The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-03-29
Tgsrs OF BROAD AND NARROW
TIRES.

Correspondence Of the Progressive Farmer.
The Missouri Station in a recent bull
Ietin gives details and results of expert
ments at that station to test the rela,
tive merits of broad and narrow tires
In order that these tests might cover
every possible phase and condition of
roads and fields, they extended over
almost an entire year, and took in dirt
gravel and mRcadam roads, plowed
fields. meadows and pastures, etc.
The draft was measured bp a Gid
dings self recording dynamometer.
The narrow tires were an inch and a
half wide and the wide ones were six
inch cast steel wheels, which can now
be bought about as cheap as the mar
row wooden wheels with wrought iron
tires In every trial the load was the
ssme-2,OO0 pounds. Following is a
summary of results:
l. On macadam streets it was found
that load of 2, 518 pounds could have
been hauled as easily on the wide tires
as 1000 pounds on the narrow tires.
2. On a gravel road it was found that
taking an average Of dry, wet and
sloppy, 2.182 pounds could be drawn
on the wide tires with the same force
required to draw 1000 pounds on the
narrow tires.
5. Tests on dirt roads involved many
different conditions. Csl When dry,
hard and free from ruts and dust, 2 $50
pounds drew as easily on the broad
tires as 2, 900 on the narrow ones. CD
When the surface was covered with
very deep, dry, loose dust the narrow
tires drew more easily than the wide
ones. (c) On clay road, muddy and
sticky on the surface, but firm under
meath, the narrow tires drew more
easily than the wide ones. (d) On clay
road with deep mud, drying on top,
or dry on top and spongy beneath, the
wide tires carried 200 pounds with
the same draft required to pull 1000
pounds on the narrow tires. (a) Clay
road, surface drv, with deep ruts cut
BY the narrow tires in the ordinary
use Of the road.
In every trial the first run OF the
broad tire over the narrow tire ruts
has shown a materially increased draft
when compared with that of the mar
row tire run in it's own rut. The Sec
ond run Of the broad tires in the same
track where the rut is not deep com
pletely elimated this disadvantage,
and showed q lighter draft for the
broad tire than the narrow tire showed
IN the first run. Where the ruts were
eight inches deep with rigid walls,
three runs of the broad tire in it's own
track over tie RUS were required to
eliminate the disadvantage. Three
runs Of the broad tire over this tr6 ck
have In ell cases been g. fficient, how
ever, to 60 improve the road surface
that both the broad aud narrow tired
wagons passed over this road with less
Draft tnan Che narrow tires did in the
original RUS. In addition to the saw
Ing OF draft, the road was made very
much more comfortable and pleasant
tor the users of light vehicles and
pleasure carriages by the few runs of
the six Irca tire.
Summing up all the tests on dirt
roads, II appears that there are but
Enree conditions on which the broad
uFes drew heavier than the narrow
'lfes, namely: % When the road is
sOppy, muddy or sticky on the sur
lace AM igm or hard underneath; (2)
"nen the surface is covered with q
very deep. loose dust and hard under
UeaEhi 81 when the mud is very deep
Slu so sUicky that it adheres to the
"neeis OF both kinds of wagons. 1t
appears that the dust n ust be extra
SS'Ulnarliy deep to show higher draft
NJ 'he broad than for the narrow tires.
17 three Conditions just named, there
.O'e' are somewhat unusual and of
ss'HParatIVely short duration. Through
- u-' J1rity Of days in the year and at
s .'ules when the dirt roads are most
S0o aud when their use is most i'm
p.la'lVe, the broad tired wagons pull
70 raa'VFlaly lighter than the narrow
'Fed wagons.
large number of tests on mead
s,. pastures, stubble land, corn
''Ouno and plowed ground in every