FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
17 
about 38 cents per acre, running three 
times in 30-foot middles, based on a 
period of five weeks or more of steady 
work and using a $5.00 per day tractor 
operator. Running two times in 25-foot 
middles should be 32 to 34 cents per acre, 
allowing 5 cents per acre per day for de¬ 
preciation. The cost for discing diagon¬ 
ally with io-foot singles should run ap¬ 
proximately 26 cents per acre, while the 
cost per acre using 12-foot singles is ap¬ 
proximately 28 cents per acre, running 
two times in 30-foot middle. 
The acreage of grove covered will vary 
with direction of operation, 1. e., east, 
west, north and south, or on one or two 
of the diagonal directions; and naturally 
the cost will vary accordingly. A very 
important factor in cost of discing, or in 
fact, any tractor work, is the length of 
rows which cause much time in turning, 
which will increase the cost from one to 
several cents per acre, depending on 
length of same. 
3. Harrowing.—The cost per acre 
using 4-foot walking acme doing tree 
row work depends on whether you run 
straight down both sides of row or zig¬ 
zag. The cost of straight harrowing 
should be around 9 cents per acre, while 
the cost of zig-zag should be about 12 
cents per acre. The cost of using 6-foot 
two-horse harrows zig-zag should be 
about 18 cents per acre, while straight 
work will be a few cents less. Tractors 
pulling 12-foot acme harrows (which act¬ 
ually stir 13feet of dirt) should turn 
out work at the average cost of 26 cents 
per acre, running straight and harrowing 
the entire surface of the ground; while 
runnning diagonally down rows the cost 
should not exceed 20 cents per acre. Pull¬ 
ing the 16-foot acme (which stirs 17/4 
feet) one time per middle, in 25-foot mid¬ 
dles, tractors should turn out work at 23 
cents per acre. 
The method of cost accounting used at 
Mammoth Grove to arrive at the above, 
given on work of 16-foot acme is as fol¬ 
lows: (See Reports 1 to 8.) 
Reports 1 to 6.—Sheets for one week on 
tractor pulling 17-foot acme—Driver 
$5.00 per day. 
Report 7.—Minimum cost per acre on 
85-acre day. 
Report 8.—Maximum probable cost 
during week showing one-half day lay-up, 
break-down and parts used. 
report 1 
Tractor No. 6 Report.—Operator, 
Jones, Otto; date, March 20, 1922; gas 
consumed, 16 gallons; oil consumed, 4 
quarts; amount acreage, 45 ; kind of work, 
acme harrow, middles, 16-foot implement; 
amount operating time, 8 hours; location 
of work, Section 30—hilly. 
Total operating expense per day: 
Operating, salary 8 hrs. at 62j4c_$5.00 
Gas, 16 gals, at 26c_3.16 
Oil, 4 qts. at 20c__ .80 
Total cost_$8.96 
Total cost per acre_$ .20 
> 
) 
Remarks.—Price of gas 23j4c; shrink¬ 
age 2j4c; purchase price of heavy tractor 
oil, 56c per gallon. 
Kind of Work.—Acme. 
