The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-06-21
"a Practical Farmers Reason For
His Dependence Upon Tractor
Power.
(By J M. Franklin in Southern Hard
ware and implement Journal)

For several years prior to the en-
trance Of our country into the world
war, the farm was feeling the pull OF
labor toward the industries of the
cities. Some of the reasons for this
movement were: These industries
could pay higher wages than the farm
could possibly afford; the hours OF
employment were more attractive in
the cities than on the farm the work
was considered easier and more con-
genial
Upon Americas entrance into the
war and the taking OF 100000 men
from farm work, came a crisis that
brought the tractor bcofre the farm
er as it might not have come before
him for several years if conditions
had remained normal It became nee
cssary for one man to turn off the
work formerly done by two or three
in order to keep the country's farms
on a productive basis. With steadily
mounting costs of farm labor the
farmerturned to improved machinery
the doyoryorwsou-as
so that he could secure service from
his employed labor to enable him to
pay the advance in wages.
The hours of farm labor cannot be
brought down to those Of the city
worker, and in order to keep any help
on the farm it is necessary for the
farmer to approach closely the wag-
es paid in the adjoining town or city.
| believe in power farming because
IT is practical. There is no section Of
tillablc, agricultural land that can
not successfully be handled with the
tractor, and there is no operation
connected with that tillage that the
various motor machines will not do
Before coming to Pinehurst Farm |
was connected with the United States
department Of agriculture in Cali
fornia and Maryland. AT the begin
ming of the season of 1918 we found
that il was necessary to produce for
the farmers of the country all the
seed possible of some of the earliest
varieties of soy beans 1t was impos-
siblc for the department to contract
for the growing Of these beans at
prices that it could afford to pay. 1t
therefore became necessary to grow
them ourselves.
AT the Maryland station we had
the necessary land but not the equip
mcnt. Several implement concerns
came to our rescue and gratuously
sent US tractors and the tillage tools
necessary to grow this crop. The
available land ranged from creek bot
tom full of sand pits to stony hill
sides of Is per cent grades. The trac,
tors handled the irregular shaped
fields as easy as d team could pos
sible do it.
When the beans were up one man
with motor cultivator did all the
cultivation of 120 acres, and it re-
CURED four men with eight horses
to cultivate the remaining $50 acres.
| believe in power farming because
experience has taught me that it is
cheaper than horse farming. The num-
Der of men and horses required to do
a given amount of work is materially
reduced.
With the reduction of the men need |
ed comes reduction in the house
work, IN the feeding and housing of
these extra meh. | believe that the
man with the 80 acre farm can profit
ioiy own tractor and the other nee
'Ssary motor drawn implements; and
lght mere let me add that the motor
S necessary adjunct to the tractor.
Oneof he economical features OF the
ractor is the replacing of horses on
he farm and At is necessary to
Keep them for the cultivation of crops
, part OF the value of the tractor is
lost On such farm one man can do !
his chores night and morning and |
still put in from six to eight hours !
in the field; and with the tractor can
do more work in that number of hours |
than two men with teams working the |
entire day. On small farm on this |
kind, when the owner drives his own
tractor, the upkeep and repair bills
sink to a low figure and the life of
the machine is prolonged materially.
Cost of Keeping Farm Animals.
On the average farm It takes about
five acres of land to support one
farm horse, or reduced into dollars,
we have the following Oats at Sc
per bushel, 2 2-4c per lb.; hay at $50
per ton, lie per pound. One horse
at work requires per day IS pounds
oats and 10 pounds hav. or a total of