Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-04-11

helped to conquer them. Land so dry and
hard that horse-draWn plOws could scarcely
have scratched it, yielded to the great en-
gines, with their long rows of ploWshares, as
easily as a fallOw cornfeld. The men that
did the work often went broke in doing it..
Many of the great tractors that conquered
the last of the wild prairie lands were left
to rust the fields they had won, because
their owners could not afford to operate
them. But such is often the fate of pioneers
after their work is done. And once the
prairie soil had been broken by the big en-
gines, it's cultivation was easy.
Finding that the BIZ, tractor could not hold
a permanent market, the manufacturers went
to the other extreme and put out a little
tWo-plow tractor that delivered only about
eight horsepower to the drawbar. This type
of machine, somewhat modified and improved,
still holds the field, and is the one that prom
Uses to- play such a large part in the future
Of American farming. In power it varies
from eight to fifteen horsepower at the draw
bar, and in price from $1,000 to $4,000.
That price is bound to come down. 1t is
probable that a workable tractor will soon
cost no more than a good team of mules cost
a few years ago The 'jitney tractor is the
dream of the manufacturer Indeed one of
the greatest mOtor-makers in America has
been devoting much OF his time for years to
the effort to make a cheap but practicable
tractor. Before the war he succeeded in put
up to $500. However, the $500 tractor may
now confidently be expected.
The usefulness of the tractor is denied by
no one. 1t is only the poverty of the aver
age American farmer, and the generally de-
crepit state of farming in this country, which
prevents wider use of the gas engine in
agriculture. Eighty-dve per cent of the
farmers who have used tractors have found
them satisfactory, according to an lnyestga-
ton made by the department of agriculture
The gas engine has net, however, succeeded
in dispacing the horse except, possibly, on
a few California farms. There is always
something for the horse to do-a field to be
plowed where the tractor cannot be used, or
some hauling that cannot be done by motor
truck, or corn to be cultivated The result
is that on nearly every farm where there is
a tractor, there is also at least one team Of
horses. farmer in Illinois who had a
tractor for plowing a motor cultivator for
cuItiyating corn, and motor truck for maui
ing still kept three horses. He admitted
they did not work very hard, but said That
there were emergencies when horse was IN
dispensable. And Illinois is the very home
of the tractor. In many rugged sections the
tractor cannot be used at ALL
This motor pillow will doubtless become
more versatile in the next few years, too
Already, in addition to blowing, it does
variety of ''belt work" which includes saw
ing wood, threshing grain, filling silos bal
ing hay and grinding feed. But with all OF
these accomplishments the tractor lies idle
a good part of the time, and this idleness
is a loss to the farmer.
The tractor is undoubtedly reducing the
amount of labor needed on farms. A good
manv middl western farmers who used to
REQUIRE two hired men, now get along with
one and tractor. This is considered eco
nomically sound and desirable, for it means
that more acres can be cultivated and that
better wages can be paid.