The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1904-12-01
THE WIDE TIRE.
Discussion Of Its Draft a. Compared
with the 0ld-Fashioned
Marrow Tire.

in many parts Of the prairie states
gravel or similar material for surfacing
the roadsais not readily available and
the question that confronts these sec
tions at present is how to have the best
roads from the material at hand.
One very important factor in the pro-
duction and maintenance Of good dirt
roads is the use Of the wide tire. The
advantage Of the wide tire in rolling
down the surface of the road and avoid
Ing the formation of ruts is quite gen.
orally recognized, says the Prairie
Farmer. There is still some misappre-
hension, however, as to the draft of the
wide-tired wagon, as compared with
those having the old-fashioned narrow
tire.
The belief that increasing the width OF
tire increases the draft doubtless arises
from the fact that as rule the increase
In width Of tire is accompanied by de-
crease in the diameter of the wheel. The
former, as shown by many trials de-
creases the draft. the latter very rapidly
increases II. The radius of the wheel
constitutes the lever arm through which
the power Of the horse acts to move the
load. AS this lever is shortened the ad-
vantage Of the horse is decreased. In
other words, greater amount Of power
must be applied to move the load.
! The Missouri experiment station has
conducted numerous trials with wheels
Of different heights and the same width
of tire. The following are some Of the
conclusions reached:
For the same load wagons with
wheels Of standard height drew lighter
than those with lower wheels. The diff
ference In favor of the standard wheels
was greater on road surfaces In bad con-
dition than on good road surfaces. Low
wheels cut deeper ruts than those OF
standard height The vibration of the
tongue Is greater in wagons with low
wheels For most purposes wagons with
low wheels are more convenient than
those OF standard height. Wagons with
broad tires and wheels Of standard
height are cumbersome and require
much room in turning Diminishing the
height OF wheel 10 from 30 to &c inches
In front, and 40 to A inches in the rear,
did not increase the draft in as great
proportion as It increased the con-
venience Of loading apSs unloading the
ordinary farm teight. Diminishing
.he heisnt Of wheels below 80 incheS
a., .ld 40 inches rear, increased 'u'
" at in greater proportion thah
gained in convenience.
"Or good roads, increasing the 'ehs'
o. rear axle so that the front ana res
m,sehs will run In different tracks
n avoid cutting ruts, did net iner>
n draft. On sod, eultivs'
sr bad roads, war"- ,dse
longer tn "a ground. a
"" IN the front one, drew hoo
'u one having both axles Of tho CO,
,ehgth. Wagons with tho rann 'a' a.
longer than front one reouiro ,,,,sa a.
W. 80 ana more careful drivers and a
on the whole, very inconvenient anu d q
~ oe recommended for farm NO m n
.est form OK farm wagon Is ono No,
axies OF equal length, broad tires a,
wneeis 80 TO S6 inches high in front a,
4o to ~ inches behind" ~
AS to the effect OF the width of -,
where the diameter of the wheel remair
the same, the Seattle Post notes a tri,
where 40 per cent. more power was r.
quired to draw load on a wagon ba,
ing lh-inch tires than on a wagon ba,
Ing three-inch tires. Tests at the Me
:, souri, station were very decidedly I
;. favor OF the wide tire under practicaIl
all conditions
In this connection It may be note
> that many European countries have law
regulating the width of tires. In Ger
many four-inch tires are reoulred ro
heavy loads In France the tires mus
pc from three to ten inches. accordin,
to the load, and the front axle must h
shorter than the rear axle to preyen
tracking" In Austria wagons carry
ing ~ tons must have tires at Ieas
41-3 inches wide, and every load owe,
AZ tons must be carried on tires 6A
inches In width. Switzerland has simi
lar regulations.