South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-30
MEN QUIT THEIR
DITCH DIGGING
FOR CITY WORK
Power Trench Diggers Used
10 Further Land
Draining.


NO Mister. Aye ban too smart
faIlar for dig ditch. Ave ban 20 20
the city an get smart flllar sob.
Thoreupon Olaf laid down his
long-bladed dltchinE spade, said
good bye 20 bis farmer employer,
and dumped sloiidly away That
his city yob' called for only enough
intellect 90 enable him 20 screw
half-iuch nut on "a half-luch bolt
every time an automatic machine
presented them 90 him. and that he
performed the same operation 1000
times day, Is OF little interest 20
the farmer who wants "a drainage
ditch dug and can ind no one 10 dig
a. AS "a matter of fact ditch dig
ging d. a science. To cut the sides
smoothly and grade the bottom truly
requires more skill than % set nuts
In an automobile factory. and Olaf
and his brothers knew how DO IT,.
They had learned their trade in the
old country and could make good
pay ditching an American farm at
"A dollar "a rod. But they have been
attracted 20 work IN the city. and
20 the farmer must look for other
means 20 dig his bitches and lay his
the
~ Power IrpnCuCr.
At this juncture the power
trenChing machines capable OF dig
ginE from 30 90 90 rods OF tile
trench three feet deep i'm single
eday. comes TO the front and de-
mands consideration. II doesn't
cost any more 20 dig a drainage
ditch with properly handled
trcnching machine than it does TO
do the work By hand, and the pow
or trenCher saves time and labor
and offers the farmer assurance that
the work viii be done This is the
opinion Of the drainage men living
In the marsh lands west of the city.
3 farmer rarely owns enough
acreage to- pay him 20 buy ma
chine strictly FOR his own use. Some
times ne is able 20 hire a contrac-
Tor who owns "A trencher. but the
cheapest and most efficient means
Of employing the machine seems to
be through the medium OF coOpera-
tive ownership and Illustration.
A number OF farmers unite 10 buy
the machine. engage permanent
operator and fix the rates TO each
member. They are ready for work.
4 strong objection raised against
the cooperative ownership Of farm
machinery Is in the trouble that is
often experienced fin assessing
hreak2Ec and repair charges Smith
doesn't want to pay for a new cut
ter TO replace the one that Brown
broke. Brown doesn't feel like It
either. and SAYS that Simpson wore
the cutter 20 the breaking point be
fore ne. Brown, took the machine.
A group OF New York farmers
overCame this difficulty By OrEauiZ-
swr fhesrrr sol Tffrnfnlr -
p5uy equipped with regularly elect
ed officers who execute ditChing con-
tracts between the company and its
individual members, The prices are
based upon the cost OF digging each
linear rod of trench and 20 this
cost IS added a small additional sum
% cover repairs. The prices are
nominal Roughly speaking. four
inch tile system costs about SIS per
acre drained, which figures out AT
bout eight cents per linear or
drain where laterals are spaced so
or-60 feet.
s.- New York Plans.
Another plan employed in New
ork state has TO DO with 10 trench
ing machines purchased by the
state These are placed with the
county farm bureaus and the burcas
execute contracts with the farmers
az prices which are fixed cacE year.
Tho bureau contracts with the state
10 cut 5000 rods Of tile ditch each
year and 10 paw the state a rental
of 10 cents rod. They also put
the machine IN good repair at the
ono az the season. The scale of
prices for 1919 was based on a ditch
- incaCs IN width:
Depth Per rod.
feet inches or less .............. $3.50
. feet 8 inches 20 o feet -..-..... 60
. feet 90 feet % inches .-.-....... 80
feet inches % & feet .......... 90
3 feet 20 8 feet inches .--.-.....-. 1.2I
Z feet q inches 10 feet ..-.-..-..-. 10
Thcre-are two essentials 20 be pro-
viIcd for i'm the operation OF pow
or trenchinE machine. The first con-
siderutiou is 20 purchase machine
4 sufficient power-horsc- operated
machines seldom fall in this class -
lnd. second. the choice OF an on
orator who viii stay with the trencl-
er.
The operator may be already
trained or. n ne has had some trac-
for rxIsCrfprre ne VIII learn how 10