The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-04-17

owner can obtain some lucrative custom
work for the tractor when it is not re-
quired on the home farm. A great deal
| OF the custom work which has been done
with tractors has proved Improbable to
the tractor however.
For the Farmer Who Considers Buying a
Tractor.
The farmer who considers buying a
tractor NAV well review carefully the re-
suits of other farmers experience as set
down in the department of agriculture's
new bulletin. The fact that some men
have found the tractor profitable in
yestment is proof that under certain con
ditions il can be used successfully for
farm work.
The physical condition of the land de-
termines largely the degree of success
which can be obtained with tractor.
The ideal conditions are large. level fields,
free from Instructions, such as trees,
stumps, rocks. holes, and bitches, with
Il soil firm enough to furnish solid
footing for the drive wheels, yet not
sufficiently hard TO make an excessive
draft on the plows.
But the most important qualification is
efficient management. The operator
must understand his tractor thorough
" and not only be able to locate quick.
~ any trouble which occurs and remedy
the same promptly, brt he must be ca
pable of avoiding great many OF the
troubles commonly experienced by trac.
tors, by frequent inspection OF the bear
ings, ignition system, etc, thus keeping
them in first class condition at II times.
The necessity of having tractor own
ers properly trained for the opera tion
of their outfits has been recognized by
most manufacturers, and several have
established schools 10. their customers,
where they can be instructed by experts
in the care and operation of the trac-
tor. The tractor statesmen have also real
lied that in selling outfits to men who
are incompetent to operate them they
are not only injuring their own inter
ests. hut those of the tractor trade in
general.
number of agricultural colleges have
added courses in tractioneering, and there
are several privately conducted tractor
schools. IL is believed that most farm
ars who contemplate purchasing trac-
.or would find il well worth while TO
"a Ike a short course in tractioneering at
'ome one of these schools. IL will be
lime and money well spent. The knowl-
'dge gained will be of great assistance
n selecting q tractor, as well as in OPP
rating il. The time and money which
he course requires will be saved in
many cases during the first two sea
ons
Another important factor in determin.
ne the success or failure Of a tractor is
be amount of capital invested in it,
The average farmer cannot afford TO in (
rease his power investment To any great I
xtent. In purchasing tractor he should
ot. therefore, spend Is much for IL a. {
u can realize on the horses il will dis.
lace. for the reason that the working ,
lie Of tractor j. only about half that !
I horse. while there are many opera {
ions for which the tractor cannot b. I
sed The first cost of a tractor should !
n that account be correspondingly less. Z
/ i unsafe 90 rely on an increase of :
rops from better work with the trae- 3
pr. as in most cases this Is not real q
ed. Z
II l. significant that many farmers :
no have bought secondhand tractors AZ c
~ prices have been very successful
it'll them. II j. also significant that {
W. sales Of the larger and more expcn- h
te outfits have fallen of. while those 5
the smaller and comparatively cheap :
hes have largely increased. While there
ave been numerous influences which \
imbined e. prsiuce this result, there is
sound economic reason for u. The
Feragc farmer u not only conservative.
u DO realizes tuat he cannot afford 20 p
crease his investment IN power too
uch. While tho cost 81 fuel and oil
= unit II power j. less than the cost
feed for harses. the overhead charges
- % interest on Investment. deprecia
On. repairs. etc. more than Offset this
the expensive outfits. except undet
nditions unusually favorable 10 the u.s.
thr tractor.
~ reducing tho fret cnst THE interest y
4 appreciation charges are correspond
glv reduce5. snd i is - b. supposed a
81 the cost ~ repair parts VII ~ n
arl1rt iouste to the first cnst u j.
j