IR 
CHAPTER IX.—MOTIVE POWER ON FARMS. 
The Agricultural Schedule for 1925 included questions re- 
garding the use of motive power on farms, and replies were 
received from 144,000 occupiers in respect of 59 per cent. of the 
acreage of the country. A large proportion of the returns which 
gave no information on this point related to holdings under 
20 acres where probably no motive power is employed, so that 
the returns are estimated to cover from 70 to 80 per cent. of the 
engines in use on farms. 
The numbers of engines returned in England and Wales in 
the years 1908, 1913 and 1925 are shown in the table below. It 
should be noted that the returns in the earlier years represent a 
somewhat larger proportion of the cultivated area than those of 
1925. 
NUMBER OF AGRICULTURAL ENGINES RETURNED AS USED ON 
Farms IN ENGLAND AND WALES IN 1908, 1913 
AND 1925. 
a) Fixed or portable — 
Steam - 
Gas - - - 
Oil or petrol 
Electric  - 
Wind - 
Water - - 
Others or not stated 
(b) Motor tractors .— 
For field operations - 
Used solely for stationary work 
1908. 
8,690 
921 
6,911 
146 
Fh 
563 
1913. 
7,719 
1,287 
16,284 
262 
63 J 
3,663 1 
28 
1925. 
3,731 
1,125 
56,744 
700 
990 
3,543 
21 
14,565 
2.116 
This table shows the striking changes which have occurred 
in the character of the motive power employed on farms in this 
country. The use of steam engines, already declining before 
the war, has fallen off very considerably since 1913, while gas 
engines, which increased between 1908 and 1913, appear to have 
declined slightly since. Electric power has made some progress, 
although it is not yet used very extensively, while wind and 
water power appears in somewhat greater use now than in 1913. 
Wind and water power were not distinguished in 1908, and it 
is possible that the return of ggg « other engines” includes 
some of this class. 
The most important change, however, is in regard to petrol 
or oil engines, which have increased from 6,911 in 1908 to 56.744