 pounds, at $0.10 12 
Repairs 375 
For 7 days of custom combine harvesting- 
Gasoline, 210 gallons, at $0.20 42 
Cylinder oil, 10 gallons, at $0.88 9 
Other oil, 11 gallons, at $0.14 2 
Hard grease, 15 pounds, at $0.10 2 
Total 1,033 
Net change 167 
WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE : 1927 
