Vol. XXXI Part 1 JANUARY 2, 1920. 



Agricultural Gazette of New South Wales. 



The Motor Tractor in Great Britain ♦ 



* 



Of the changes wrought by the war in the everyday aspects of English 

 industrial life, none was more marked than that apparent in the pleasant 

 places devoted to agriculture. The necessity of increased pi-oduction of 

 foodstuffs became early insistent, and the task of increasing the acreage 

 under crops one of the utmost importance. In view of the shortage of both 

 men and horses, the problem of suitable substitutes was an acute one. It 

 was solved, however, as others were solved, and the innovations enabling its 

 solution were soon employed- — often most amicably- — throughout the length 

 and breadth of the country. 



So soon as the situation was realised, the Ministry of Food Production 

 purchased practically all the tractors available, irrespective of make, and in 

 conjunction with local Agricultural War Committees throughout the country, 

 set to work to break up the land. As most of the British factoi^ies had been 

 converted for the manufacture of munitions, most of the tractors were 

 imported from America. 



The Government was severely handicapped in the proper working of its 

 scheme by the scarcity of drivers and engineers, and of spare parts, as well 

 as the unsuitability of many of the machines for the work. The agricultural 

 implements at first in use were unsuitable, too, and much time was lost before 

 the necessary adjustments were made and unsuitable machines discarded. It 

 cannot therefore be a matter of surprise that the expenses were high, as the 

 following figures indicate : — 

 England — 



Expenses of Department ... ... ... £1,162,442 



tRecovered from farmers ... ... ... 322,472 



Leaving a debit of ... 839,970 



The cost of the land ploughed equalled £4 17s. 4d. per acre on the above figures. 



Scotland — 



Expenses of Department ... »... ... £49,925 



f Recovered from farmers ... ... ... 34,206 



Leaving a debit of ... ... ... ... 15,718 



The cost of the land ploughed equalled £1 19s. 5d. per acre on the above figures. 



As experience with the tractors accumulated, the number of makes in use 

 was inevitably narrowed down, only three or four being generally retained. 

 Of these the Fordson and Titan were most largely used, and up to the 

 present are the most popular of the types that have figured in the scheme. 

 Concerning the effort generally, it may be said that although it was 

 expensive, it was undoubtedly successful in achieving its prime purpose — 

 the increase of the acreage under crops. Moreover, the scheme afforded the 



* Compiled from a report by A. J. Pinn, Inspector of Agriculture, after an 

 investigation of the working costs of farm tractors in Great Britain. 



t I he average charge to the farmer was £1 7s. per acre. 



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