Virginia gazette. [volume] (Williamsburg, Va.) 1893-192?, 1909-10-28
Iha New Traction Engine Flowing.

mace use OK uscuon machinery in
P.o~lrg Ineir lands AID doing other
woTS formerly performed with
horses. oct such advanced methods
O. taTmins have been practically IN
known IN ,ne East. and especially in
/ Eastern Virginia. On the Peninsula
lthe garden spot or Virginia) the
tirmer has always depended up
on a niger and e mule to 90 his
blowing. and II IS really seen that
such me .hods have not conduced
70 the betterment or the land. To-
day such methods no longer pay.
The farmer. 70 DC successful in the
/ best sense of the term. must be pro
i gressive and up-to-d e. His land.
TO bring the best results. must be
thoroughly ant uniformly cultivated.
/ The old average OF production viii
no longer pay taxes. Insurance: pro
vide a living tor the family aad leave
a surplus. consequently the farme.
nus. adopt the best means at his
hand 70 decrease the cost OF farm
work and increase me average OF
production. Ii has already been
proven that deep anc thorough cul
uvaton alone increas IS the produc-
ton of crops. but hi. kind OF cul-
Jivaton cannot be &C .omplisned. al
least on large scale without ade.
/ luate implements.
Mr.. John a. Bech-sl who a few
months ago purchas d the Wright
tarm. consisting of more than a
thousand acres. on the York river
and about seven miles from Win
amsburg. is a progressive and en-
nently practical man. He has
made a careful study OF the most
modern methods OF farming. and
ne thoroughly believes in the use OF
labor saving machinery as a neces
sity 10 making the tam pay. Hs
believes thar a practical labor saving
machine on the tarn'. regardless ot
IT'S initial cost. is a source OF econo
my in the long run. and besides IN,
saving of cost in labor the machin,
IS always on hand and ready fo.
work and effects a further saving II
the avoidance of delays.
Having become satisfied of III,
Idaptao,lity OF our lands tor the Us,
of machinery on the farm. Mr.
Becntel mas just placed in use on hi
estate an immense 30 h. D.. ga
traction engine capable Of doing tht
work of p mules ans al about one
fourth the cost. TO say nothing o
having the work done IN a better ans
more uniform manner.
Mr.. Bechtels engine. made b,
! the Gas Traction Engine Manufac
turing Co.. OF Minneapolis, was see
Tor several DAYS on the streets o
j.. Williamsburg. and a number of tar
mers who saw the machine runninl
around a circle near gohnson's liver,
stable, expressed q ,ubt as to il
DracublhIy tor use II blowing Igh
. soil. but severe tes, given the en-
s gine drawing SIX heavy plows in IN.
lightest soil on Mr. 3echtel's farm
proved that the machine is not only
practicable for the work, but does i
IN a more satisfactory manner thar
II could be accomplished with
horses. To the surprise OF Mr..
Bechtel. and others Who witnessed
the work done. the engine. in spite
of its great bulk and :vident weight,
did not sink into the oil at all. but
moved along owe. the surface with
out any apparent effort. After
wards the machine, with six heavy
plows cutting SIX un.form furrows
eight inches deep and sixteen inches
wide, was put at work IN heavier soil
which was covered with q heavy
lgrowth ot tall weeds and grass. and
moved along with the same appar-