13 



It would be diflicult, even if it were possible, to reduce the rate 

 of wages, but there is abundant room for an increase in efficiency. 

 The American estimates"^ are : — 



* K. I,. J>iill(>rFKl(l, " 'I'ho Farmer and the New Day.' 



i:i'l'I(lRNCY OF AGRICULTrRAI. 



United States ... 



United Kingdom 



Germany 



France ... 



Italy 



The figures may not be absolutely accurate, but it is undeni- 

 able that the British worker falls far behind the American in 

 output. No British worker would admit that there need be so 

 great a difference as the figures show, even if any need exist at all. 

 The best hope for the future of the rural community is an increase 

 in efficiency of the worker sufficient to allow for a fall in cost of 

 {production without a fall in w'ages. 



The tractor greatly increases the output of the worker. Its 

 effect is shown by the figures for the following times of cultivation 

 of an at^re of land measured or estimated on our farm : — 



New York, 1919, p. 9. 

 WORKI'.RS. 

 100 

 43 

 41 

 31 

 15 



First Ploughing 

 Cross Plougliing 

 Cultivation 



Rolling 10 acres 



Py 

 Tractor. 



Titan 



Austin 



Austin 



Titan 



Austin 



Titan 



4 hours 

 ? 



P,y 

 Horses. 



days 

 hours 



1:1 



1^ 



8.'. 

 8l 



No. of 

 Horses. 



THE POSSIBILITY OF EASING THE WORK OF 

 CULTIVATION. 



The tractor is purely mechanical in its ojDcration and consumes 

 fuel in exact proportion to the work done by the engine. It is im- 

 perative, tlierefore, that useless work should be avoided as far as 

 possible. Farmers have long known in a general way that certain 

 manures facilitate the working of the land, and we have this year 

 begun measurements which we hope to develop, showing the 

 saving thus effected in energy, /.<?., in fuel, oil and wear and tear. 



()ne of the most effective agents in ameliorating heavy soil is 

 chalk. Since 1912 in several fields we have had large plots of 

 chalked and unchalkcd land, each several acres in extent, and have 

 kept records of tlie yields obtained. These show improvement in 

 clover and barley, but not in potatoes, wheat, mangolds, etc. 

 Over a six course rotation there is less financial return than might 

 have been expected, though, of course, it is satisfactory so far as 

 it goes. 



The ploughman always declared, however, that he could work 

 more easily on the chalked than on the unchalked land. No 

 measure of this difference could be obtained with horse implements, 



