No. 123.] SUPERINTENDENT FARM MACHINERY. 67 



neighborhood. As the plan finally worked out, 26 units were 

 run by the Board and 10 were leased. 



The value of this work as a demonstration should be con- 

 sidered. It has proven that there is a place in New England 

 agriculture for the tractor. There are many things that the 

 tractor cannot do. There are many fields too wet, and others 

 too stony, where tractor work should never be attempted. On 

 the other hand, it has been surprising to find the rough work 

 that some of the State tractors have done in plowing and 

 harrowing. As a belt power for threshing, corn husking or 

 filling silo, the tractor is excellent in every way. 



The State owns five different makes of tractors, and we can 

 say that any one of these machines will do very good work 

 with a proper operator. In fact, here is the secret of success 

 with the tractor. We have been asked innumerable times, 

 "Which is the best tractor?" One of our district superintend- 

 ents says "there ain't no such animal," and he is quite correct. 

 No one of our five makes of tractors has all the good points, 

 none all the faults; and we look for definite improvements 

 in the next ten or fifteen years until a tractor will present no 

 more of a problem to the operator than does the up-to-date 

 automobile. 



In buying a tractor there are several points to be considered. 

 Any machine should show up well when new and operated by 

 an expert, — you only find the weak points when you put the 

 machine into hard work day after day. This brings us to the 

 first thing to be considered in buying the farm tractor, and 

 that is service. What is the organization behind your machine? 

 Have they parts on hand? Are they established to give you 

 quick and efficient service? Have they real tractor men to 

 make adjustments and repairs? After our experience, I would 

 say that a second-class tractor wuth first-class service would 

 give better satisfaction than a first-class tractor with second- 

 class service. 



Also to be considered is the size of machine to suit the in- 

 dividual need and the amount of power required on your 

 particular farm. Are your fields close together or have you 

 long trips to make over the roads? Driving the tractor over 

 hard roads with field lugs on will shake your machine to pieces, 



