The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-09
PLOW|Ne
HAS ITS PROBLEMS
Fields to Eliminate Waste Of
Time or Labor.

Great Care Is Needed 70 Lay Out
Fields to Eliminate Waste Of
Time or Labor.
Washington. D. C.. July 8.-P1ow.
ing with tractors presents some prob
lens that never bother the man who
uses horse-drawn implements. 1t h
necessary to lay out fields, so that q
high-class Job Of pfowing can be
done over the entire area with the
minimum use Of . orse-drawn pillow
In starting and finishing the work,
says farmers bulletin l045, recently
published by tho United States de-
partment Of Agriculture, which gives
in detail some of the best methods for
laying out land and piowing with trac-
tors The methods in general use
are divided into two classes IN the
bulletin--those In which the ploys are
elevated and no blowing ~ done
across the ends, and those in which
the plows are left In the ground con-
tinuously. In most cases better plow-
ing can be done when the plows are
idle across the ends Of the field. and
for this reason the methods Of this
class are more popular. but many
farmers prefer the other methods, as
labor.
Plowmen using tractors wish to
reduce to a minimum the time spent
in running and In turning with plows
out of the ground. While 1t is nee
essary to do some travelling while the
plows are idle, care should be taken
not to do too much of it, as 1t re-
duces the number of acres which can
be plowed in a day making the trac-
tor that much less efficient. Short
turns, however. are awkard for
most tractors. and where such turns
are necessary the operator often has
more or less difficulty in getting the
OUTFIT In the correct position for start
ing into the new furrow at the right
point. Some FACTORS turn more easily
in one direction than others, and this
should be taken into consideration in
laying out the fields.
The advantages Of plowfng BY the
methods IN which the piows are idle
across the ends Of the field are that
the short, awkward turns are efimi-
mated, except in some cases at the b.
ginnings and ends of the lands. and
usually less space will be left at the
corners to be plowed with horses.
The advantages OF the other methods
are that little or no time Is lost in
travelling with the plows out Of the
ground. and that ordinarily the num-
Der OF dead burrows and back fur
rows WIN be considerably less.
In using the frst-named methods
II is necessary to measure the lands
in The center of the field accurately.
leaving an equal area on all sides OF
the field in which to turn the Quit.
and which can be plowed last by run
ming the tractor completely around
Aald and
OF the field is unfenced the outfit can
be pulled out into road or lane.
or an adjoining field. for turning.
It may be preferable to pillow up t.
the fence on the two sides as the
body OF the fleld is being plowed. and
leave the headlan6 only across the
end OF the field which is fenced. The
| largely on the turning radius OF the
tractor. With easily handled outfits
! It is not necessary to leave more than
| fifteen or twenty feet. but plenty OF
room should always be left. and for
this reason headlands fifty feet or
more in width are preferable to mar
rover ones.
II the field rs to be finished up in
the best manner with no Irregular. I'M
powed strips between the land or at
the edges, 1t is essential that care be
taken to have the headland OF the
same width clear around the field,
TO have the distances measured exact
~ when starting rev lands, and to
have the first burrows as nearly
straight as possible. A little extra
/ time taken in measuring OF the nee
essary distances and setting plenty
OF stakes for guidance will nearly al
ways be more than returned in saving
time at the finish. II the tractor pulls
three or more plows, cutting total
width Of thre or more feet some effort
should be made TO have the width
of the headlands an exact multiple Of
the total width OF the pillow, SO that
the last strip across the field will ex-
actly cut out the land or finish II to
the fence. This will do away with the
necessity OF making trip across the
field, probably over the plowed
ground. to turn a narrow strip which
has been left unplowed.
When methods are used IN which
the pillow Is left in the ground con-
tinuously the outfit is started in the
center Of the field For he first three
or four rounds the plows are lifted at
the ends of the burrows. and then they
are left in the ground when the turns
are made. The outfit is then run
around the field until the entire area
has been plowed, and If the field has
been measured correctly before the
tractor started, the last round will
pillow the land next to the fence on
all sides.