Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-10-13

cut on the farm, and room will be made
for machinery of other types.
There is a point in the life of every farm
implement when it is finally worn out.
Very often, however, it can still be taken
into the field and made to do some work,
and everybody who lives in a country
neighborhood knows how some farmers
Will hang on to such old machines with
pride, as though there were some occult
merit in them.
The implement manufacturer is anxious
to see all these old relics thrown or to the
scrap pile for two excellent reasons:
FIRST, on the farmers a~ccount-he is los
ing money in the work of such an obso-
lete machine when the improved types of
today will do so much more work, and do
1T better. Second, on his own account
the manufacture wants to be relieved of
the burden of carrying repair parts for
the few old relics scattered over the coun-
try.
Standardization of Parts Begun.
Questions of this sort enter into the eff
cient equipping of the farm, and it makes
little difference whether the farm is large
or small If it is large then the room for
Standardization and interchangeability is
great. If 1t is small so much more reason
for wise choice of equipment, in order that
the dealer may give good service in re-
pair parts.
manufacturers have started in to stand
ardize wagons and are gradually work.
ing toward uniformity in dimensions.
Lack of uniformity is due partly to the
Whlln OF the farmer and partly to COM
petition in selling among manufacturers
and dealers. The farmer sees a style of
wagon that he likes when he is visiting
another locality. 1t ma be a mountain
type. not suited to his prairie neighbour
hood, but he buys one, and %neighbors
want that kind. too. This brings COM
plexity into the stocks of two or three
dealers.
Fancy Makes Increase Costs.
VI the manufacturer to make his prod
uct more attractive, introduces something
new in wagons, and the problem of stock
Is complicated in the same way. 1t is
necessary to carry more finished wagons
and also more repair parts.
Standardization is difficult, because
sales OF every sort Of farm implement
depend upon improvements and novel;
ties. Therefore manufacturers must keep
on inventing and improving. But they
are adopting standards in such funda-
mental parts as wheels, tires, axles and
so forth.
Until recently there were 40 different
wheel heights. These nave been brought
down to five and more recently to two.
A few years ago each wagon manufac-
turer had his wooden parts cut to his
own rough patterns at the lumber mill.
No manufacturer could use lumber cut
for another, and the mills could not
bid comparatively for the business, or cut
stocks in duh seasons to be put away
until wanted. Now standard sizes are
used by all manufacturers, at great saw
ing in cost.
Hard Service Given Farm Tools.
So simple a tool as the plow has been
made in GO different styles by a single
manufacturer, who admitted tina about
20 shapes and sizes would cover all de-
mands. Plow and tillage implement man
ufacturers are working together to elim-
mate obsolete and unnecessary styles,
while preserving all the inventiveness
that makes for improvements. The same
broad work of elimination Is going on
all through the implement industry.
The ideal is to make the smallest va
riety of machines in the greatest possible
lean standard factory system will save
money for both farmer and manufac-
turer. 1t is a big job. For the variety
of machines necessary to deal with all
the different crops and soils in this coun-
try Is tremendous. To bring that ideal
about the farmers help is needed.
This great work Of standardization will
have an effect upon the problem of re-
pair parts. Farm machinery must stand
up under worse abuse than any other
class Of mechanism. Most Of it is in actual
use only a few weeks each year, and the
rest Of the time stands idle. Idleness
means rust, rot and deterioration. Farm
machinery is also operated by employees
with little mechanical skill. Wear and
breakage follow as natural consequences.