10 



THK CASH KETI;R.\S HAVK BEEN:— 



Clover. 



t Fed to Cattle. 



The great increase in cost since 1917 is due in the main to the rise 

 in wages and to the reduction in hours, which has meant not only 

 an increased cost, but a decreased output per hour. The decreased 

 output probably arises from the circumstance that only part of the 

 workers' time on the farm is spent on actual crop production, the 

 remainder being taken up with yoking and unyoking, attending to 

 the animals, travelling from the farm buildings and back again, 

 etc., etc. This " dead " time is the same whether the working 

 day is 8 or 9 hours in duration, consequently the whole reduction 

 in hours falls on the '* working time." If two hours of the day is 

 " dead " time (and this is an under-estimate) a reduction of hours 

 from 9 to 8 means a reduction of 11% in total time, but of 14% in 

 working time. 



Further analysis of expenditure shows two great controllable 

 items : — (1) the cost of cultivation ; (2) the cost of cleaning. Our 

 experience shows that the tractor is likely to help considerably in 

 reducing both items. The rapid development of the tractor on the 

 farm is the direct outcome of the war conditions. Few^ farmers 

 used tractors before 1916, but many have done so since, thanks to 

 tlie activities of the Machinery Section of the Food Production 

 Department. A 20h.p. *' Titan " (Internat. Harvester Co.) was 

 purchased at Rothamsted in May, 1919, this make being selected 

 because it was known to be reliable on heavy land, and because no 

 English firm was then in a position to guarantee delivery in a 

 reasonable time. This machine has given satisfactory service ; it 

 has remained in good condition with only little expenditure on 

 repairs. Its drawback is its weight, which is approximately 

 60 cwts., and which, of course, renders it unsuitable for spring 

 cultivations. For the season 1921, the Austin Company have 

 placed at our disposal one of their new tractors which is much 

 lighter, weighing only 30 cwts., and it is satisfactory to record that 

 this British machine is so far doing very good work. 



The tractor has proved its value in four directions : — 



I. RAPIDITY OK WORK. 



On heavy loams such as ours it is essential that cultivations 

 should be carried out quickly ; they are entirely dependent on the 

 weather, and unless done when the conditions allow, they have to 

 be postponed or curtailed considerably. The tractor hastens culti- 

 vation ; it moves at the rate of 3?. miles per hour instead of 1-^-2^ 

 miles, the spe(:d of horses ; it ploughs 3 furrows at a time, and will 

 go on working longer than horses. Our horse team takes up to a 

 day and a-half to plough an acre ; the tractor does it in 4 hours and 



