The Evening Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1917-1920, 1918-02-04
Missouri Usina Tractors

in Missouri. The farmers of the state
are waking up to its possibilities
During the last Farmers Week here
the tractors on display in the ma
chinery building drew larger crowds
than perhaps any other kind of ma
chine. The first lecture on tractors
given by Prof. E. W. Lehman of the
College of Agriculture was attended
by IT'S persons. Interest, through
letters to the college in increasing
numbers, has been shown during the
last year. 1t is estimated that about
1000 tractors are now in use in Mis-
souri,
The first successful tractor was
completed less than fourteen years
ago. Now, according to Mr.. Lehman,
nearly 200 types of machine are on
the market. In Minneapolis alone,
last year, plans for the manufacture
of forty makes were under way. The
tank" or caterpillar" which is-or
was-wrecking such thorough de-
struction upon the enemy in France,
is a close adaptation of the tractor
as it is used in the corn belt in this
country.
On the large ranches of the North
west the tractor has had great sue
cess as promoter of peaceful pros
perity. Perhaps one reason the
farmers of Missouri have been back
ward in taking up the invention is
because only within the last four
years has the single-man outfit come
into use. Missouri farms are, in the
main, not large enough to use profit
ably the eight and fourteen-plow out
fits invented for the large farms.
Also Missouri farmers believed that
one must be an expert machinist to
successfully operate a tractor, and
that parts broken or worn out could
only be replaced with trouble and at
enormous cost
The latter difficulty arose because
rapidly adopted by the manufacturing
plants and the instability of the
plants themselves. Now the makes
of tractors are becoming standard
lied, and years have shown certain
types to be reliable. The first advan-
tage still exists to the extent that
some knowledge of machinery is
necessary, but farmers who have had
experience with other farm machinery
or automobiles find the tractor COM
paratively simple. Demonstrators
are being sent out from headquarters
in increasing numbers to give in
to buyers. With the sale .
of number Of machines in one 10
cality will come the permanent dem
onstrator
The chief advantages of the tractor
for farm work, in the opinion of oper-
ators, are it's ability to do the heavy
work and do it rapidly; the saving of |
man labor and the consequent doing
away with hired help and the ability
to plow to a good depth, especially in
hot weather.
The life of tractors, as estimated
by their owners, varies from SIX sea-
sons for the two-plow to about ten
FOR the six-plow machine. The num-
ber of days year they are used va
ries from forty-nine for the two plow
70 seventy for the six-plow machine.
Under favorable conditions, a 14-inch
Dlow drawn by tractor covers about
.hree acres in an ordinary working
lay. Under favorable conditions,
arge gang plows will cover less
ground in day to the plow than will
he small ones. II
Most tractors are kept in repair by
he manufacturers during the first
year after sale, so it is not until the
second year that the owner bears the
ull expense. The average repairs
,orne by owners the first year will
mount to approximately 11a per
,entcent of the first cost of the trac-
or. For the second year they will
bout double that figure.
The average percentage of the first
ost of farm machinery in general
which is expended annually for re-
'airs is slightly more than per
ent. 1t is improbable that the an
lual repairs required by the tractor
uring its life should fall below that
gure.
Perhaps the one most important
actor that tends to preserve the ef-
ciency of the tractor and keep the
epair bill down is good care.
Treat your tractor" says Mis-
ouri expert, "as you would $1,000
orse. House it well and keep a
mall supply of the most common re-
airs on hand. The latter pyecaution
Till prevent loss of time through
rafting for the arrival of broken or
isabled parts" A Missouri farmer,
Then asked some weeks ago if his
ractor had given satisfaction, an
wered that it did "off and on" In
be course of conversation it came
D light that the machine was at that
me out in the yard covered with
now.
TEST OF SHARPNESS