The courier-index., 1917-11-30
FARM MACHINERY
 LOSS s8,000,000
Through Neglect Farmers Are Per hitting Tools and Machinery
 To Depreciate.

By V. H. Kern, Specialist in Farm
 Machinery, Extension Division, Uni
 versity of Arkansas.
 sThe average annual loss in Ark ansas on farm machinery alone is ap- proximately $S.000,0 ,000 and is increas- ing with alarming rapidity in spite of the tremendous advance in the prices of everything used in producing crops. Our people fail to realize that there is . serious shortage of material and they may not be able to buy imple- ments in the near future even if they have the money to pay for them. Through neglect and improper care they are permitting their tools and machinery to depreciate in value as much as 30 per cent 2 year. Wag ons and implements that should last eight to 10 years are worthless after being used three or four seasons. Our people should take cars of what they have and buy more and better ma chinery with their savings. Too many of our farmers are now seriously han dicapped because they are not proper ly equipped and cannot produce crops economically and with as great profit as the men who have the imple- ments and take care of what they have.
 Farm Machinery . Necessary
 investment
 From a business standpoint, farm machinery must be considered a nee sssary investment. a Economy means management without less or waste and snly when the most strict eoono- my is practiced will the highest pos sible dividends be obtained from the machines used on the farm. Length ening the life and efficiency of the farm machinery is the most practical method for increasing this dividend per dollar investment. Improper care of farm machinery cuts down the farmers yearly savings by reducing the efficiency of his machines and in- creasing the piles of discarded imple- U ened part of implements, due to rust ing and rotting, break when a strain is placed on them and as result the repair bill is increased to say nothing of the time lost and farm work de layed while repairs are being sent for.
 Arkansas Climate Hard On Inn
 uIements
 Sun, rain, and snow all combine forces to rust and rot machinery and as chemical action takes place faster at higher temperatures Arkansas' conditions are such as to cause rapid deterioration of uncared for i'm plements. Since this is true, best pro- lection can be obtained by housing, painting and oiling each tool.
 Implement Shed Pays.
 An implement shed can be built cheap and durable of wood at such a cost that the farmer will be saved four to six times the cost Of the shed. Kept well painted, it will last almost indefinitely.
 How To Care For Machinery.
 If it is impossible to house the ma chinery, it is especially necessary that liberal coats of paint and oil be ap- piled at the close of the seasons work. All working parts should be cleaned and oiled, and blow bottoms. cultiva- tor shovels, disc harrow blades. plant CT and grain drill furrow openers should be painted to prevent rusting. A good combination is made by mix ing axle glease and lubricating oil until . thick paint is obtained. A lib eral application of this keeps moist ure away from the metal wsarins parts and prevents rusting. When paint is knocked from the. wood or metal parts it should be repainted.
 In the implement shed, disc har- rows. the discs of the grain drifl, and planter furrow openers should be placed on boards. During the early winter all implements should be look ed over for defective parts. loose or lost bolts. A few minutes devoted to repair work at this time may save many dollars the coming spring
 It is useless to attempt to do effi- cient work with dull tools. The blow share must be sharpened properly and kept that way: the same with the disc harrow. Sharpen the latter at least once a year-better still. when 1t needs it. Transportation trucks may be obtained and placed under the disc, moving 1t from place to place without unduly dulling the blades when not in use. Align the moving machine if necessary. Each ledger plate of the sickle bar should work in close prox- unity to the sickle section. A sharp sickle and good adjustments result in lighter draft and more efficient work
 Sharpen the teeth of the section harrow to point.
 Graphite, instead of lubricatins oil, may be best for the smoothing roller