Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1914-10-14
uACHINERY FOR
THE FARM

.,ss r. simmons proiess2i o. agronyomy,
Geooarrssrsity OF Maine FARMERS week
caurse, isiaJ ---
-, agricultural development OF the
lps s,,r years has been due more to the
PSI - made in the development OF farm
'd's .,.srv and its improved efficiency
DISC an 70 any other factor that has affected
'DsA in the United States. It is
the efficiency Of farm machinery
~. :. ,,s nresent agricultural population Is
's a,',o maintain the food supply neces-
~. az the maintenance of our present
'.rnlation; as the use OF modern ma
r si.srv enables the laborer to do What
,ormerly done by two or more labor
md do ii with greater degree Of per-
tsction. ,
..,t Of the past centuries we find that
=, little progress was made. The tools
Nsyrnlepents used thousands of years
- were not much improved upon until
s.so, times. Indeed 1t has been within
~, last century that any marked i'm
a,ovement in agricultural machinery has
s.sn brought about. Many here present
:, recall the cruder methods and cruder
,-,lsments that were used even within
their recollection.
The great civilization which has de-
,sloped in this country Is due very largely
i the improved methods made possible by
,hs development OF machinery both in the
INV md on the farm. Nations backward
n the development OF agricultural ma
,hinery are backward all along the line OF
Improvement. The moving machine has
,ppplemented the scythe. The grain
harvester has supplemented the cradle;
md the potato digger, to great extent,
the man with the hoe. The farmer OF to-
sav l. able to do much more work in q
day. to do il at the proper time, and do it
more thoroughly than in the times of
hand labor on the farm.
In the case OF harvesting machinery,
grains and grasses may be harvested at
the proper time in their development to
secure maximum returns Of the crops, in
the most favorable condition. BY hand
methods, work was begun when the hay
was too green to cut, and lasted over until
the bay was so woody that 1t was unfit
for best use by animals as feed.
In ike manner much grain was har-
rested when too green, securing only
shriyeled grain, or was harvested when
quite late, leaving the farmer at the mercy
o. poor wealth. conditions, ia which to
harvest the crop.
The acreage OF tillsge crop has been in
creased very largely, which makes posi-
bic the preparation OF the land for the
renewal Of grass plants. in order TO secure
large yields of bay crops. AT this time of
high cost OF land lab Dor, ! would like TO call
your attention to the cost per acre of ma
chnsry service, exclusive o, the man and
horse labor used in connection with it.
Investigations have been made along this
line by several OF our states.
will tote from Minnesota Bulletin
No. H. Ia this data the amount of de-
probation and the original cost OF the
machine, including repairs, have been
taken into consideration. Grain binders,
Isl cents per acre. Grain seeders, rs
csnis. Binders, s2.8 cents; corn planters,
81 cents; moving machines, 26.6 cents;
rakes, centsi piows, 81 cents; harrows,
~ fentsi uisc,, SO CENTS. THIS shows the
average cost per acre to secure the use OF
machinery on the farm, where reasonable
namoef u acres is handled per machine,
per year.
As 10 the duty OF machine, by averag-
inga large number of estimates OF rates
OIL work for different machines, it has been
eoneiudsd that machine covering one
foot IN width OF surface should go over
cue and four-tenths acres per day. On
'aIs basis, pio@ turning a twelve-inch
ia'Fo", SUI uid piow IL acres per day. A
sx-ioot moving machine 81 acres per
Gay. a nine-toot hay rack about 1875
acres pr day.
Some farms may be over-supplied with
machinery, but many more are under
supple In many communities, salts
factory arrange ments can be made among
groups OF farmers, that oaid provide all
VI them with ur-to-d machinery at
CHASED by different individuals, and by
not duplicating the kinds already pur-
Chased, or to be purchased, by their neigh
oofs' by method of bring, all may be
accommodated, where the acreage is not
too large
we might suggest as some of the i'm
pismeuts to be handled in this way: A
gram seeder, that will distribute grain at
'ne same time distributing grass seed and
numerical fertilizer; a self binding grain
harvester might be owned by another
man; corn harvester by another; an
snsiiage cutter by another; farming and
grading mill by another; and SO on, until
.He community is we'll supplied with up
".uate machinery at minimum expense.
IN purchasing machinery, one recon-
menaation would be in place here, as to
'nAI machinery to purchase. We should
'.eommend the buying OF standard makes
VI machines from reliable manufacturers,
sna, where possible, purchased from
aeaier who will carry the supplies for