The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-03-01
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BEe c. RODGERS
DEARBORN, Mich, March L.
American ~tanlus On American farms
and truck gardens Vim do as much to-
ward winning the war as VIII their
armorplated brothers over in Flan-
derB.
For the tractor VII grow food
It win make the labor shortage on
farms less severely felt It win do
the same thing to horse shortage
The farm tractor Is something Of big
interest IN all food-Erowing America
but here In the very heart OF the trac-
tor world It stands out pre-emtnent
! as American producers best weapon
with which to fight the KaiseTs hosts.
While there are 40 matchmaking
plants In the United States, the l2rS-
est Is here IN Dearborn, the Ford trac-
tor factory. Each day sees 100 uac-
tors for blowing, cultivating. threSh-
INK, ditchfnE, stump pulling, and haul
ing. He raised 10000 bushels of
wheat, 10000 bushels OF barley and
1900 bushels Of oats
Ford got his tractor idea 20 years
ago. He foresaw the farm labor and
horse shortage. Then his farmer
friends up here laughed at him But
he kept on tinkering with tractors
! while pf1ing up millions making
certain Well-4Inown automobile.
Ford believes the secret OF tho sue
cessful tractor Is decreased weight
and low cost. This year he VIII make
! 10000 tractors, most OF which he has
| sold to the British government to in
| crease farm production in Great Brit
ain. These sell for $3.50. He hopes to
! haIve the price or better. II steel ever
gets back at IL cents a pound, Henry
I Ford will market a $3.50 tractor, he
/ says. That means that the small farm
{ naer can do all his blowing, cultivat-
ing. threshfng. and furnish all his belt
power. with a machine which costs less
! than a team OF horses, and doesn't eat
on rainy days.
Now there are $4,000 tractors on
| American farms. They burn gasoline
! kerosene, and many use steam For
the large farms in the west the big
steamer IS all right; It VIII hardly ut
| In on q small farm Of $50 acres or less
Such a farm and truck gardens can
make use Of the light tractor. Com
munity gardens can be plowed more
cheaply aud faster by light tractor
than horse. Large war gardens In
many parts Of the country last year
used tractor power in preference to
horse power.
Each tractor will do the work Of
| three or four horses and will save one
| man. That means conservation OF
! horse and man power. But the tractor
| does more. It plowS deeper and thus
makes a better seed bed. Result: Bet
| ter crops-more food. and If the law
| Of supply and demand is Unhampered'
| cheaper food.
your tractors for the big spring drive.
This message is being carried TO
Ohio farmers by state officials and ag-
ricultural experts.
"a tractor IN every farming com:
munity in Ohio for spring plowing.
ernor Cox is leading the campaign.
County groups are being organized
to finance the purchase OF tractors.
! Manufacturers will be asked to fur
nish two experienced operators for
each tractor. The machines will be
kept going night and day during plow-
Fairbanks next picture. With the pic
ture he will introduce his new leading
lady, Catherine Macdonald.
B. G. SeieIstad, the well known
artist OF the Los Angeles Examiner,
| turned motion picture star in the Art
! craft picture, "The Whispering Choir
u.s." He was engaged to sit in the
court room scene to sketch katnlyn
Williams.
Maurice Maetetinck's wonderful
work 'The Blue Bril- viii be the spe-
cfaI Offering for April. This is con-
| ceded to be one OF the most spectacular
screen productions that has eyer been
produced. Every bit of the production
synbolizes Happiness and Maurice
Tourneur, one Of the worlds greatest
directors. made wonderful piece oil
art work out of his play.
. on A455e