Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1920-06-11

plows. about 80 per cent stated that
they use horse-drawn gang plows. and
IA per cent reported the use of tractors
for blowing.
16-inch Suiky Piows Popular
large majority of the farmers use
16-inch sulky pIows nearly all of
them with three horses In the spring.
Three acres is an average days work
for this outfit. For the comparatively
few farmers using 14-inch sulky plows
with three horses In spring. plowing
about three acres Is an average days
work. While theoretically the 16-inch
plow should cover about Is per cent
more ground in the same length OF
time. this apparently has not been
found true in practice
Four Horse Teams Preferred.
The greater number OF four-horse
teams and even some five-horse teams
on 14-inch sulky plows for fall plow-
ing is accounted for by the fact that
plowing in the fall is usually about one
inch deeper than in the spring. and
also by the fact that the ground is gen
orally dry and hard TO turn On an
average, outfits of the same size cover
about half acre less per day in the
fall than in the spring. due not only
to the more difficult conditions men.
toned above. but also to the fact that
the time spent in the field is about two
thirds of an hour less per day in the
fall.
As is the case in spring plowing, the
14-inch plow seems to cover practi-
cally as much ground per day as the
16-inch size. provided both are drawn
by the same number of horses. The
addition of the fourth horse increases
the efficiency of the unit by about 10
per cent and the addition of the fifth
horse to the 16-inch plow results in
a similar increase. Excepting under
favorable conditions, a sulky plow
seems to be somewhat of an overload
for three horses of the size and type
used on these farms.
Many Gang PIows Used. =
Over 450 men reported using horse
drawn gang Dlows on their farms.
About so per cent of these plows have
14-inch bottoms. Most of the remain.
Ing plows have 12-inch bottoms. Some
plows with 13-inch bottoms were re-
ported, but the number was so small
that no figures on their performance
are given. Over three-fourths of the
men who use gang plows also reported
the use of sulky pIOws.
comparison of an average days
work for 16-inch suliy plows and 49,
inch gang plows shows that so far az
horse labor is concerned the gang plow
drawn by four horses Is the most eff
cient unit In both spring and fall. In
the spring this outfit covers one and
quarter acres per day per horse. while
both the sulky plow drawn by three
horses and the gang plow drawn by five
horses cover one acre per day per
horse. The gang plow drawn by six
horses covers but nine-tenths of an
acre per horse.
In the fall four horses with the gang
plow cover 1.02 acres per horse. while
three horses on the sulky plow and
five horses on the gang plow cover 80
acre and 81 acre per horse. respec.
lively. Four horses on the sulky plow
and six horses on the gang pIow cover
~ and rs acre per horse, respectively.
However, the gang is evidently
heavy load for four borses in the fall.
excepting under favorable conditions.
The 2S-inch gang plow is a somewhat
heavier load for six horses. the most
popular-sized team used In the fall.
than is the 16-inch sulky for four
horses, but is lighter load than the
16-inch sulky for three horses.
As far as man labor is concerned.
the gang plow drawn by six horses is,
OF course. the most efficient unit both
In the spring and fall. but when horse
labor as well as man labor Is con-
sidered. it is seen that the advantage
Of this largest unit is somewhat less
ened.