The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-07-22
Flame Thrower Converted to Purpose Of Farming
Government Tests Weed Killing Cultiuator
Which Promises 20 to / Reduction of Labor
BY BETTY MACDONALD
NEA Stall Corresponde at


Yeyed the acres of newly plant
G sugar cane, then gave the or
der TO his Filipino gang boss:
"Okay start her slowly over
this section Hit a little over
half a mile an hour
The overseer watched as The
tractor nudged past him and
straddled the first long mound
aof cane. The bright green spears
were about two feet high, laced
with weeds that needed immed-
late attention.
The Filipino turned in the
tractor seat.
Now, boss"
The overseer nodded. Let or
20, boy"
Twin flames shot out from the
front OF the tractor through two
pInCer-fike- tubes-The- driver
adjusted the burners like a care
full housewife until the flames
narrowed TO scarcely perceptiblc
blue lines held close under the
leafy tops of the weeds.
FOUND WEEDS DEAD
All day long the gang boss
threaded his tractor back and
forth across the field. That eve
ming he turned in his report
4545 acres lie had used SIX gal
Ions of Diesel oil.
The overseer and plantation
officials were no longer skeptl
cal the next morning, when they
rode out TO the field. Scarcely a
weed was standing Instead. Z
men saw thinned, waving lines
81 young cane. The flares had
blghted the lcafy weeds but he
heat wasn't strong enough 10
harm the thick lower stalks Of
cane.
Several weeks later, the in
ventor OF the flame throWcr.
Major Price McLemore, received
an enthusiastic account Of mis-
machine from the Honolulu
Plantation Company The letter
was similar TO reports he'd had
from many southern planters
The flame-thrower works Ad-
ditional experiments in heat and
timing were being carried out
Major McLemore. an Ala
bams planter, spent ten years
improving, perfecting. studying
the device in his own fields.
II the cul,ivator can DE put
Into mass production in the near
future, il promises 10 be OF great
aid in relieving the critical man
power shortage that threatens
the war effort from the cotton
plantations Of Alabama 10 the
pineapple and cane lands of Ha-
wall. The back breaking work
that 200 laborers did in a day
with hoe and spade now can be
done by a crew OF 10 and q
flame thrower. which VIII work
day and night, rain or shine.
OTHER TESTS MADE
Already AT government expcr-
iment stations Department Of
Agriculture experts arc testing
the cultivator in the corn, cotton
and cane fields OF Alabama,
Iowa. Mississippi, Texas, Cali T
fornia and Louisiana. Once their
appro ~ is given. WPB material
ALLEGATIONS alone are necessary. (
Metal Involved is about ! 500
pounds. Total cost runs around .
$500.
Major McLemore' carly de-
sign involved flame Jets Of a
commercial pattern made by the
thousands in several plants to-
day These are mounted on a
tractor trailer. The cultivator is
fed by ordinary fuel under pres
sure, spreading pencils OF fire
close 10 the soil surface on oppo-
site sides Of the crop rows The
burners are staggered so that
the tongues Of flame miss each
other. A pilot light, the same
type used in an ordinary cook
stove. keeps the flames constant
~ Iii despite Jogging on rough
terrain.
Weeds aren't instantly burned