St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-18
FARM MACHINERY.
q ew Words About the Proper Use q
Tools and Machines.


cool ands implements upon any we'll
managed farm may be made to reduce
the cost of the products 60 per cent. at
beast. Hay, for instance, may be put
3Rto the barn at the cost of 80 cents a
ton by the use of the best machinery
Snower. rake, loader and horse-fork-
while with the scythe, hay rake and
fork, with manual labor, it may cost
o per ton. The cost of wheat in the
granary is reduced by the use of all
the new machinery to less than so cents
"A bushel, even with a low average
product of II bushels per acre, and it
sRould clearly be less than this if by
superior culture the yield was so
bushels per acre. With all this
Iessened cost of work all through
6he crops a farmer can afford
to spend in machinery as much
aEs the value of the land; considering
that the saving made is equal to doub-
ling the profit made from the land. It
is the same with all crops. Potatoes
are planted and harvested by machin-
cry, which reduces the cost to one
seventh of its former expense; and as
regards corn, although as yet we have
no means of harvesting this enormous
crop by machinery, yet it can be
grown by the use of planters and cul-
tivators for to Is cents a bushel
when the maximum yield is secured
and the soil is as fertile as it should
be for this crop. Reduced cost means
Increased profit, and as the expense of
reaching the markets has been greatly
reduced of late, there is no reason, but
extravaganza of expenditure, that can
prevent the enterprising farmer from
enjoying fair share of prosperity. 1t
Us u misfortune of the farmers own
making if he neglects to secure all
these mechanical aids and helps to re-
duce the cost Of his crops.
But while all these aids and helps
are wi thin reach Of the farmer who
has the money to spend or the credit to
make use of, yet there are many farm
ers who miss the full benefits from
them by want of skillful management
and use of the machine A machine
which is not kept in good condi-
tion works hard and wears out
quickly 1t will not do its full work.
Perhaps it may break down under the
strain for which it's strength was not
calculated, and it overworks the horses.
There is loss in every way, and it may
be that the farmer is disappointed and
declaims vigorously against the ma
chine and its maker. This result has
been recently illustrated conspicuously
in regard to the use of manure spread
ers, machines which from the nature
of their work are very apt to be used
without sufficient knowledge and intel
Egenca One farmer finds this ma
chine exceedingly useful-as we have
done-another says it is horse killer,
another AYERS it is fraud and wholly |
useless for the purpose for which it
was made and bought, and that his !
machine is rusting in field while he
Us spreading manure with forks from a |
wagon. And the reasons for these OBJ |
Jections are, no doubt at all, that the |
A.iachine has not been kept in good con- |
d. lion, and i4os not been used as it |
<,.ouid be in full knowledge and con-
$ .!eratlon of the work it has to do. |
And the same applies to all sorts
of machines and tools in use |
aow or that have been used on
the farm. 1t applies to the COM
mon, old-fashioned hoe, the scythe,
the plow, and every tool used on a
earm. 1t was recently said that an
agricultural college was not designed |
to teach the practice of agriculture
that boys could learn how to use hoe
or plow at home and need not 60 to
a college for this purpose. We differ
wholly from that view of agricultural
There is need for scien-
ific knowledge in the use of a mower
or a self-binder, or in the choice and
application of fertilizers to crops. The
hoe does good work only when it is
bright and sharp. 1t is as necessary
for the hoe to be ground daily, or Oft
ener, as the scythe. Moreover, it
should be smooth and bright all over,
Four times as much work may be done
with bright, sharp hoe as with a
aull, rusty one, and the same is true Of
The plow clean, bright moldboard
ad a sharp, bright share will be
a.awn one lslj more easily, and will
10 better WORK than dull, rusty one.
Unless the land is turned smoothly the !
weeds and trash will not be covered,
and the plow will push the soil before
{, making exceedingly bad work.
[his is very important thing
or young farmers to understand, for /
they work themselves or en-
,loy laborers with tools in bad condi-
ion, they are losing from 30 to 75
'ents of every dollar they pay out. Is /
lot this knowledge important enough {
o be worth impartihg at an agricult-
lral school, and by teacher of agri- {
ulturep There is d d&ubtless more loss |
L labor or of crop occasioned by the {
Ise Of poor tools or tools that are in 1
lad condition .han by all the ignorance .
II mistakes in apply the principles
[ the fertilizing, the groWa2f croRs.z
r. the feeding of cattle. AntNs Nhese 6