242 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Au.usT 2, 1913. 



-ence is made to a motor-plough of the Stock type, 

 the wheels of which are e«|uipped with shovel points 

 •(to prevent slipping) which can be thrown flat against 

 the rim when travelling over hard r')ad This would 

 appear to be a feature of some practical importance. 



Uf late, manufacturers seem to have turned their 

 attention rather to the construction of disc motor- 

 ploughs. l^'ihlV patent motor-plough, for instance, 

 carries in front of every ploughshare a revolving coulter 

 for diminishing resistance. This feature in*kes Pi'ihl's 

 plough resemble, somewhat, those machines which till 

 the soil not by means of ploughshares, but by revolving 

 hoes. In such machines, the driver sits in front of the 

 three-wheeled vehicle which, in the distance, is said 

 not to be at all unlike an ordinary automobile. 



As regards the efficiency of disc motor-ploughs, 

 little data is available for pronouncing a final judgment. 

 Experience shows they reipiire more power to work them 

 than ordinary niotor-ploiighs. < )n the other hand, their 

 work is more intense, since the discs produce a fine 

 "tilth during a single operation. Another advantage 

 which they offer is the fact that the discs work iu the 

 same direction as the driving wheels, and although they 

 may not actually propel, they do not act as brakes, 

 as ploughshares do. One disadvantage of the disc is 

 that it is liable to cut up and distribute couch grass, 

 and other perennial weeds. 



In considering motor cultivation, the liistinction 

 between the self-contained implements just discussed, 

 and the American tractor machine must always be 

 borne in mind. These tractors haul other implements 

 bisides ploughs. In the case of the ploughs, an advan- 

 tage is gained under this system in that the shares are 

 independent and yielding; also disc-ploughs can be 

 substituted — a convenient matter, when, tor instance, 

 ease of penetration anil a sort of cutting effect is 

 desired, as in turning under long ]ien manure or green 

 dressings. 



Tractors, at present, are employed in practice 

 more extensively than the .self-contained machine. In 

 the western United States they are fairly comnjonly 

 used, and arc likt^ly to become still more general. 

 P. S. Rose ' has lately collected data fi oin thirty-six 

 agricultural colleges in the United States to show that 

 a somewhat deejjer ploughing is needed there to obtain 

 the best crop yields. To double a + to <S inch depth 

 of ploughing, at least .50 per cent, more work animals 

 would be required, and it is believed that this shows 

 the economic necessity of mechanical power for deep 

 cultivation. 



Quite recently, in Louisiana, the employment of 

 tractors on sugar estates has been advocated."' Figures 

 have bi'cn given to show that, with a six-mule team and 

 a four-mule team, ploughing costs S'S and .'?4' per acre, 

 respectively; and since tractor engines will do from It) 

 to 20 acres a day as against one acre by animal power, 

 it i-* argued that, provided the land surface is suitable 

 and thi-re is sufficient work to be ilone, implemental 

 tillage ought to be very much more econnmicai. 



It is maintained that, in Louisiana, more might 

 be obtained fmrn the land if a three years' rotation 

 were instituted, namely, two crops of cane and one of 

 corn and peas. Under such a rotation every acre on 

 the estate would have to be ploughed each year. To 

 do this by mule labour would be prohibitive, bub 

 })racticable with tractor power. The present position 

 of the Louisiana sugar industry, although not referred 

 to in the article in question, would seem to provide 

 a further argument of an external economic nature in 

 favour of the introduction of another staple crop into 

 the cultivations of that .State. It may be pointed out 

 in passing, that the employment of tractor power 

 necessitates the filling up of cross ditches — a matter of 

 some moment in regard to Louisiana. 



Not only from North, but also from South America 

 have favourable statements emanated concerning tractor 

 ploughs. A recent publication" describes a trial made 

 some few months ago in Peru, with a large (iO h.p. tractor 

 costing with all accessories £2,00(). It ploughed, under 

 favourable circumstances, -Vol acres at a depth of 

 1-5 inches in si.'cty minutes, with a consumption of 

 one tin* of paraffin. In Hawaii, according to mother 

 journal", motor traction engines and motor-ploughs 

 have been finding a place on some of the cane planta- 

 tions. The one which has incurred most favour in 

 Hawaii is the Caterpillar tractor. The opinion of one 

 manager is that a 60 h.p. tractor will plough .S acres 

 a day to a depth of (i inches at a cost of Sr.50 per 

 acre. The machine will harrow -iO to -10 acres a day. 



Perhaps the most thorough trials of tractors and 



motor-ploughs were thosf conducted under the auspices 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society of England" in U'lO. 

 In these trials, the best all-round efficiency was obtained 

 from a 2-5 to 30 h.p. compound steam-tractor weighing 

 .5 tons. The oil-engine machines were not so success- 

 ful. It has to be remembeieil, however, that consid- 

 erable improvements have been effected since the time 

 of these experiments. 



From the point of view of the investor, the mosb 

 intimidating feature of motor cultivation is the question 



*Presuiii;ibly 5 gallons. 



