The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-08-01
Housing and Care Of
Farm Machinery
By II. II. MUSSELMAN, Instructor In Farm Esehsnies.
Michigan Agricultural College

1t would seem superfluous to point
out the need of care and protection
for farm machinery. There are. how
ever, many farmers who do not give
this matter the attention 1t deserves,
and we are led to inquire whether
they are fully convinced that 1t Is a
matter of dollars and cents, or, on the
other hand, one of carelessness and
neglect.
1t Is difficult to produce figures
showing that there is a definite saw
ing in the proper housing and care OF
farm equipment Of the kind men
toned. 1t has been demonstrated.
however, and is yearly being shown
that such is the case. In almost any
community examples can be found
where the period of usefulness of ma
chinery, well protected and cared for,
Is nearly double that on adjoining
farms where 1t Is left to the ravages
OF the weather, with no system of
keeping in order.
AS showing further the need or
more careful attention to this phase
of farm management the following
figures are presented. Though some
assumptions are made as to the pc
riod of usefulness of the machine in
question they are based on the judg-
ment of good authorities and may be
verified by the experience OF the
reader. BY making a list of the i'm
plements and tools required on 100
acre farm it will be found that their
value will not be far from $1,000.
Properly housed and cared for the
tools referred to should have period
of usefulness Of twelve years. On this
assumption the yearly cost would be
nearly $S5. The annual or yearly cost
in each case is found by dividing the
first cost by the period Of time i'll use.
Taking eight years as the period OF
usefulness for unprotected equipment
it will be found that the annual cost
would be $120. Now an implement
house to protect this machinery could
be constructed at a cost of from 81
TO $3.50 Using the latter figure and
assuming that the house could be
used for Is years, a yearly cost OF
nearly $17 would be sho=1n. Not TAX
ing into account interest ON invest
ment for the purpose in mind the to-
tai annual cost OF protected machin-
cry would be SIS plus ST. equals $102.
as against an annual cost of $3.50
per year for unprotected. From these
figures saving OF SIS per year will
be shown
1t should be remarked. too, that In
a well-designed implement house the
work of caring for implements Is not
increased. 1t is often more expedient
to drive a machine under cover than
to spend time in covering 1t with can
vas or otherwise protecting 1t tenn
porarily in the field. as must be done,
for instance, with the binder. The i'm
plement house should have ample floor
space. Height Is not SO essential, but
space may often be economical by u.s.
ing a hoist of some description to
lift and hang the lighter tools and i'm
plements off the floor. This would be
desirable, particularly for implements
or tools used only for short periods
of the year. The implement floor
should also be open and free from
posts II possible to facilitate moving
the larger units. The doors should
be wide enough to accommodate any
implement and close enough together
to permit taking machines out of the
building without making it necessary
to move a great number of others. II
might also be said In this connection
that an effort should be made to
group together those implements in
use at the same time. Using this
scheme, the whole group may be TAX
en- out at once. A concrete floor made
level also makes moving heavy nipple
ments an easy task. Two men can
move loaded wagon on cement
floor that would be load for team
if left standing on an earth floor.
The farmer has an endless number
of details to look after and hence
should make system do as much Of his
work as possible. This not only econ
omiZes time but leaves his mind free
TO pillow rather than carry and hold
items Of unimportance. Following is
a suggestion intended to show what
is meant.
Summer is busy season and II Is
difficult to find time to put an i'm
plement in order when through using.
This is. however, the best time be- !
cause the operator has in mind the
details which need replacing or re-
pairing. This scheme will help econ |
omize time and yet bring to mind
what Is to be done Procure some |
shipping tags about 21kx4k (cost 81 |
to $3.50 per M. When the tool is
brought in note on one of these tags
the repairs to be made. the number
and description Of the parts to be or
dered. These cards are then attached
In a conspicuous place on the imple-
ment.
Wen favorable time comes for
putting the machine in good order
these cards will suggest what needs
IN no dnna PARTS NAV he ordered inn