The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1918-09-27
ADVOCATES
USE OF GAS ENGINE

The following article, written by an
! Oklahoma rancher for the Missouri
Valley Farmer, should be of interest to
Latah county farmers at this time, when
machinery is taking the place of men
on the farms to so great an extent
ITO the farmer who owns a gas or
| oil engine it seems strange that more
| farmers do no take advantage of their
work by adding one of these helpful
pieces of machinery to their equipment.
! At present it is very difficult to get COM
petent farm help at any price, and a
small engine is a wonderful saver of
human energy, when rightly handled.
"We know that a small engine will
saw wood, pump water. turn the sepa-
rator, churn, shell corn, grind feed, and
do various other chores in less time than
they can be done by hand, but every once
in a while some venturesone soul finds
new job for his engine.
"An Oklahoma man had few miles
of fence to build, and as he did not like
to dig post holes by hand, especially in
dry weather, he rugged up power dig
ger. A two horsepower engine was
placed at the end of the wagon box and
belted to the new tangled auger, and all
the owner had to do was to hold the
machine steady while the engine did the
work The machine had boring radius
of 18 holes, sufficient for any post hole.
"Another man built an elevator of the
slat type and forced the engine to carry
| IL 81, into tt1a
hay barn. This contrivance eliminated
i the labor of two men. Several farmers
use an engine with hosting drum for
unloading loose hay with harpoon
fork; the engine is quicker than horses.
Zone farmer uses his six horsepower
engine in clearing small trees off new
land. This engine is used in connection
with a windlass, on the order of a stump
puller A heavy rope, about 100 feet
long, runs from the drum to the tree to
be removed and is fastened 10 or II
feet from the ground A few spadefuls
of earth are removed on each side of
the tree and the roots are hacked with
an axe as the engine tightens the rope,
and before you could say Jack Robinson
the tree is pulled out.
Some farmers find it profitable to
engines of the larger type. Fertilizer is
made from pulverized limestone, and
other stone is crushed to be used in con-
crete work; foundations for buildings,
well curbs, walks, water tanks or silos.
The gas and oil engines are beyond thet
experimental stage and with very few
exceptions they give perfect satisfaction.
/ believe 90 per cent of all engine trouble |
can be traced to fabrication. Of course, |
most gas engine operators will tell you
that ignition gives the most bother, but
have learned from several years ex- 7
perience, with many makes of engines,
that fabrication has great deal to do
with ignition. The formation of carbon
on spark plugs and igniter points has
long been source of trouble to the own
ers of internal combustion engines, and
carbon deposits are sure to result if a
poor grade of cylinder oil is used.
IT have found it an excellent practice
to use the oil recommended by the maker
of my engine. It is probable that he has
spent thousands of dollars in expert
menting with various oils in the search
for the one best oil for continued use
in his engine. Why should I expert
nent? f
Experience has taught me to buy my
motor oils in sealed containers; if the 4
seal is broken l refuse to buy, for this I
nsures me supply of my favorite brand. f
[ have an engine that have been using ]
for five years, and my repair bill has
amounted to $685. This engine has
never been in a shed since it left the S
factory, and is good for many years to t
,ome It has paid for itself every year a
t has been in operation. If properly t
shielded it probably would have lasted I
| lifetime. +
"Oklahoma E. R. Adams"