986 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Oft. DoC. 



THE INFLUENCE OF WIDE TIKES ON DRAFT WAGONS. 



By n. J. WATERS, Director nf the Missouri Experiment State College. Forinerlu Professor of AgriculUire 



in. the Pennsylvania State College. 



Ill all suggestions for highway improvement, considerable stress 

 has been laid upon the advantages accruing to the roads from the 

 use of broad tires in lieu of the narrow tires so generally used. It 

 is on all sides admitted that these narrow tired wheels are among 

 ihe most destructive agents to the streets, macadam, gravel, and dirt 

 roads, and to the fields, meadows and pastures of the farms. 



To secure reliable information on this point, this Station under 

 took to make careful comparisons of the draft of 1^ inch and 6 inch 

 tires on dirt, gravel, and macadam roads, and on the plowed fields, 

 meadows and pastures of the farm, in all conditions. It was pro- 

 posed to have these trials cover an entire year, so as to be certain 

 that they embraced all conditions of road surface usually found. 

 This work was begun early in January, 1896, and was continued 

 without interruption to September, 1897, actually covering more 

 than twenty months. The tests were made with a Giddin s self- 

 recording dynamometer registering a maximum strain of 3,000 

 pounds, and reading to approximately five pounds. 



Results of Experiment. 

 I. Macadam Street. 



Hard, smooth, nearly- level, and comparatively free from dust, 

 loose stone or sand. Length of runs 400 feet. 

 Trial made August 29, 1896. 



Average draft. 



Narrow tire 99.4 pounds. 



Wide tire 73.4 



') 



Difference in favor of broad tire, 20.0 " 



Percentage difference, 35.7 " 



Trial made September 12, 1896. 



Average draft. 



Narrow tire 143 . 5 pounds. 



Wide tire, 123.4 " 



Difference in favor of broad tire, 20.1 " 



