Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-20
DOING FARM
WORK BY The
MOTOR TRACTOR
Now Established Fact That
Tractor is indispensable
on the Farm.
BY W. X. Blodsctt, 2ud,
assistant Extension Professor, Dc.
partMent Of Rural Engineering,
Acw York State College OF

agriculture. Ithaca.
~l'urlns the coming season motor
toward enabling the farmer to main
tain production OF loQdstnffs at usual
standards. With competent farm
hands gone, in fact with help OF any
sort we'll nigh u~nobtainable. the
1ariner who has just come through Il
season fraught with labor problems
more perptexing than eve before.
ne still more serious. The writer has
heard from many farmers who have
made up their mlnds that their farms
must be operated next yea without
the usual hired help. They arc
planning to do the work almost
wholly by their own labor, assisted
by modern machinery. Milking ma
trucks. and tractors will replace hired
men.
In this emergency the tractor as
sumes a new value. Heretofore the
question was whether the tractor
would pay-that is. would it be ad-
visable with a choice between horse
power. man power and tractor power
the uncertainties of the latter 1t. is
now an established fact that a tractor
is indispensable on the farm.
Today many farmers are assuming
that'the tractor can do good work on
their farms, and they simply want to
get information about the adaptable
ity of the various types to their sep
cial conditions.
While many a farmer is thinking
that a tractor is a good buy today.
get the caution with which he goes
at the tractor proposition shows that
he intenrs to act only after considera-
ton. He probably has seen the ex-
n,,, .~,.--k Ny e.,
neighbor without consideration Of
how h tool would replace man or
horse power to save expense. operat-
ed by inexperienced help. improperly
cared for, and finally given up in dis
gust. Such unfortunate examples
have lone a good deal in the past to
discourage b wider use of improved
labor saving machinery.
When one secures the services OF
a tractor to help with the farm work.
plan the work SO as to take h best
advantage Of what the machine will
do. And what will a tractor do:
Farmers who ave found the tractor
p profitable investment have used
their machines chiefly to pillow. fl
land. and deliver belt power. cul-
t%ivating. long road hauling, pulling
hayirg machinery, etc.
Another suggestion might be added
for those who are choosing "A tractor.
and that is the necessity of ascertain
ing the quality of service given by the
various companies. Efficient service
means that the seller of the machine
must make provision that the pur-
chaser is shown how to set it up and
run it, how to Intricate it, how to
make adjustments, and so on.
Furthermore, it lis highly desirable
that repair parts be carried in stock at
some central point reasonably near to
the farm, That they be sold at a fair
price. and that in case of extreme
emergency n competent ma can come
to the farm promptly and assist in
making renairS. it is rcgretable that
some otherwise good machines have in
the past been sold without adequate
provision for giving good service to
the buyer. However. tractor COM
panies are now recognizing that good
service to their patron; will increase
THE value of their machines. and some
manufacturers are preparing to give
effective help in this direction to the
farmers of every state.
Give Tractor Plenty Of Work.
Farmers who are satisfied that they
have tractor work for a machine must
make sure that they have enough
work to Justify the investment neces-
sary. If there are not days enough Of
work on their own farms Il solution il
TO do work for n%eighbors. With
depreciation as high as 20 per cent, to
which must be added interest and re-
pairs, the machine should have con-
siderable use in order to distribute the
charge over a. fair number of acres.