The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1921-05-06

years. The annual depreciation OF the
twoplOw tractors amounted % Sl64,
and of the three-plow S217 The an
nual cost of repairs. including the
value of the owners time spent in re-
pairing the tractors. was $50 for both
the two-plow and three-plow sizes.
The fuel consumption per day fol
the two-plow tractors varied from
about Is gallons for fall blowing to
about IL gallons for drawing the hay
loader. For the three-plow tractors il
varied from % gallons for blowing to
Is gallons for drawing the hay laader.
The two-plow tractors covered SO
acres per day in blowing and three
pillow machines SO acres. The amount
of fuel required per acre by the two
sizes was practically the same. 2.S
gallons for the two-plow and 81 gal
Ions for the three-plow tractors.
Difference in Flowing Costs.
The average cost per acre of POW err
for the blowing done with two-plow
tractors was about 50 and with the
three-plow about $500 The cost of
power for the blowing done with
horses on these farms was about $3.50
per acre. Based on the present costs
of keeping workstock, the cost Of
power for blowing with horses would
be about $190 per acre. For most of
the other operations the cost of power
when furnished by horses was slightly
less than when furnished by tractors.
The cost per acre of power for disk
ing with tractors was SCOT, with
horses, 1904; for cutting grain with
tractors, $0.67; with horses, $0.59,
These figures represent the cost OF
power only, and do not include either
the cost of man labor, or that of the
implements used.
| The average cost per day of two
! pillow tractors for drawbar work Oh
the home farm was about S12.65, ant
Of three-plow tractors about $17.75
The total cost of power furnished by
the tractors for drawbar work at home
during the year averaged $341. This
drawbar work on the home farm con
stituted 70 per cent of the total worl
done by the tractors, and only f6 pei
cent of the total annual charge for de
probation, repairs, and interest on In
vestment, is included in it.
Tractor Reduces Number of Work
stock Needed.
On the 172 farms where these had
been no change in acreage the num-
Der of wOrkstock had been reduced by
% head, an average reduction Of &c
per cent. Forty-four of these 172 men
had not reduced the number of work
stock, 81 had disposed of one or two
head, 43 had disposed of three or four
head, and % of more than four head.
On these 172 farms one horse had
been kept for each % acres (total
acres, not crop acres) before purchase
of tractors, and at the time of the
survey there was one horse for each
377 acres For all the farms there
had been an average of one horse fol
each 27.6 acres before purchase OF
tractors, and there was one for each
37.9 acres at the time of the inveStiga
ton. On the farms where there hat
been no change In acreage there hat
been one horse for each 21.5 crop acres
before the purchase of tractors, ant
there was one for each 90 crop acres a
the time of the investigation.
Operating Costs May Be Reduced.
There were great variations on In
, dividual farms in the cost of power
furnished by both horses and tractors
and by more careful management
many farmers could doubtless reduc,
, this cost Repair costs and fuel con
sumption of the tractors could in man,
: cases have been reduced by more care
full operation. The cost of keepin
workstock could have been reduced OIL
e many farms by more careful feedin,
$ practices.
q The average annual cost of powe
for the drawbar work on the HON
. farm which was done with tractor
) was equal to the cost of keeping 2.
j head of workstoek and this is praC
;, tically the average number displate
/, per farm. On the basis of presen
] prices, however, the cost OF keepin
d workstock has declined considerable
@ more than the cost of operating ira,
I tors
Since during the year covered b
e the investigation, the cost Of power o
$ the average farm was No greater tina
It II II had all been furnished by horse
n any saving In man abo. costs. an
gain due to getting larger amour
, OF work done in given time, and an
= other advantages connected with tn
: use Of tractors which cannot be mea
It ured directly In dollars and cent
:, might be considered clear profit. II
D. doubtful, however. II such gains wei
n great enough to balance the cost ,
r operating the tractors on many Of II
farms where there was no change
$ acreage and where no workstock w
I displaced