The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1917-03-30
WIDE TIRES MAKE
EASIER HAULING.

For many years advocates for good
roads have urged the use of wide
tires on wagons as a means of re.
ducing the needless ear of road sur
faces. For as many years the aver
age farmer has shown little inclina-
ton to adopt such tires. He pays
taxes for the maintenance of roads
and claims that they should be kept
in good enough condition for him to
use any width tires he prefers. He
objects to being taxed for something
which he must pamper to the extent
of foregoing what he regards as one
of his inalienable rights to the slight
buttressed by firm conviction that it
is difficult to persuade him TO
change it. The most convincing
argument in his case is usually one
that presents a prospect of financial
advantage, and there is a good argu
ment for wide tires based on their
saving to the farmer In fact, it is
a better argument for such tires than
their service in protecting roads. 1t
is based on facts ascertained by eX-
periments made by the U. S. Office
of Public Roads and Rural Engi-
neering under the direction of E. B.
Mccormick, chief of its division o.
rural engineering.
An earth road was plowed up.
graded and then rolled with a ten
ton roller weighing $50 pounds to the
inch of the width of the rim of the
wheels. A wagon was then loaded
until the total weight on the wheels
was 5000 pounds, and the pull In
pounds required to haul it along the
road was measured. The wagon
was equipped with 1 IL, 2, 3. 4, and
G inch tires, and the weight of the
loaded wagon was $50, 625, All, 313,
$50 and 208 pounds per inch widtC
Of tire for these different widths. It
will be noticed that with ~ and
inch tires the wheels produce greater
loads on the road, per inch of width of
tire. than did the road roller used IL
constructing the road, so that it is
self-evident that such tires will cut
into a new road somewhat and are
therefore undesirable After each
tnst and before the beginning of the
next, the road was replOwed, graded
and again rolled, so as to have the
conditions at the beginning of each
test as uniform as possible with an
earth road. The tests selected for
comparison were those in which moist
ure and weather conditions were
identical.
The results of all these tests SHOW
that it takes a pull OF about 81 pounds
per ton of gross load when ~ inch
tires are used, 50 pounds with incr
tires, "a pounds with 3 inch, 60
pounds with 4 inch and &C pounds
with 5 inch With 6 inch tires the
pull increases somewhat above that
with inch tires, indicating that foi
such a wagon and load there above
inches. From these Figures it will
be seen that a horse must exert itself
about % per cent. more to pull the
same load with 1h inch tires than
with inch tires, and over 10 per
cent. more with inch than with 3
inch tires. Any such steady, needless
strain on the strength of horses, avoid
able by substituting wide for narrow
tires. is a waste of the farmers
assets, which he will be quick to see
when pointed out.
The width of tires recommended
by the Department of Agriculture is
as follows: One-horse wagon weighing
1000 pounds loaded. 2 inches; light
two-horse wagon weighing $500
pounds loaded, 21a inches, medium
two-horse wagon weighing 4,5Op
pounds loaded, inches standard two
horse wagon weighing $500 pounds
4 inches; heavy two-horse wagon
weighing $500 pounds loaded, S
inches.
| With such tires not only will the
farmer work his horses to the best
advantage, but he will also reduce
the amount Of money that must be
spent to keep the roads in a condition
for easy use. He Will be gamer ID
every way. He can haul heavier
loads with the same team, he can haul
the same load with less exertion than
with narrow tires, and every time his
wide-tired wagon goes over an eart1
hoad il will roll it instead of rutting