HAMPSHIRE COUNTY FARMERS' MONTHLY 



MAYBE THIS WILL SAVE 

 YOU BUYING A NEW 

 LAWN MOWER 



If you have had a lawn mower only 

 two years and it's about worn out, runs 

 hard and doesn't half cut, it's fairly safe 

 bet that your trouble is some one of the 

 following listed by Lawrence S. Dickin- 

 son, Superintendent of Grounds of the 

 Massachusetts Agricultural College. 



(1). You have never taken the wheels 

 off and cleaned the accumulated grass [ 

 and g-rit from the gear boxes and around 

 the reel bearings. The cost of such an 

 operation is 1?. hours work, i cake of 

 soap and a pair of oily hands. 



(2). The pawls, those little things 

 that slide up and down through the reel 

 shaft inside of the little gear (pinion 

 gear) have become worn and will not 

 hold, thereby permitting the pinion gear 

 to slip and not turn the reel. Remedy: 

 new pawls 20«', labor \ hour. 



(3). You have been operating your 

 machine so tightly adjusted that the 

 knives and bed knife bind and do not 

 shear. A lawn mower should never be 

 adjusted so tightly that the reel will not 

 spin easily. 



(4). The bearings of your machine 

 have become worn or the adjustment 

 loosened. Very likely the latter. To 

 test the bearings grasp the reel in the 

 center and with an up-and-down motion 

 notice if there is any play. End play is 

 permissible, but not up-and-down. If 

 this play occurs your bearings need tak- 

 ing up. Two operations are necessary 

 to remedy loose bearings : one, the tight- 

 ening of the bearings which should be 

 only tight enough to stop any up-and- 

 down play; two, the adjusting of the reel 

 and bed knives. The.se two operations 

 always go together and one should not 

 be done without the other. 



(5). Either the reel knife or bed knife 

 has become sprung. If it's badly sprung 

 send the machine to a repair man who 

 owns the machine for the express purpose 

 of grinding lawn mowers only. If it's 

 slightly sprung, sharpen it yourself. 



(6). The knives are dull and coated 

 with gum formed by dust mixing with 

 the juice of the grass. It is economy 

 to whet the knives of the lawn mower 

 at least once a season. 



(7). Many of these troubles are com- 

 mon to lawn mowers and cause them to 

 run hard and cut poorly. Get the old 

 lawn mower down by the furnace some 

 day and "tinker it up". 



(VintinuecJ Irom p;igf 1, c(.)liuiin 'A 

 future. It is true that many have dis- 

 regarded form in the past and many 

 "weedy" individuals have been retained 



ds breeders simply because they were 

 large producers. In discussing animal 

 form we are apt to run into fads. While 

 a straight top line is to be desired we 

 should not carry this so far as to make 

 a fad of it but should bear in mind the 

 fact that large producers have not been 

 absolutely straight. Many owners of 

 purebreds are prone to trace pedigrees of 

 their animals to one individual, whereas 

 it is a combination of three or four ani- 

 mals that give results. 



(Saipttc JjJrtntiitg (£a. 



3)ob ^^rintpra 

 Northamptnn, fflaaa. 



Concreting 



on the Farm Is 



Simple, 



Profitable 



And we help to make it so. What- 

 ever you need in the way of perma- 

 nent improvements, we can tell you 

 how to build it the easiest and most 

 economical way. 



Complete,simple,and definite direc- 

 tions, covering all the steps in 

 Concrete making, are ready for you, 

 without charge. With them you can 

 figure materials, erect forms, mix 

 and use the Concrete correctly. 



You will be surprised to see how 

 easy and economical it is to make 

 your buildings secure withConcrete 

 foundations,provide sanitary accom- 

 modations for live stock, and con- 

 struct money-saving manure pits, 

 feeding floors, storage cellars and silos. 



Tell us what particular improve- 

 ments interest you, and we will 

 gladly help you. Remember that Con- 

 crete construction makes your farm 

 buildings a permanent investment. 



PORTLAND CEMENT ASSOCIATION 



10 High Street 



BOSTON, MASS. 



A National Organization to Improve and 



Extend the Uses of Concrete 



Offices in 24 Other Cities 



