Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-04-17

tons Tor which the tractor can hot oe
used. The first cost of a tractor should
on that account be correspondingly less
1t is unsafe to rely on an increase or
crops from better work with the tractor,
as in most cases this is not realized.
It is significant that many farmers who
have bought secondhand tractors at low
prices have been very successful with
them. 1t is also significant that the sales
of the larger and more expensive outfits
have fallen OFF, while those of the smaller
and comparatively cheap ones have
largely increased. While there have
been numerous influences which COM
bined to produce this result, there is a
sound economic reason for it. The aver
age farmer is not only conservative, but
he realizes that he can not afford to In
crease his investment in power too much.
While the cost of fuel and oil per unit Of
power is less than the cost of feed for
horses. the overhead charges, due to in
terest on investment, depreciation, re-
pairs, etc. more than offset this on the
expensive outfits, except under condi-
tons unusually favorable to the use of
the tractor.
and depreciation charges are correspond
ingly reduced, and it is to be supposed
that the cost of repair parts will be
proportionate to the first cost. 1t is ap-
parent that the price of tractors has been
too high in the past to permit the aver
age farmer to use them successfully.
The indications at present point to a
general reduction in the price Of these
outfits and an increased sale as the
price is lowered.
The Traction Still in the Process Of
Development.
The fact that the tractor, as a mechani-
cal power outfit designed for pulling i'm
plements and for doing stationery work.
Is still in the process OF development
must be remembered by those who ex-
anime the records of it's success as given
In the bulletin. Some Of the tractors
used in the past not only have not been
completed and perfected outfits but the
men who worked them were not always
properly trained to handle them. Also
during the first few years of the develop
ment of the gas tractor the machines
placed on the market were mainly large
outfits, which were necessarily expensive,
and failure meant heavy financial loss.
1t is generally recognized that the gas
tractor was Of great value in rapidly
breaking up large areas of prairie sod in
the West at time when horses were
not available. but after the sod was
broken they proved an improbable in
vestment for the individual farmer in a
large percentage of cases. A few owners
have found the tractor a very profitable
invectment. doing it's work more salts
factory and much cheaper than could
be done with horses. while great many
discontinued its use after trial.
The percentage of owners reporting
favorably regarding the tractor decreases
with the length Of time they have used
their outfit. due partly to the fact tina,
the older machines were not as good as
the later ones. but mainly to better
realization Of the tractors value in their
work.
Average Life Of Large Tractor About
Six Years.
The average life of tractor as esti-
mated by owners in North Dakota is
about six years, while the average life
as estimated by owners in States other
than North Dakota is about eight years.
TO judge by the small percentage of re-
ports received for tractors three or more
years old, it would appear that a large
number of outfits three. four, and five
years old are no longer in use, indicat-
ing that the average life Is even less
than six years.
The blowing done with tractors has
been little, if any, deeper than that done
with horses.
combination work is not practiced to a
great extent and usually is limited to
harrows or drags after the gang plow
The percentage of tractors which are
operated at night is comparatively small
varying from II to IA per cent, although
the tractors efficiency at night is very
good.
No injurious packing of the soil is
caused by the tractors wheels if the sol
is in proper condition to be worked
The tractors which have been operated
by Kerosene show, as a whole, slightly
better average results than those operat-
ed by gasoline. indicating that the heavier
fuels can be burned at least as sattsfac
torily as the lighter ones. The amount
OF kerosene, used per unit of work, how.
ever, is usually slightly more than TO,
gasoline. which would appear to indicate
that the carburetion of the kerosene is
generally not as perfect as that of the
gasolene. This is partly due to the fac;
that many owners are burning kerosene
in tractors equipped with ordinary gaso.
line carburetors.
The necessity of a tractor being
equipped to operate on either heavy O,
light fuels is not so great as it was q
lew years ago. Modern processes of re.
filming make it possible to convert an
proximately Is per cent. of any crude oil
into gasoline or heavier fuels, as desired
and it is stated by an excellent authority
that the supply of crude oil available is
ample for several generations. Therefore,
the question of fuel supply need give the
tractor owner no concern.
The data apparently show that the
tractors with drawbar ratings Of Is
horsepower are giving slightly better re-
suits than either the larger or smaller
sizes.
THURSDAYS SES-