The Glenwood post., 1917-12-29
THE ADVANTAGES OF
\ TRACTOR FLOWING


lis being encouraged to put forth every
effort to increase his production of
crops. AT the same time, the men on
the farms are going into the manufac-
turing industry because of the lure of
higher wages, and the government is
also taking men from the farms for
military service. So, while facing an
extreme shortage of labor, the farmer
is at the same time being called upon
to produce more, and still more. TO
make up for the shortage of labor, and
and at the same time increase produc-
tion, farmers must buy implements that
VIII enable them to do more work with
less hired labor. And in this connec-
ton, one of the most effective "weap-
ons' which enables the possessor to
produce more crops with less labor is
the tractor plowing outfit.
Probably the most common argument
which the average salesman uses to sell
tractor plowing outfit is that the
tractor is cheaper than using horses.
This is good so far as it goes, but even
if the cost were greater, the increased
production made possible by the use
of the tractor outfit is far greater than
what he can ever hope to obtain with
horse drawn tools. Furthermore, it can
be made great enough to pay the farm
er to pasture his horses if he wants to.
When the reasons for this are perfectly
understood hv farmers in general, the
permanency of the tractor and other
power farming equipment is assured,
and its adoption more rapid than any
of the most enthusiastic can estimate.
Farmers have not been able to pro
duce enough crops in the past few
years, regardless of the intensity of
their farming operations. 1t is not to
be expected tnen that they can plow
more acres with horse drawn outfits,
particularly when the government do
mands horses as well as men in its
work Of carrying on the war.
The easiest. as well as the most log
lies in tie tractor blowing equipment,
for the reason that the owner can plow
more acres and plow them better if he
understands what he is doing. Being
able to plov and prepare his seedbe1
much be ter than he ever could with
horses, and do it at the right time, that
is when conditions are most favorable,
is unques ionably the greatest single
factor in the increased yield of any
crop, for no one thing is so important
as the proper preparation of the seed
bed.
One of tic big advantages of plow-
ing with tractor is that the work can
be done during the hottest part of the
summer ard at time of year when it
will do the most good and also when it
is more Or less impossible with horses.
A ira .t"r blowing outfit can be opcr-
ated in July, August, September, and
October, and do away with grasshop-
pers, white grabs, cinch bugs, and
host of other insects the damage of
which rurs up into millions and mil.
lions of dollars every year On most
farms the tractor and plow can be op-
Grated to do tris work without inter
ferirg with other operations on the
farm. which are always necessary at
the farrie. is converting these millions
of dollars ~cIth of damage into profit,
and at the same time putting his ground
in better condition for the production
of the crop.
Also, with the use of combined
rolling coulter and jointer in summer
and fall plowng if he plows at the
right season, the farmer will be able
to reduce his weed nuisance to the min
imum. By understanding how to reduce
the weed nuisance by proper plowing,
and if he will see to it that the weeds
in the pastures, meadows, and fence
corners arc kept down, the annual and
perennial weeds on the farm will soon
be thing of the past. And, further
more, if his ncighbors will all use sim
liar methods in conjunction, the weed
and insect pests can be reduced to
point where little or no damage will be
done by them.
An advantage of blowing with n trac
tor in the spring is that a farmer can
usually wait until the ground is in the
proper condition for plowng and then
60 on and do the work quickly. If the
ground which is to be plowed is covered
with weed seed from the season before.
by proper plowing the trash and weed
| seed will bp huriad on tho hnftom of