The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1917-06-01
BY H. T.. Marsh, Professor of Agri-
cultural Engineering, Montana
Experiment Station.

|
To comply with the appeals that
are being made to the farmers of the
country for the production of as
large crops as possible it is necessary
to raise the producing power of a
man to high point. This is neces-
sary for several reasons: From for
eign countries there is great de-
mand for our food products; there is
a scarcity Of farm laborers and there
is a large proportion of our own
population that is not producing food
stuffs who must be provided with
food by those who are producing
them. The kinds of crops to be
raised and what to do in case of fail
ure of one crop, are discussed else
where but the thing to be striven for
in a given crop is the greatest posi-
BILE yield per man. This depends upon
two factors, the yield per acre and
the acreage per man; and it is the
product of these two that should be
greatest.
When there are plenty of workmen
to utilize the available land, intensi-
y
per acre is to be encouraged, but for
such intensified farming too much
labor is required to each acre. to Sc
cure the largest yield per man. On
the other hand if the acreage cropped
is SO large that the seed bed cuhnot
be properly prepared the acre yield
may be SO reduced as to reduce the
yield per worker. A good plan for
each man would be for him to crop as
much land as he can take care of
properly. Montana has an album
dance of land.
Increase Man Power.
A method Of increasing the acreage
per man while not sacrificing the
acre yield is to increase the man pow
7r by the use of proper machinery
It horses are used for blowing, a
,armer would not be justified in US
ng a small team and blowing with
l2-inch pillow when he mught just
Is we'll be handling 4 to 6 or even
more horses on a gang pillow with
a, Is, or even 1S-inch bottoms, or it
night be possible for him to handle
enough horses to use a three or four
bottom gang. This brings up the
question of the supply of horses and
he proper kind of implements. These
nay not be available. However, it is
believed that with a good arrange
nent and division of the cropping
operations the acreage can be in
reased.
With the development of the farm
ractor the possibilities of the farm
nan power has been greatly in
creased. The use of the tractor af-
,ords means of producing maxi |
mum yield per man. 1t is realized
hat large number of failures have
been made in the attempt to use the
ractor in farming operations. 1t is
also known that many farmers have
oeen successful. Many tractors may
make for the success or failure in the
operation of tractor, although it is
believed that the personal element is
he greatest single item that has to
10 with it. 1t is also believed that |
his element can be cultivated to a |
arge extent and many Of the failures
Gould have been made successes. |
When a tractor outfit under success
ul management "brings in enough |
increased returns in a single year to
Jay for three such outfits as some
lave reported to us, there is strong
evidence that they can be made a
success and are being made a success.
t is not the object Of this article to
appeal for an unwise and unwar-
anted use of tractors but there are
many tractors on farms that are
idle and if they can be
made use of in increasing the produc-
ion of our lands it will help solve
he problem of feeding the world. If
ou have an idle tractor use it. On
many farms of quarter section to a
Whole section the small tractor is
rowing success. and charging the
york power of the farmers. Look .
nto this.
Let the Machine Do the Work.
Flowing has been mentioned speci-
lcally above but the same principle
pplles to all operations of the farm.
whenever possible let the machine
o the work and conserve your ener-
y for greater purpose than that
t doing the hard mental labor that
lachlne can be made to do. Use the
rain power that makes man the SUI f.;
RENE being of the earth.
Power machinery can be used as ,