The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1901-10-31
THE TRACTABLE TRACTOR.
A Steam Engine That Plcws, Plants,
Harvests and ThrssheS on a
Wholesale Plan.
Hauls Enormous Loads Along Roads, Up
Mountains and Through
Forests
ID. 4. Wiley, in Junior Munsey)

I'd. 4. Wiley, in Junior Munsey)
The automobile has made more of n
reputation for itself as n gymnastic per
former than as an ordinary vehicle. Mile
a-minute engines handling the "limiteds'
ON the great American railways were for
gotten in the interest over the power de-
veloped from a few quarts OF gasoline or
bottled-up electricity.
But now comes n giant out OF the West
which threatens to deprive the automo-
bile of some of its laurels Ii is a steam
Hercules. whose steel muscles are IA sup
ple as they are strong controlled by n
twist of n wheel or the pull Of lever,
il becomes n mechanical athlete doing
stunts" that would seem incredible il
not verified by the camera.
The tractor" as the people on the
Pacific coast have dubbed it, is short for
traction engine, but it is widely different
from the putting, squeaking mechanism
that drags the thresher slowly along the
highways in the Eastern States The old
fashioned machine is merely boiler set
on n truck with n rope or chain TO haul
it's load. From - to 30 miles dayi Is a
fair rate of speed, even on a macadam
roadbed. On dirt road horses are fire.
quently needed to aid steam in forcing
the weight over Jumps and through the
ruts.
1t may have been the difficulties expert
enced by one of these traction engines in
Caliiornia's red clay that suggested to
the inventors of the tractor a way to
overcome the trouble Whatever the sug
gestion, they designed n machine that
serves instead of teams OF horses or oxen
on the farm and in the lumber camp;
that works as freight locomotive, but
on a railless road; that climbs hills which
would stall the most powerful railway
motor: that runs around in circles as
easily as the lightest automobile, and
that travels across country regardless oi
roads, pulling its load even through
plowed fields and underbrush.
THE TRACTOR's POWER AND SIZE.
1t is a big thing, this tractor. The
driving wheels first attract attention be-
cause of their enormous tires. Those OF
the ordinary farm wagon measure four
inches across; some and these are re-
sponsibleior the deep ruts in the average
country thoroughfare-are but two inches
wide. The rims of the tractor wheels
are from twenty inches to five feet in
width.
As the eye takes in the arrangements
of the wheels and chains the whole affair
gives the impression OF an enormous tri-
cycle-and this is about what tits, except
that the main wheels have steel instead
of rubber tires, and that the power is
communicated by a series of cog wheels
instead of one or two. A roller and link
chain connects the fly wheels with the
drivers and guide wheel in front. 1t is
very much like the bicycle chain, but
OF its links is foot long and is made oi
steel three-quarters OF an inch thick. 1t
would require blow equal to twenty
six tons of weight to break one OF the
pins that hold the links together. The
chains it into teeth in the same manner
as on the bicycle. and when the two big
wheels on the top, and justin front OF the
engineer, begin to reyolve, around go the
chains with such power as to move not
only the engine itself but also hundred
or hundred and fifty tons OF weight
along a level road, where two horses
would draw four or five tons.
FLOWING FIFTY ACRES ~ A DAY.
When the owner of a big California
grain farm decides that it is time to pre-
pare the ground for the wheat or oats or
corn he doesn't tell the hired man to
"hook up" the plow team, but says TO
his engineer: George, ! think Wen begin
on that hundred-acre lot tomorrow.
Suppose you look over the engine and
get ready" George puts in the rest OF
the day in the engine shed, lubricating
the bearings, Tightening the nuts, and
driving home a loose rivet here and there.
The fireman fills the fuel box with a ton
of coal, or with a cord and half OF oak
or hickory. The water tank is also
pumped full, for this engine uses fifty
hogsheads day.
At daylight the next morning engine
and crew start away for the hundred
acre patch, and there the coupling ropes
are attached to row of twelve or fif-
teen CT perhaps twenty plows. Each
share turns the ground over to a depth
of fourteen inches and width of two
feet from top to top OF ridges.
Possiblyyou hayeseen three horses try
to pull single gang plow through a
pasture lot where the clay soil is covered
with closely matted sod and roots
with every muscle standing out on their
bodies, the animals tugand strain at the
harness making the iurrow foot by foot
"a "a = ~ .,.,sol farm dar. from sunrise