The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-10-12
TIRES FOR FARM USE.
Which Proves More Than News
paper Arguments Do.


conservatism" of the average farmer
their use would be much more COM
mon than now. So far Gs yet appears,
nothing is to be said against them. the
only objection being the cost of the
change. But the cost cannot be great,
while the advantages are so many that
it seems strange how little attention is
given to the matter.
Among the advantages are an easier
draft for the team and less wear and
tear to the tire and the road bed. Mar
row tires have less supporting sur
face by which to uphold the load, and
that makes them cut into the ground
with more force, and especially when it
is soft. Suppose the tire to be shaped
like the capital V, everyone can see
that it would cut into the road, hence
the narrower it is the greater is this
tendency. From this constant wear we
have an alienation of dust, mud when
it rains and ruts in spring and fall, in
addition to the wear and tear of the
team, harness, wagon, and the odds
and ends of time lost for repairs to
everything in use. When all the items
of cost are posted, the sum will be
found a very serious one to those to
whom economy is important.
In hauling loads over the farm where
there are no beaten roads, or only apol-
ogies for them, the waste is greatest.
In farm operations it is often necessary
to drive over freshly plowed ground,
or only once or twice narrowed, and
narrow tires make anything but light
load impossible to stir except for rod
or two at time. The usual load drawn
on a welI-beaten road will, on plowed
ground, wind" the team in a few Sec
onds, or sink it to depth impossible
to stir. The OK cart with its broad
tires is much more serviceable on such
land. and that fact should teach farm
ers that the farm wagons should also
be equipped with broad tires. The
farm wagon cannot be dispensed with,
but the OK cart, with its slowly NOV
ing team, is going out of use, and some
fine day in the future will disappear,
except in sections where it is incon-
venient or dangerous to use horses.
1t is evidently a common idea that to
use broad tires requires broad-rimmed
wheels-in other words, new wheels to
match the width Of the tires; but this
is an error, al least when the old rims
are in good condition. The broad
tires can be put on them just as they
are, and no trouble follow. 1 speak
from a rather limited experience, but
in spite of that feel confident that
am right, Some three years since,
bought a new wheelbarrow with a mar
row tire, used it month or two until
the tire came off, and then determined
to try board tire, three inches wide,
instead of an inch and half. On buy
ing the barrow, I asked the dealer if
broad tire could not be used on it, and
he said he thought not-that on soft
ground, q the rim of the tire would ex-
tend over the feiloe, it would become
loaded with earth and make trouble.
l failed to see the force of his reason
ing and decided to ignore it. The felloe
was not one of the best, and the black
smith looked rather dubious when l
told him my plan. Before he got the
tire on he seemed to feel-as thought
-profanely inclined, but succeeded
after he had unintentionally- though
lust as he expected chipped off
piece where the ends met. 1t was not
bolted firmly, and after some months
of use and shrinkage in hot weather,
came off, but was reset and firmly
bolted by another blacksmith, since
which it has done excellent service.
The predicted difficulty has not been
realized in the least, though it has
often been used on plowed or spaded
earth with loads about as heavy as are
carried on solid ground. The narrow
tire would not be replaced for the
price of the wheelbarrow.
We are bound to have an improved
system of roads in the near future, and
with them broad tires will be a natural
adjunct to reduce the cost of keeping
the roads in repair. The rapid wear of
narrow tires is soon apparent in the
rounded edges assumed, because the
friction at the edges is always the
greatest The moment the tire is
broade ned the friction lessons, and
could it be used at the width of foot
or more, the friction would be almost
infnitesimal. With only broad tires on
our roads we should have much less
dust than now, and that would be
gain in comfort as we'll as in the cost
for repairs. With less dust we should
have less mud in wet weather, and
roads with a minimum of dust and
mud would almost reach the ideal
standard-Philip Snyder, in Country
Gentleman