The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-02-14
AGRICULTURAL.
High VS.. Low Whaals.

-O.S
much to add the heading gard Us. soft roads,
as each is equally in order and description
alike needed by your rural readers. Feeling
that the ventilation of the text will yield
abundant matter for one paper, shall con-
fine myself to it. If no other good will grow
out of what may write than inducing those
who use road vehicles to think little for
themselves, and not trust all to the wheel
wright and wagon-maker, l shall not have
written in vain.
While engaged recently as an architect and
engineer in Iowa, had several thousand
yards of earth to excavate. which was to be
moved from eighty to 500 feet, to grade site
for dairy-farm buildings. Experience hay
ing taught me that it was not economical to
move earth with scrapers more than $50 feet,
where the use of proper dumping vehicles can
be iadvantageoIsly used 1 applied to the
proprietor, who owns and is running farm
of some 800 acres, for carts or dump-wagons.
To my surprise found that he had no cart
on the farm, and the mere mention OF a
dumping wagon seemed to beget a general
distrust in any and everything that suggest
ed. however, succeeded in obtaining con-
sent to have two made with dispatch, and in
few days they were in use on the job, and
with pair of light horses to each, they each
did the work of five scrapers and five pairs of
horses. The proprietor was SO delighted that
he proposed TO have more built at once,
which discouraged, as the two was ample
Tor the long haul, and we had a supply of
wheelbarrows and scrapers for the shorter.
made detail drawings for the wagons, and
took them to noted commercial wagon
builder in the city, who had the facilities of
turning out three or four of his standard,
farmers lumber wagons per diem, which I
found retaied at sos, with two story bed,
or body, spring seat, single trees and neck
yoke.
Although he could build wagon after my
plans, in the best manner for $40 more than
the price of his standard wagon, he insisted
that they would be worthless, the wheels
were so low. 1 replied that had to haul on
very heavy grades. $50 much the more you
need high Wheels" said he. /, however,
soon convinced him and his foremen, in both
wood and iron shops, that on heavy grade,
with a fair surface, the lower the wheels the
more advantageous, to which there is. of
course, limit
That the readers of the Prairie Farmer
may demonstrate the relative economy of
low and high wheels for themselves on billy
roads, will give very simple mode of prac-
tically deciding the matter. Rest one end of
plank on the ground and raise and support
the other. so as to produce rise of one foot
in ten. Place on said incline plank in rol
ling position the lowest wagon wheel at hand
Mark mark on the plank at the bearing
point; then suspend plumb bob from the
centre of the hub and mark the plumb point
on the plank also. This done, place on the
plank wheel of as nearly double the da-
meter of the first as obtainable; place its bear
ing on the bearing point of the smaller wheel
and plumb the mark as before. Then note
with what relative leverage weight resting
on the centre Of the hub of each wheel will
incline to roll each wheel down the grade.
The result attained will be very convincing
evidence in favor OF the lowest wheel practi-
cable for use on billy roads with a proper
surface. or course, for level roads and muddy
ones, the conditions are greatly changed, and
reasonably increased diameter in the wheel
will be most advantageous. But the judic
ious farmer and teamster will en- deavor so to
shape his team work that it will be done
mainly when the roads and fields are dry.
He will also at once and with will set about
the improvement of the roads SO that there
will be no more necessity for building expen-
slve, weak and unmechanical high wheels,
on which to disadvantageously do all hauling
at all times except when the mud is deep.
The wheels of the dumping wagons of
which have spoken are but two feet four
inches in diameter in front, and three feet
two inches behind, and the bed OF body of the
wagon is a cubic yard in capacity. 1t is
hung so low that the greatest hight to which
the load is to be shoveled is not above that
of the front wheels of the ordinary farm wag-
on. The construction of the body is such
that no s'tail-board" is to be removed and re.
placed, but it may be dumped to Gather side
and the load will be distributed without stop
ping the team, thus saving the expense of q
man 'on the Dump" The convenience o.
loading these wagons over the ordinary cart
Is fully 30 per cent, in favor of the wagon,
and in unloading thu ADVANTAGE is still GREAT
er.
l introduced them into the East some
twenty years since, and wherever they were
tested they have caused the entire abandon
ment of both horse and OK carts.
The dumping body is held in place in sc
simple a manner that two men mount or re-
move it in one minute-not nut or bolt is
to be removed When the dumping body i;
removed the wagon is all ready to receive the
bed of an ordinary lumber wagon or the hay
rigging-in short, it is the wagon of all work.
The wheels are 80 per cent, lighter than
the ordinary high wheels of the farm wagon,
and the expense of construction proportion
ately less.
have made plans for the dumping wagon
In the east, where they were for one horse,
and they were on small farms the only work
vehicle used, wagon of all work. AS con.
structed, the dump-wagon turns on nearly
the same area required blythe cart; it has al
its advantages and none of its disadvantages
Among the latter are the necessarily larg'
wheels, the great inconvenience in loading
and when used on heavy grades the unavoid-
able tendency to overload the back of the
morse, In descent. and to lift him from MI
feet In ascent, the objectionableness Of botE
are too obvious to require comment.
Farmers will do well to investigate the sub
ject of economical farm vehicles before max
inc further investment therein. as ,ert tina
no farmer can afford to use a cart for either
horses or oxen.-Praire Farmer.