The Monticellonian., 1917-08-30


" husks. Farming has ever been
attractive to the city chap, and it has always
been extremely toilsome to the native. But now,
with the aid of mechanical hired hands, farming
in the future will be mere joy-riding. Instead
of following team of painting. perspring horses
and stumbling rough cods in the broiling
sun while trying to keep under control pillow
whose diabolical disposition is to twist and turn
from the straight and furrow, Mr.. Farmer
can put on his automobile goggles and gloves
seat himself comfortably in the spring seat of a
tractor, and under a canvas canopy that stunts
away the sun, guide his obedient steel steed
across the fields In the springtme the blowing
can be done to the music of the birds. who gath
er around TO watch for the luckless but luscious
worms turned up by the blades. BY turn of
the wheel, battery of disk plows be made
to obey orders like soldiers.
When the blowing Is done the mechanical
hired man will as cheerfully pull a harrow or
seeding machine and stops need be made in
the shade to allow the "critter' TO "blow."
tractor loves to work and all it asks in return is
that Its stomach be kept full of the spirits that
enthuse but do not intoxicate
During the dinner hour If the farmer follows
his efficiency book faithfully he will connect up
his tractor engine with the pump and fill the
water reservoir. perhaps he will turn the
churn for mother. After a long pull ut the cider
barrel and the distiate tank both master and
servant are ready to resume operations.
As the seasons merge one into another and
the crops all planted and growing under the
genial smiles of Old Sol and the sympathetic min
istrations of Jupiter Pluyus, Mr.. Farmer. with
nothing to do but watch his grain grow,
drive his tractor to the neighboring wood
lot and with the help of his husky sons, his
neighbors stalwart sons, cut enough cord
wood to defy the advance and siege of Jack
Frost The modern tractor loves to be tied "A
buzz saw, and it sings right merriy while doing
Its work. When the wood is cut. the obging
will hon To tha SlnI and than
like thel famous man of history, will look for new
work to conquer
The overwhelming advantage of the tractor
over horses is that of power and endurance. II
the supply tank of one of these machines is kept
full of fuel, it will work on Indefinitely without
rest, whereas beasts of burden demand time to
eat and sleep and rest Then, too it is much
easier on the farmer to sit on seat and pillow
by turning wheel than to follow the burrows
foot Consequently, the farmer with tractor
will do all his blowing in from fourth to half
of the time required with horses. BY equippng the
machines with electric lights, generated by the
motor. the surrounding ground can be made as
light day, and blowing can go on Independent
of the Poor Dobbins would give up the
ghost If subjected to such treatment.
The superiority of the tractor is also demon
strated by the ability to get ground soft
and muddy that ordinary horses and farm i'm
pements would mire in. The modern ball-tread
tractor Is built to run on its own track. Being
wide and fiat, with the weight of the machine
evenly distributed. this caterpillar type of per
ambulator navigate through of mud and
by It's great traction power can pull anything
except teeth. In the rice fields of California,
where water stands upon the ground during all
the growing season, the tractor is found to be
the only feasible means of getting over the fields
for blowing, seeding, cutting and harvesting the
crop. It even furnishes the motive power for
thrashing the rice.
II the road in front of the farm is rough and
needs the smoothing influence of the tractor; 1t
will do the Job and do 1t right. If the hens have
been industrious, bossy's product has been
converted into golden butter or cheese for the
city folks, Mr.. Farmer can haul them to market
by hitching trailer behind his tractor. Many
of the machines bought for their hauling abil-
ity alone 1t will take the folks to church
on Sunday, If the jtney happens to break down
Saturday night.
In fact the tractor is versatile as movie
star and it doesn't mind showing off its diverse
talents One has even been known to rid a cellar
of rodents by coughing" the gas from its exhaust
through a rubber tube run into the private dwell
ing of Mr.. Rat
The development of the tractor is matter of