Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1921-05-05


representatives of the United States
Department Of Agriculture visited 286
tractor-owners in Ohio, Indiana, and
Illinois. A complete record Of all the
work done during the year both with
tractors and horses was obtained from
each farmer Information from which
the cost Of using the tractor and the
cost of maintaining the workstock
could be determined was also obtained.
The investigation was made through
the cooperative efforts Of the bureau
OF animal industry, Office Of farm man
agement and farm economics and the
bureau of public roads, in accordance
with plans outlined at the farm power
conference at Chicago, ILL.,, in October,
1919. The object was to obtain infor-
nation, in addition to that already
available in the Department of Agri-
culture, which would aid in determin-
ing advantageous forms Of power for
different farms and different condi-
lions.
Farms Above Average in Size.
The average size of the farms WIS.,
tied was 258 acres. This is consider
ably above the average size of all
farms In these states.
Two-plow tractors were owned on
| 174 Of the 286 farms, three-plow trac-
tors on 104, and four-plow tractors on
six farms. One farmer owned one
pillow machine, and one farmer owned
| n IL
chimes were found on Is per cent Of
the farms with less than 100 crop
acres, and on So per cent of those with
16O or more crop acres.
One hundred and six Of the tractors
had been in use one year, 100 had
been in use one and one-half or two
years, 40 had been in use two and one
half or three years, and 81 had been
in use more than three years.
On the average the tractors were
used for 30.S full days during the year
covered by the investigation. Twenty
three and fve-tenths days of this was
drawbar work on the home farm,
81 days was belt work, and 46 days
was custom work. Seventy-three of
| the 2S6 tractors did less than 20 days
work during the year and % did so
or more days work.
The number of workstock still
owned varied from two head on IL of
the farms to more than Is on five of
the large farms. On the average there
were 6.S head per farm at the
time of the survey, and their value
was $145 per head. In all there were
farms and Ill colts less than one year
of age.
The average number of full days
work per year per horse, for all farms
was 6S.6. On 20 Of the farms the
workstock did less than 40 full days
work and on % they did 100 or more
days work per year.
The tractors did IS per cent of the
blowing on these farms, 73 per cent
Of the disking, 43 per cent of the har-
rowing, planting, rolling, and pack
ing, Al per cent of the grain cutting,
and about Is per cent of the loading
and hauling of hay.
OF 267 men who did spring blowing,
142 did 1t all with tractors, 121 used
both tractors and horses, and four
used horses only
OF 225 who did fall blowing, 100
did it all with tractors, 81 used both
tractors and horses, and eight used
horses only.
In all, the power for 30 per cent of
the drawbar work on these farms, as
measured by days of horse labor re-
quired for it, was furnished by trac-
tors and the remainder by horses.
The average cost per head of keep
ing workstock on these farms for the
year ending November 1, 1920, was
$3.50, and the average cost per farm
was $1.76.
Costs IS Cents Daily to Feed Horse.
Exclusive of grass and stalk pasture,
| the average ration per horse consisted
Of 1.8 tons of hay, IL tons of straw,
o. acre of slower, 37.S bushels of corn,
and 22.3 bushels of oats. The total
cost Of feed per head was $134. Based
on present prices March, 1920, the
cost Of feed per head would be about
$50.
The average cost per day of horse
labor for the year of the survey was
$2.43. Based on present prices the cost
on these farms would be not far from
$3.50 per day.
The average first cost of the two
pillow tractors was $972, OF the three
pillow tractors S1,S54, and of all trac-
| tors 81 ,14O. The average amount spent
| for equipment, mostly plows and disks,
| for use with tractors was about $340
The average value of the horse-drawn
implements disposed of after the pur-
( chase Of the tractors was $12. "a
The average life of these tractors
us estimated by their owners is 6.7