The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-08-10

only has the adoption of the big prat- rie machine proved of value in the of man power, but 1t also Aas resulted in the placing of thous- ands of aacres under cultivation thac would have remained idle.
 So far as this state is concerned the tractor is a comparatively new thing. When the New York State Food Com began it's task of increasing the production of vital foodstuffs that New York state might do it's part in helping to win the war, it was re- alized that the farmers would have to have the assistance of the most modern agricultural machinery in their work, if maximum results were to be obtained.
 The depleted man power of the farms due to the demands of the war, made it necessary that every labor and time saving device should be placed at the service of the farmers. The State Food Commission also re- alized that now if ever with the AL lies calling for food, the great Amer lean army in France to be provided for, and the people at home to be taken care of, must the soil be mada to produce with the generosity that nature intended.
 The development of the tractor, a power propelled machine capable of doing the work of several teams and men on the tfarm in blowing, offered an exceptional opportunity for sav- ing man power and increasing acre. age. The West, with its great stretches of prairie, containing farms thousands of acres in extent, was the first part of the country to recognize its possi bilities. It enabled the farm : CTS to work wonders with their ma chimes.
 With the tractor came ditching and spraying machines to help make the work of the farmer easier. The ditchers made less difficult and onec- ous the work of draining farm lands, and the sprayers enabled the farmers to battle more successfully with the pests which annually destroy great quantities of growing food. New York state with it's smaller farms had Jagged behind the West in mak- ing extensive use of these modern az ricultural machines, but within the last two years many of the more pros porous farmers have purchased and used tractors with good results. The price of the tractors and ditchers, however, made them prohibitive to the large majority of small farmers in the State. Canada and England, with their farms almost bare of la bor had been forced to experiment with tractors on a large scale and had found in the experiment a partial solution of the problem of furnishing substitute for farm labor and of speeding up production. Consequent ly the New York State Food Commits sion decided to profit by the English and Canadian experiment.
 Twenty tractor schools where the farmers might familiarize themselves established. The course lasted one week and students who completed 1t received certificates of proficiency. Approximately 1000 students re ceived certificates. The purpose of the schools was thrcefold: first, to train operators and farmers in the handling of the tractors; second to give possible purchasers a practical Knowledge of the machines construc- tion and operation; third, to make the owners of machine more efficient in their management.
 The success of failure of the trac- tor, the amount of work accomplished the amount of repairs necessary to 'be made and the life of the machine are proportional to the training of the operator and the care he gives the tractor. A tractor under carefu handling Is good for many years ser vice whereas the same tractor han dled inefflciently and neglected may be a candidate for the junk pile a the end of one season.
 To safeguard the investment re. quired for tractors, a number of trac' tor experts were employed by the State Food Commission to inspect the tractors at frequent intervals, to su pervise the operation of the machines and to make adjustments and repair! which the operator himself was un able to make. Sixty-seven State owned tractors were placed at the disposal of the farmers in those part! of the State where the labor situa tjnr was most acute. The machines were leased to tractor committees com posed of several farmers with limited blowing to be done; and direct to re sponsible farmers who had extensive acreages to be prepared; and alst Nleased to experienced operators fo so much a month, who, in turn. wer employed by farmers and paid b, them in accordance with a schedul of "cost" prices agreed upon by tn commission.
 " In addition to furnishing tractors the State Food Commission obtaine, from many farmers who had ma chimes of their own, promises to kee' their tractors in as nearly continuou operation as possible, and to operat them not only upon their own farms but on the farms of neighbors wh
 were not so fortunate as to own one
 The response to this appeal was yer
 gratifying to the commission, and in
 dicated clearly that the farmers c
 New York State are working shoulde
 to shoulder in the food trenches Tn
 utility of the farm ditching machin
 has been demonstrated, but the cos
 of a good one. approximately $3,5G
 places them out Of reach of the aver
 age farmer, and farmers association
 have not yet reached the point wher
 they can or will undertake to mai1
 tain ditching machines for the use C
 their members. So it was incumber
 upon the State Food Commission {
 see that the needs of the farmers i
 this respect were looked atfer.
 Thirteen of these machines wei
 placed at the disposal of the farm
 CTS in the parts of the state whel
 there was the greatest need for ther
 being leased under practically tl
 same regulatiOnS as the tractnrs III