The Newark journal. (Newark, Ark.) 1901-1959, 1917-09-13
MUST TAKE CARE Of
FARM IMPLEMENTS
There Can Be Too Much Farm Ma
chinery Just as Well as Too Little
Either Must Be Avoided.
By v. H. Kern, Specialist in Farm I'm
plements, Extension Division,
University of Arkansas.


because of the necessity of increased
food and feed production, the buying
caring for and using farm machinery
are subjects to which the ayers z
farmer should pay more real attCnz
ton. He should realize that the pr
chase of farm machinery is IS mueE
of business proposition as the pur.
chasing of a pure bred tull or pure
bred Duroc-Jersey hog. The farmer
does not buy the pig merely for the
sake of having the pig, but he makes
an investment from which he intends
to realize the greatest profit The
better the farmer cares for the pig. the
more net gain he realizes from his i'll.
vestment. Farm machinery Is also an
indispensable means OF profit, and the
more care taken in selecting. us'rt
and caring for farm implements. ~
more will be the net earnings. and the
most economic agriculture is not pos.
sible until the right kind of efficient
labor and time-saving implements as
the farm warrants Is used
Too Little Machinery to the Farm.
There can be too much farm ma
chinery just as well as too little.
Either is to be avoided, and the sys-
tenn of crop rotation and the labor
problem will largely determine the
amount of machinery necessary. As
general rule we find too little machin-
cry to the farm in Arkansas. If farm.
Ing conditions are such that two-horse
implements cannot be used. those con.
ditions should be changed.
implements an Index to Advancement
of Community.
The kind of farm implements is an
index to the advancement of com,
munity From the pony pillow, solid
sweep, middle buster community with
inadequate schools and churches we
pass to a more highly developed coun-
try with adequate schools, efficient
teachers and churches of which the
community is proud. The proper
types, use and care of farm nipple
ments helped to accomplish this.
Points to Observe in Purchasing
implements
To most farm implements the fol-
lowing purchasing points should be
n9Diied. bearing in mind that we are
naking an investment from which we
expect a dividend.
Efficiency of the machine is to be
considered first of all. What is the
quality of the work that it will do?
How much can be accomplished? The
machine should be selected with this
in view, that the greatest possible
amount of efficientN work may be
squeezed from the implement.
Construction of the machine should
be noted. VIII the implement stand
IN under the strain for at least eight
years, which should be the average life
with reasonable care and housings
The implement manufacturer puts out
new machine and finds some parts
are of weak construction When this
is called to his attention he reinforces
these parts if his aim is to help the
farmer. II it is not. he allows the
farmer to suffer the loss and in the
long run both are the losers.
The farmer is justified in not grab
bing the untried and newest machine
put on the market If it is an expert
ment he can afford to wait short
while until it is tried out. If II
proves 2 success as time and labor
saver he should not be the last to lay
aside old methods and adopt new.
OF two equally desirable imple
ments, select the one for which re-
pairs can most readily be obtained
Time worth hundreds of dolars car
easily be lost because of inadAssihiI
ity to repairs. Purchase impfTmenta
made by reliable manufacturers.
Keeping a machine in proner repair
will materially lessen its final expense
and give the owner greater satisfac.
ton Baling wire may serve as a re-
pair part to finish the days work In
some instances, but do not try to make
it take the place of the part broken
You may run the cost of upkeep of
the machine into dollars instead of
cents. Keeping in proper repair in.
cludes tightening loose nuts, oilirg to
lessen wear and produce less draft,
Proper Care Means Money Saved.
Even with our inadequate supply OF
farm implements there & some $685.
100000 invested in this e. Annu.
ally the farmers lose Y 5000. as
nearly as it can be estimatN 9th the
present data. Were the fafNa com
PEELED to pay Is to 20 per cent intera8,y
on borrowed money he would feel un.
Justly treated, but farm implements,
from the cheapest pillow to the thresh.
er, are In most instances left In the
weather the year around Instead of
lasting eight years or more. very often
two or three years is the life of those
implements. II shed room can not be
provided. the implements should be
painted and oiled at the end OF the
, season. Even though a shed is ac-
fcssible. all wearing surfaces should
receive coating of grease to prevent
ase- Gtan tho rascne 10 49,,