Oxford Democrat., 1913-02-18
Gasoline Traction on q Maine Farm
ADvANTAe Es AND DISADVANTAGES AS
SHOWN ATHIGHMooR.

ADvANTAeE Es AND DISADVANTAGES A
SHOWN ArH1GHMooR.
In its work at Highmoor Farm th
Maine Agricultural Experiment Static
needed more power for traction tha
could be readily furnished by horses
The work at the farm calls for q goo
deal Of traction power during the grow
ing season and practically none in th
winter. The apple trees are low heade'
aud il is difficult without ipjuring th
trees to work as closely to them wit
horses as is desirable for clean cultivs
ton. There are many acres to frequent
ly cultivate. In the early season 1t
desirable to harrow the orchards afte
Zach rain. To do all of this work whel
It should be done was found impossible
| with the seven TO nine horses that tn
farm carried during the season of 1911
aud 1911. In looking about for q trac
,ion power, the claims made by th,
Hackney Manufacturing Company OF st
Paul for their auto-plow sounded we'll
One OF these machines was purchased
the winter Of 1911, and has been used OF
the farm the present season. 1t is no
he purpose of the present letter to dis
cuss the good and bad points of this par
,icular machine, but rather to indicate
some of the ways in which a traction
power has been found very useful in th'
work at Highmoor Farm.
Tha onkn vlow 10 Aoai0naH IN carry
three plows attached to the draw bal
under the machine and between th'
wheels. In soil free from stone anG
with a nearly true surface, such an ar
range ment will probably work satisfac
torily. In the fields and orchards a
Highmoor Farm, those desirable condi
tions do not exist, and plowing the way
the makers intended is out of the ques
ton. Furthermore, the machine, be
cause of its weight, cannot be used unit
after the frost is all out and the ground
settled. Hence these plows were early
removed from the machiuein order tc
make the tractor adaptable TO the condi
,ions at the farm. Flowing was done by
attaching walking plows to the rear
With one pillow thus attached, the ma
chine will pillow quarter more than is
D lsSible with a pair OF horses. With
three plows, seven or eight acres day
crn be plowed.
During the latter part of September
the tractor drawing one plow was salts
tactorily used to turn under a green crop
of buckwheat grown for the purpose OF
adding humus TO the soil. The buck
wheat stood on an average two feet in
height. Before blowing, roller was
irswn over the field TO break down the
plants. Then one end of long chain
was attached TO the draw bar on the
tractor, the other end was fastened to the
plow beam, allowing loop Of chain to
draw just in front of the mould board OF
the plow and ahead of the turning fur
row. This loop of chain dragged the
buck " heat plants into the furrow and
ensured their being wholly covered.
As early as possible in the spring the
orchards at Highmoor are plowed. Then
the land is kept in clean cultivation by
means of harrows until the middle OF
July. Prior to the past season, horses
have been the only source OF power In
narrowing. Generally from five TO siI
days are required for two teams to har-
row the orchard with spring tooth har'
rows. With the gasoline tractor the
same area ia narrowed 10 two and one
half days and the work is done far better
Our method of using the tractor to har'
row between the fruit trees is as follows
Two sets of spring harrowS, each set be-
ing of the size ordinarily drawn by two
,kk,ahal 70 anraa6ar Uhsnh
can be offset on either lside OF the trac.
tor, thereby ensuring stirring of the SOIL
close to the base of the apple trees. The
tractor itself travels midway between
the rows of trees. The harrows are
dragged close tn the trees. Very little
hand work is required to keep the
ground Immediately surrounding the
tree free from grass and weeds. In the
bands of careful operator this machine
can be handled in the orchard without
injury to the trees. With horses some
branches are bound to be broken If one
endeavors to harrow close to the trees.
The spring tooth harrows, when drawn
by a tractor, can be set as deep as 1t ia
possible for the teeth to dig. A pair OF
horses could not pull one set Of these
harrows, digging the full capacity, over
much ground in a day. Of course the
harrows are not always set to dig full
depth of teeth. The rows OF apple trees
are 25 feet apart. To fully harrow this
space, it is necessary to draw the harrow
twice between the rows of trees. Fol-
lowing this plan, 1t is possible to harrow
II to Is acres in ten hours.
A 2O.inch disc harrow seven feet wide
was heavily weighted and drawn by gas
oline tractor over sod land. This har-
row cut up heavy sod in excellent shape.
A few trips of the harrow soon reduced
the sod land TO fine condition.
In hauling stone from the orchard and
also from an eight-acre field which was
plowed this summer for the first time
since the Maine Agricultural Expert
meut Station assumed the management
of Highmoor Farm, the gasoline tractor
has been valuable. This machine will
drag on stone boat rocks which fOuI
horses can only start. The tractor may
be kept at work constantly; no stops are
necessary except to load aud unload the
stone boat.
1t is not possible to figure the cost
from our experience with any accuracy
The expense of adjustments OF the ma
chine to meet our conditions and the re
pair items have been large. With ma
chine constructed to meet New England
conditions, much of this expense woulG
doubtless disappear. To reckon thu
cost BY fuel consumption would be n
misleading as it would be in the case o.
an automobile, or as to reckon the COS
of horses by their feed. Accidents viii
occur with any power and the up.keeI
bills are always large, whether 1t b'
horses or power tractors that are used
In q nine hour day the gasoline con
su mption varied from ten to fourteen
gallons and from six to eight quarts o
lubricating oil were required. With th'
machine, more work can be done thai
with eight horses. By changing th'
drivers the machine can work from day
light to dark, or fifteen to eighteel
hours day. In fourteen. hour day l
will do more work than twelve or fifteeI
horses. This machine is not right 10 1T
design for Now England conditions
Probably the right design has not ye
been evolved. The right machine woult
reduce the cost for repairs 30 that the.
would probably be no greater than Will
horses. As so much work can DO don
in day with the machine, We hav
fonnd 1t almost indispensable. We shal
use this tractor another season, and hop
that some company may study New Eng
land conditions and bring out powe
that will do the work this one will do
and without its drawbacks.-Chas. d
Woods.
What to Do for the Orchard.