Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-02-21

axe us HNrt EttStt t0NtbA an ltti -t.
UCI, today is dependable. economical
power. The proportion OF food pro-
duecTs to food consumers grows con
stantly smaller, with the land growing
double in value and with an insistent
call fer food trom the cities
The horse on which the farmer has
depended is proving TO be too eXpeE-
sivo and inefficient. nalf the total
production expense centers arOunQ the
horses and their up-keep But the de-
pendable light farm tractor. capable
OF giving power when and where need
cd and fOr all classes OF work is the
only solution OF the farmers problem
in getting the work done and q PROFIT
out of the farm.
To very great extent, the horse is
being displaced by the modern trac-
tor. The horse is an extremely low
efficiency motor; according to rhos
A. Edison. his efficiency is only per
cent United States statistics show
that even now. on the majority OF
farms there are one 10 three uuneces-
sary horses. kept mainly that they
may he available during a few days
when crops are being harvested.
Horses Too Costly.
Almost one-fourth OF all titled land
is tarmed for horse feed. A horse will
consume annually the products OF five
average acres. Reduced to dollars
aHd cents, the cost OF maintaining a
horse is at Present price of feed. in
excess Of $3.50 per year. It must also
be realized that a horse is small
power unit and requires very exren.
sive man labor and a great deal OF
time. The cctual working time for a
horse on The average Is not more than
3 hours a day. 1t can WORK only in
small UNITS. each unit requiring
driver.
There Sre months in the year when
the horse is inactive. It Is not can
able Of much emergency work; it is
frequently sick. and under the present
day conditions is costing the farmer
more than he can afford The feed
nsumed by horses, If directed in
ether channels, will have a material
effect on feed quantities and prices. /
Horse feed turned into butter. pork,
beef and mutton would make big PROF
its for the farmer.
Seeding and harvesting time are
periods Of rush activity on the farm. /
After maintaining lot Of horses dur /.
ing the inactive Writer period. in ex-
pensive barns. on high priced feeds.
the horses are rushed into spring
blowing, disking and narrowing while
they are soft from the dleness; this
condition frequently results in injury
to the horse and less 10 the farmer.
Often the acreage is sighted because
CT lack OF horses and unfavoraLle
weather conditions developing before
blowing Is finished Harvest time
finds horses and men tired out from
the seasons strain and summer heat
frequently unable 10 harvest ut the
proper time. With all the sh0rtcom-
ines of the horse, we realize that there
Is Il place for him on the farm. 4
reasonable number of horses will al
ways lie kept Nevertheless the horse
is being rapidly displaced by q cheap
er poWer--cheaper in initial cost, in
operation, in maintenance
THE LIGHT FARM TRACTOR icl
the lonical outcome of all the at.
tcmpts that have been made to reduce
power coot5 on the farm. The first
farm tractors produced were designed
to meet the needs Of the big 5000
and 10000 acre farms, There are eX-
tremely heavy and powerful and w
dCubtedly solved many Of The prob
lens for the operator on such scale,
bat the man on the small farm IN the
meantime was left 10 travel thc same
old round or horse duty currylng,
watering, feeding, mending harnesses
and Goctorinc
What this means Is shown by the
fact that out of 100000 farms, there
are over 100000 Of less than 100