The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1921-05-07

Department vi Agriculture Ni'ieSN -
tractor-owners In Ohio, Indiana, ana
Illinois. A complete record OF all the
work done during the year both WIN
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 25S acres. This is consider
ably above the average size OF all
farms In these states.
Two-2low tractors were owned on
174 of the 2S6 farms, three-plow trac-
tors on 1O4, and four-plow tractors on
six farms. One farmer owned one
plow machine, and one farmer owned
a five-plow machine. Two-plow ma
chimes were found on IS per cent OF
the farms with less than 100 crop
acres, and on SO per cent of those with
100 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
wears. 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 BO.S full days during the year
covered by the investigation. Twenty
three and five-tenths days Of this was
drawbar work on the home farm,
OF DAYS was belt work, and 4.6 days
was custom work. Seventy-three OF
the 2S6 tractors did less than 20 days
work during the year and 20 did Oh
or more days work.
The number of wOrkstock still
owned varied from two head on IL OF
the farms TO more than 10 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 s145 per head. In all there were
1878 head of workstock on the 2Se
farms and III colts less than one year
of age.
The average number Of full days
work per year per horse, for all farms
] was Csc. On 20 of the farms the
workstock did less than 40 full days
work and on 81 they did 100 or more
days work per year.
The tractors did 50 per cent of the
blowing on these farms, 70 per CEN
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 use'
both tractors and horses, and fou
used horses only.
OF 225 who did fall blowing, 10
did It all. with tractors, q used bot
tractors and horses, and eight use'
horses only.
In all, the power for 80 per cent o
the drawbar work on these farms, a
measured by days of horse labor re
ouired for 1t, was furnished by trat
tors and the remainder by horses.
The average cost per head of keeI
ing workstock on these farms for tn
year ending November 1, 1920, wa
$3.50, and the average cost per farI
was $1.76.
Costs as Cents Daily to Feed Hors
Exclusive of grass and stalk pastur
the average ration per horse consiste
Of 1.3 tons of hay. IL tons Of straw
o. acre of stover 37.8 bushels of corr
and 22.3 bushels Of oats. The tot,
cost of feed per head was $134. Base
on present prices March, 1920, Il
cost Of feed per head would be abo'
$50.
:. The average cost per day Of hor'
n labor for the year of the survey W,
II s2.43 Based on present prices the CO
ii on these farms would be not far fro
II $3.50 per day. =
II The average first cost Of the tw
II pillow tractors was $972. of the thre
II pillow tractors 1884, and Of all ira
tors S1,140. The average amount spe
- for equipment, mostly plows and disf
a for use with tractors was about $34
10 The average value of the horse-dray
e. implements disposed Of after the pl
y. chase Of the tractors was $12.
w The average life of these tracto
I'd as estimated by their owners IL
ey years. The annual depreciation Of t
ey two-plow tractors amounted to 81
Ill and Of the three-plow $217. The Z
ly nual cost Of repairs. including
te. value of the owners time spent in
to pairing the tractors, was $50 for BIZ
the two-plow and three pillow sizes.
The fuel consumption per day
Dr. the two-plow tractors varied fr
on about IS gallons for fall blowing
II. about IL gallons for drawing the
In loader. For the three-plow tractors
II varied from q gallons for blowing
Is gallons for drawing the hay load
/ ~ <-N r1o~ tpnrforu covaro6