The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1915-08-18
The Farmer and
His Motor Car
Is Tempted to Do Own Repair
ing And Is Prone to Over
load His Machine

AS boy and man a large share
of farmers time has been
spent with mechanical devices
of some sort. He understands
machinery in a practical way
and needs little of the elemen-
tary teaching that is often nee
essary to put acityma in touch
with the forces that make the
wheels go round" For this rea-
son the farmer is what an auto
mobile manufacturer might term
a highly desirable customer.
Also, the farmer is usually
thoughtful, conservative and
temperate. He is not given to
doing reckless things. He learns
the principles of driving and
care of an automobile far more
readily than the city man.
Most farmers had some ex-
perience with gasoline engines
of the stationary type. This is
further course of excellent
preparation for automobile ow-
nership; and any farmer who
has ever cared for a binder and
kept it in repair and adjustment
knows good deal about gearing.
knowledge a Weakness
This very knowledge is, how
ever, frequent source of weak
ness. The automobile is by far
the most delicately balanced and
adjusted piece of machinery on
the farm, if one may except the
farmers watch. Repair and adj
iustment methods which would
have proven effective on coarser
types of machinery will not do
in the case of the motor car;
nor is it within the power of the
average farmer-mechanic to in
troduce into an automobile any
changes tending to give his car
greater speed or more power.
Instances without number have
proven the truth of this asser-
ton, and thousands Of trips to
the repair shops have been nee
essary because of this weakness.
| The automobile, too, requires
far more careful attention than
any other piece of machinery on
the farm. It's finish should be
guarded as closely as that of
the family piano, which it ac-
tually surpasses in glossy bril-
lance. 1t should always be left
under cover at night and the
cover should be an airy, dry
room, where the protection
against weather is complete.
Overlooking a Habit
Farmers are also prone to
overload their cars, forgetting
that each car has been designed
to take definite passenger max
imum with only a reasonable
factor of safety. Cars cannot
be treated like wagons; rubber
and steel alike will show the re-
suits of the strain.
Ali too often the farmer fails
to protect the interior of his car
when using it for the purpose
of carrying loads other than pas
sengers. An automobile will,
it is true, carry considerable
loads of produce, seed or other
cargo instead of passengers, but
: it is sure to sustain lot of hard
knocks in case this becomes a
regular part of it's duty. A set
of slip covers, or at least a cur
tain of carpet or canvas should
: always be thrown over the in
terror of the car when it is used
e for such purpose.
$ It is perhaps but natural that
e the city man should be more
careful than his rural brother
in the choice Of his automobile
General news travels faster in
the city and men learn speedily
what cars are satisfactory in
: service, what manufacturers are
= prosperous and we'll financed
what dealers are most alive to
their obligations.
Cut price Goes not allure the
city man as it does the farmer
: He realizes better the facts that
: lie back Of the reduced price