Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-08-22
The Care of Farm Machinery.

| The progress of farming is no better
shown than in the change which it has
wrought in farm machinery. The
amount and cost of farm machinery has
increased from the simple fail and
cradle to the complex harvester and
steam thresher.
Fifty years ago the care of farm ma
chinery received little attention; but to-
day, when the amount of capital invest
ed in machinery represents a consider
able part of the farmers investment, it
becomes an important subject for con-
sideration. 1t becomes important to
know how to realize the most possible
from each machine we purchase, and
since this depends largely upon the
care and management OF the machine,
we look for improvement in this direc-
ton. On many farms the loss in time
and money resulting from improper
care of machinery, would represent in
dollars and cents a moderate income.
When in use, farm machinery is
generally working more or less in dust
and dirt, and on this account is liable to
rapid wear unless given the best of care
when in use. In oiling, the rule should
be to oil little and often, rather than
much and seldom, for all superfiuous
oil will only run to the outside of the
bearing and collect dust, more or less of
which works into the boxing, causing
rapid wearing and a consequent weaken
ing of the machine and thus shortening
it's life. Oil should be OF the best
quality and its heaviness or tenacity
should depend on the machine upon
which it is to be used. Machines doing
heavy work require thicker oil than
those doing lighter work. High.speeded
bearings require thinner oil than the
slow-moving parts.
A mistake very often made is neglect
to keep all bookings and wearing sur
faces tight. All standard makes of
machines are so arranged usually that
the wearing surfaces may be renewed at
slight expense if done in time. For
instance, nearly all modern mowers have
wear-plates on the cutter-bar that may
be replaced at a slight expense when
worn, thus saving the expense OF new
cutter-bar. But very often machines
are found with plates that are worn
off and the sickle worn into the bar un-
til it is either necessary to get new bar
at considerable expense or the machine
must be consigned to the scrap-pile,
when only few cents spent in replacing
the wear plates at the right time would
have increased the lasting qualities OF
the machine twofold.
If the proper tools are at hand, most
of the repairing work can be done on
the farm as we'll as at blacksmith shop.
The general repair work is best left un-
til winter, or other time when work is
slack and then as much of it as possible
should be done at home. When this is
done, the machinery is usually put into
better condition for seasons work, for
there is then plenty of time to do the
work and any parts that may be needed
can be sent for with plenty of time to
wait for their arrival. If the general
repairing is done by the blacksmith,
usually at least couple of miles away,
none of it is done until just before the
machine is to be used, and then the
blacksmith is busy and only just as
much work is done on the machine as
will put it into running condition. The
result is, the machine is only partially
repaired and the work attempted is in
consequence unsatisfactory done.-H.
Umberger in Kansas Farmer.