EVOLUTION OF FARM-IMPLEMENT INVESTIGATIONS. 219 



ill A'ieiuiii ill IDOC), aiul at which farm motors will he one of the 

 special subjects for discussion. 



Considerable pro<;ress has been made in Europe in establishing 

 irial stations. However, the tests conducted heretofore have been 

 mere demonstrations or lield trials to interest and inform the farmer 

 in a Ncrv simple and practical way. Now, however, the need of 

 making these tests more scientific, so as to interest the manufacturer 

 and aid and encourage him in the construction of better machines, or 

 machines better adapted to s})ecial purposes, is realized. The tend- 

 ency everywhere is away from competitive or superficial tests toward 

 technical study of mechanical principles of construction, operation, 

 and efficiency. 



NEED OF FARM IMPLEMENT INVESTIGATIONS IN THE UNITED 



STATES. 



In our own country conditions are somewhat different from those 

 in any of the foreign countries mentioned. There is more need of 

 implement exhibits and competitive field trials in Europe than in 

 America, because manufacturers are not so far advanced and the 

 farmers are less disposed than the American farmers to use improved 

 machinery and implements. It is probably not advisable to conduct 

 competitive field trials in this country between various makes of 

 machines and to offer prizes for such trials. The method adopted in 

 foreign countries, of publishing in their reports the names of the 

 machines tested, is also open to criticism as far as this countiy is 

 concerned, in view of the unfair advantage that might be taken of 

 such methods of advertising. There is still a wide field of usefulness 

 open to the agricultural experiment stations and the Federal (Jov- 

 ernmeiit, in which they might aid substantially both the farmers and 

 imi>l('ment manufacturers by means of farm-machinery investigations. 



Only in recent years have the agricultural colleges recognized the 

 importance of giving instruction to their students in the construction, 

 care, and operation of farm implements. Xotwithstanding the large 

 aiiioiint of farm machinery manufactured in this country, there is 

 ■scry little relial)le information available for the students and farmers 

 who wish to become j)osted on the machines. It is, therefore, neces- 

 sary to investigate carefully the merits of various inij)lements and to 

 leaiii l)y actual exijeriments what the fariners should expc-ct the 

 machines to accomplish, and what kind of machinery is best adapted 

 to certain conditions. To be sure, all responsible implement man- 

 ufacturers have their own experimental (lej)artments in which more 

 ()!• less care is exercist^l in the development of machines and the 

 imiiroviMiient of parts, but even with the best of care exercisetl by 

 such departments the judgment j)assed upon the machines is only 

 from the manufacturer's and not from the farmer's standpoint. If 



