Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1915-09-22
HORSES OR A TRACTOR ?
Oats, Corn, and Hay or Kerosene
365 Days OF 100 Days of Feed and Care
for Every loo DAys of Work?
Gasoline or Kerosene?

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minds of our farmer subscribers.
Which is the more economical, horses
or tractor, which is the more eco
nomical fuel, grain and hay, or oil, and
which should / burn, gasoline or kero-
sene? These are some of the ques-
tionS which our farmers have been
discussing. We are going to offer
answers to some of these questions.
The oil-burning tractor was pro-
duced within the last ten years be-
cause of changes in farming condi-
tionS which have come about during
that time. Ten years ago, according
to figures published by the Union
Stock Yards, the average price of the
draft horses which were sold in the
Chicago market was sl86. For 1914,
before horses began to be bought up
In this country to any extent for war
! purposes, the average price according
to the same authority was $2l5. Since
the foreign agents have got busy, AGO.
600 horses have left this country for
war purposes, according to NJ. f.
HORNE Of the Union Stock Yards,
which would indicate a greater scar
city of horses in the United States,
resulting in still higher prices
stantly coming up also. Ten years
ago corn was worth 80 cents bushel.
The average price last year was 704
cents. Oats were worth only 80 cents
in 1905; the average price in 1914 was
Az cents. Hay, which sold ten years
ago for 1852 per ton, brought on an
average last year SLIP per ton. This
scale of prices will undoubtedly be
irrhn fn lln
During all this time in which the
prices of horses and feed have been
constantly coming up, tractor manu-
facturers have been working night and
day to make better tractor which
could be sold for less money. For nine
years the International Harvester
Company has been bringing all its re-
sources to bear to produce the perfect
tractor at small price, and the SIG
Mogul which is being advertised in
this paper is the flower of this nine
years of experience. The SIG Mogul
will do about everything on the farm
which can be done by horses. 1t will
ten years, and it can be bought for
only 1918 cash, f. o. B. Chicago.
Another thing which makes Iowa
ldl LucIS lcdu UIdCUOI duNcl liSclllcItS
is that while the prices of hay and
grain have been going up, the prices
of gasoline and kerosene have been
coming down. While corn has ad-
vanced almost fifty per cent during
the last ten years, kerosene costs one
third less now in Iowa than it did
three years ago. The same is true OF
gasoline.
- 30 20 ha
set aside to feed each horse which he
has, and these horses must be waited
on and fed 365 days out of the year
this is in spite Of the fact that the
average horse works but 100 days in
the year. The tractor consumes fuel
and requires attention only while it is
working, and when 1T Is not busy it Is
satisfied with little shed large enough
to keep off the rain and snow. The
farmer who does not put his plows
down as deeply as he feels he should,
because he wants to spare his horses,
can do his work as he knows it should
be done if he has tractor. Fall plow-
ing is the hardest, hottest work of the
year for horses, but it is like any other
work for a tractor.
We would like to remind the farmtS
buying tractors that they should make
sure the tractor they get will burn the
cheapest fuel which can be bought.
Although we believe a farmer could
farm more cheaply on gasoline than
he could with horses, we know he
can make greater saving II he burns
low-grade Kerosene. Many companies
which claim that their tractors oper-
ate on kerosene cannot always prove
it when brought to the test, but are
forced to use pure gasoline, or, at least
a mixture of the two fuels.
The international Harvester Com
pany has specialized in kerosene burn
ing engines. Its tractors ale known
the world over for being able to oper
ate on low-grade kerosene just the
same as on gasoline. BY low-grade
kerosene, we do not mean the better
quality which is used for lighting pur-
poses, but the cheaper grade OF fuel
There are more heat units in Kerosene
II they can be utilized, and Mogul
tractors burn kerosene perfectly.
Just how great saving this will
mean can be understood by looking at
the figures. Gasoline Is worth in Iowa,
on an average l01s cents gallon,
while kerosene is worth 51s cents. An
S-l6 Mogul tractor will consume during
a ten-hour day from ten 10 fifteen gal
Ions of fuel, depending on the nature
Of the work. Thus the SIG Mogul
, will save, on an average, so to go cents
a day for its owner by burning kero-
sene.
Iowa farmers should use tractors so
far as possible for their work. An
sic Mogul will do work at the draw
bar which it requires eight horses to
do on steady pull, day In and day out;
1T can be bought for less than the
price of four, consumes the cheapest
fuel, and requires a small amount OF
work in taking care Of it as compared
to horses. The farmer should by all
means insist upon tractor which will
burn kerosene, and thus save from four
to five cents on every gallon Of fuel
consumed.