El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-08-28
TRACTORS PROVE
GREAT AID To
FARMERS
Steel Beasts Unearth In
told Riches in Nations
Soil.
NEW METHODS
ALSO CHEAPER
Factories Unable To Meet
Demands for
Machines.

m ElIaA war mas lalELL US ans
other lesson. one that wiz revolu-
tionize farming in this country.
The terrific artillery fire OF the west
ern front with its mammoth shells
tearing up the earth several feet
down has proved that the Eubsol Is
rlch In those properties that 30 to-
ward making healthy and abundant
crop.
Year after year the American farmer
has gone on blowing only a few
inches deep II Is true he rotated his
crops so that a different grain was
grown each year But there are lin
tied kinds OF grain and in course OF
time all OF the chemicals IN the soil
become used up.
Fertilizing helped some. but fer
1iltzers cost money and Il is foolish 20
spend more money on a crop when the
natural ingredients are but a few
inches deeper
The natural alternative s. 10 get the
subsou on rop, which means deeper
blowing and again there Is a iinit 70
me power OF the horse and the
strength Of the man to hold the point
OF the pillow down. More horses and
more men 20 pillow VIII solve this
problem 20 great extend but this
again brings prohibiting costs to the
front
Farmer Knew Needs.
However, Americans have the happy
faculty Of finding a way and it IS
usually the right way. The American
farmer knew he had 70 go down deep
er 10 get what he needed More DOW
er was needed 70 pillow a furroW Is
inches deep than one eight inches
deep Horses we're available and big
teams Of horses were used. HorEe-
flesh came high and feed FOR the
equines came higher. wages fer men
10 look after horses run into big
sums The profit on a years crops I
vas eaten up by expense and the
farmer totaIe5 up at the end OF his
year only TO find that cost OF uro-
ouction was greater than selling price. I
Inventive genius and the best brains
n engineering had not been idle and
az the right time the tractor came
int being With the coming OF the
economical gasoline motor. tractors
took a big jump TO the front They
supplied the power Of many horses At
a cost less than the first cost OF the
animals. Gasoline and oil was less
than horse feed
One man could drive and attend %
the mechanical beast 1t took several
10 look after the animals.
From the Atlantic 10 the Pacific
ana from the plant line in northern
Canada 70 the shores Of the Gulf OF
--eAlco the tractor took its place as
the last word in farming economy.
Can't supply Enough.
IN the present year, 1920. the trac-
tor factories OF the United States. and
there are many are hard pushed to
keep up with their orders.
An important trend Is indicated By
the effect OF the tractor on the size
OF me farm. which was often In
creased after the Introduction Of the
lraclors says the Implement and Trac-
Tor Trade Journal In a recent issue.
OF total OF IS farmers who re-
ported change In acreage, sc. or S51E
percent reported an increase, averaE-
ING approximately 10 acres each. The Z
remaining nine farmers, OF 16sk per-
cent. reported G. decrease, averaging I
ia acres. These men moved to small
er farms and were not able TO rent
more land It is not always possible
70 increase the size OF farm at viii.
since additional land is not always
available in the immediate vicinity.
or the number using tractors who 7
reported their acreage unchanged,
several said that they would have in
creased the size OF their farm. but he /
cause q lack OF help found It impos-
aiole 20 DO So In large number Of I
cases where the tractor was pur-
chased for use In 1913. the purchase
was made 50 that the farm work could I
be done; otherwise some OF the land 1
would he=s been idle. The labor saved /
in these cases is reported as amount I
ing from one 70 three men, depending /
On the size Of the farm. Another saw /
ing by the tractor. then, is that Of |
hired help, since It enables one man 70 /
handle an increased acreage.
Use All Sizes
when IL was realized that the
large tractor was not suitable for the {
ordinary corn belt farm. the tendency