Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-06-07

ject. is presented for the information
of our farmers.
The object Of every farmer al the
present time is 10 increase production
10 the maximum in order that we may
have sufficient food and clothing to
properly care for ourselves. and our al
lies in Europe.
To a very large extent this increase
IN production must come through better
tillage. BY better tillage we mean the
preparation Of the seed bed thoroughly
and at The proper time better cultlva-
ton AMI more speed in harvesting ana
storing the crops. Fields that are rough
and stony. the ground hard to plow and
seed. must be made 10 produce as well
a. fields in which the soil is in the best
physical condition. Such fields must
be worked with more power and heavier
machinery because the oldfashiOned
methods commonly employed in Georgia
cannot accomplish the desired results.
We are handicapped in our problem OF
production by lack of man power A
great many negroes have left Georgia
TO work in the north and as a result
A great ntany fields are idle. The farm
ers must meet this shortage OF labor
with modern machinery and more power.
II some strain on labor conditions is
felt already. with only the first army
calls are madee The shortage in labor
is throughout the nation. In some or
the corn belt states they are paying
$50 and SIS a month for farm labor
and feeding their men besides. Sucn
wages are sure TO draw some OF our
labor away from Georgia.
The farmers of Georgia have been
quick TO see their problem and are not
tardy in seeking a remedy. As a result,
a great many tractors are being pur-
chased for farm work. Some of them
are proving a big success and others
are not. II is our purpose to point out
some of the factors influencing the sue
cess or failure of tractors in Georgia
as we have learned them from the own
ers and operators of traction engines
themselves.
In the fall of 1916 the division of ag
ricultural engineering secured list or
one hundred tractor owners in Georgia
and sent them a list of questions to be
answered and returned to this division.
The men reporting on their machines.
thirty-two in number, well represent
the different sections Of the state.
A summary of the findings indicate
that So tractor owners considered their
investment a success; nine were neu-
trail and eighteen were nOn-committal.
The period of ownership covered TWEEN
ty-two months. The average acres Gull
tivated by tractors varied from 297 TO
3eI. They were operated on all types
of soil with about equally favorable re-
suits. In some instances the farmers
found that they could use their trac-
tors for six different operations; in 9TH
ers il was found that the tractors could
be used for three different operations
The negroes did not seem to make sat
factory operators. The owners found
that the best success followed where a
hired engineer OF white farm laborer
operated the machine. The repair bill
averaged about S24 a year. In some
instances where the machines were re-
ported to be failures. the bill mounted
nm to $40 Ten to twenty-horsepower
tractors seemed to be considered the
most successful and the average
amount of land which could be plowed
in an hour was about siX-tenths or an
acre. The cost of fuel and oil USED
varied from So cents to IS cents, de-
pending upon whether gasoline or kero-
sene was used.
out of the so tractors taken for COM
harrison. the average number OF acres
,,-bicb could he worked by tractors on
the farms reporting the investment a
success was less than the average Tor
those farms reporting the tractor fall
ure. This does not mean that the trac-
Tor is not a success on large farms, but
rather emphasizes the fact that 1t is
more important to have work that VIII
zen the tractor busy majority OF the
me. such as hauling and stationary
YORK. than to depend on field work en-
rely. =,
The type of soil seems to nave d.
ect influence as a majority or the ma
hines reported are worked on clay OF
Dam soils. while the failures are prdc-
icalIy all operated on sandy loan or
.rdv soils. The and enter the driv-