Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-02-06
Motor CultivatOr Makes MOtOriZatiOn
 of Farm Nearer
(Ry Philip s. Rose in Country
 Gentleman).

Gentleman).
 When motor cultivators first made their appearance the great ma jority of Corn Belt farmers looked them over, smiled tolerantly and passed on their way. Those who stopped to think realized that the new machine was another step in the eventual motorization of agriculture, but at that time Corn Belt farmers were only mildly interested in com pietely motorized farms. "Tractofs may be all right for plowing," they declared with some emphasis, "but they can never compete with the horse for cultivating corn. That was in the days before anyone was plagued with labor shortage.
 Not Ready for the Change.
 Farmers even more than other classes of people are slow to buy new and improved machinery. They have learned that the first designs are freouently faulty and that time is needed to eradicate the ''bues," a fact which nav have influenced some people to wait. Moreover, some of the early machines were not entire ly practical, but the overshadow1ng reason in my estimation for their lack of early popularity is the fact that agriculture was not ready to make the change The motor cul- tivator made it's initial bow to the public in the good old days before the H. c. of l. had perched the pro- verbal wolf on our doorsteps. In those beautific times wages were low, laborers were plentiful and even poor man could afford to keep a team of horses. Times have chang ed since those days-changed won- derfully. Wages have skyrocketed laborers have mostly vanished and ii costs as much now to keep one horse as it used to cost to keep a family
 This matter of the cost of horse feed. by the way, is no joke. A sand hill farmer up in Michigan who gave me lift one day last summer as was trudging down the road ex- pressed the whole situation very briefly and pointedly. He said: q would be money ahead to shoot this team after the falls work is done and to buy another team pex' spring." He had it figured out ex. actly right. At present prices oi horses and of feed it is mighty good horse that is worth as much a! the feed it will eat over winter.
 The value of carefulness and, ar | unprejudiced mind was brought for cibly to my attention by another case near Ottawa. Ill. One of tn, dealers there has sold forty smal general-purpose tractors during tn, 1 last two years. The manufacturers of this tractor claim it can be uset successfully to cultivate corn.
 asked the dealer if this were tru, and he said:
 Power Cost Cut in Half. 1.
 "Yes. can take you out to see !; man who has used his tractor tw, 1 full seasons and has kept an accur ate record of operating costs. H, not only cultivates his corn. but h, uses it for practically all other fiels operations. His name is Charles Kinzer He lives only short dis tance out ard can start now if yo, want to see him."
 Mr Kinzer, found, lives on , rented farm of 240 acres of typica Illinois corn belt land. He and hi, two sons were husking and hauling in corn when I arrived. Up to 1 few days before my arrival they hat been doing their husking with a ma chine hauled down the corn row with their tractor. but severe wins and rain storm knocked down tn, cornstalks and they were obliged t, finish the work bv hand.
 The machine they were usinl snaps the ears off the standing stalks and they told me it did goot work It ought to harvest two row, lat time, Mir. Kinzer told me. in stead of only one, and it ought t, have an engine to operate the snap ping rolls instead of depending up on power from the hull wheel.