370 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



November 18, 1916. 



Tjorne in mind that the price of petrol 'in England is 

 -very much above the normal under present war 

 conditions. 



Tractor and motor trials at Stirling, in Scotland, 

 have given very satisfactory results, particularly in 

 respect of the latter. The Highland and Agricultural 

 Society reports on the Wyles motor plough as follows: 

 'The 11-b.h.p. Wyles motor plough did excellent work 

 on both types of land [hea%-y and light]. It required 

 only one attendant, took two furrows, and was adjustable 

 to various widths and depths. It was the only 

 implement that succeeded with a two-furrow plough 

 on the hill (gradient from 1 in 10 to 1 in il) on the 

 light land.' This ability to work on inclines is 

 important as regards the West Indies. 



As pointed out in a recent publication* which 

 draws attention to results obtained by farmers in 

 Illinois, U. S. A., one of the most important points in 

 conne.\ion with the purchase of a tractor or motor 

 plough is to obtain one of suitable size for the farm on 

 which it is to be used. A farm of 140 acres is the 

 smallest upon which the smallest tractor in common 

 use, the two-plough outfit, may be expected to prove 

 profitable. In this connexion we may refer the reader 

 to a note that appeared in this Journalf describing 

 a recently invented motor plough for light work, suitable 

 for small or medium holdings. It costs £120, and weighs 

 ■with ploughs included only S40 ft., develops 3 to 4 h.p. 

 and does 3i acres in ten hours. But it will not do 

 deep ploughing, nor is it suitable for heavy land. 



The Wyles motor plough referred to above costs 

 about £175, and from all available sources of information 

 would appear to be the most satisfactory machine on 

 the market at the present time. 



Associated with this plough is an interesting and 

 instructive instance of agricultural co-ojK-ration. Last 

 year, owing to the scarcity of labour and horses and the 

 increase in the number of small holdings at Pinvin, in, 

 Worcestershire, the members of the local agricultural 

 co-operative society found it almost impossible to get 

 their ploughing done by neighbouring farmers as in the 

 past. The society decided, therefore, to take steps to 

 purchase a Wyles motor plough to be used co-operatively 

 by the members, and approached the Worcestershire 

 County Council with a view to obtaining a loan of 

 £175 for the purcha.se of the plough. Although they fully 

 sympathised with the propo.sal, the County Council 

 decided that in present circumstances they could not see 

 their way to make the necessary loan, and ihr Society, 



*£j:peitmf.iit Station Record, Vol. 3.5, No. .i, p. 2U2. 

 tVol, XV, No. 305, p. J42. 



therefore, had to obtain the money from other sources; 

 £02 lOs. was raised by subscription and £90 from 

 friends of the movement, the latter sum being treated 

 as loan share capital. After paying for the plough, 

 a stock of petrol, and for certain labour in preliminary 

 trials, there was an adverse balance of £2 lis !)<£. The 

 plough was not obtained in time for the autumn 

 ploughing in 1915, and in the early partofliiKi the 

 weather was too bad to allow of its being used very much. 

 From the work carried out, however, the Society are 

 satisfied that the enterprise will be successful and 

 profitable to the members. 



Whether similar arrangements could be effected 

 in the West Indies is a point for consideration. 

 Co-operative ploughing in St. Croix was tried, and, it 

 is believed, with some success. Being less dependent 

 upon weather conditions, co-operative ploughing from 

 a practical point of view ought to be more easily 

 arranged in the tropics than in a northern country, and 

 two or more planters whose properties adjoin might find 

 investment in a machine profitable and convenient. 



One objection to a universal employment of the 

 motor plough would be the reduction of stock and, conse- 

 quently, the amount of penmanure availablefor thefields. 

 Many planters, however, who use mules would, in view 

 of the present high price of these animals, find a 

 tractor that could be used for ploughing and haulage a 

 useful substitute. As to the cost of motor cultivation 

 in the West Indies, there is one aspect of fuel 

 supply that should not be overlooked. It was pointed 

 out in this Journal* that alcohol can be easily prepared 

 from molasses, and that with certain treatment 

 the alcohol can be used instead of petrol as a 

 fuel in the ordinary oil engine. On large groups 

 of estates associated with a central factory it should 

 be possible to obtain this fuel at a price much 

 below that of petrol and so make motor ploughing at 

 once a paying operation. The production of >fatalite, 

 a motor spirit obtained from niolas.ses, was described in 

 this Journal a short time ago, and it was stated that 

 the addition of ether to the alcohol, together with 

 a small ijuantity of alkali, the former increasing the 

 volatility of the mixture and the latter neutralizing 

 acids produced on combustion, produces a fuel which 

 is e<iual in value if not superior to petrol. 



The whole question, therefore, of employing motor 

 cultivation in tropical countries, particularly sugar-cane 

 countries, is worthy of definite attention. In the first 

 place it has been i?hown that progress in the matter of 



• Vol. XIII, No, 310, p. 81. 



