FUTURE OF THE TRACTION ENGINE 301 



thus apt to wait until forced into new departures. He needs 

 the broader outlook which could be secured from a central 

 organization having the viewpoint of the manufacturer, the 

 farmer, and the general public, all in one. The nations of 

 Europe, even Russia, are years ahead of us in this respect. 



More suitable machinery is needed for making use of the 

 tractor's power, and to some extent the tractor's success is 

 dependent on the progressiveness of manufacturers in other 

 lines. The case is somewhat parallel to that of the edge-drop 

 corn planter, which was not a brilliant success until after 

 agricultural colleges had induced farmers to grade their seed 

 corn. Then the new style planter proved to be far ahead of 

 the old, even in the latter's best days. 



We already have very efficient engine gang plows, but in 

 the main we are using the harrows, drills, and harvesters 

 developed for use with horses. Recently an experimental gram 

 drill of greater width and strength has been offered for engine 

 power, while other companies have just put forward large double- 

 disk harrows, which are compact and thorough in their work. 

 Another company makes a very efficient device for hitching a 

 number of binders together, adding many days each year to the 

 use of the engine. Large, heavy wagons, designed to follow 

 the track of the engine around any corner, add to the possible 

 length of the wagon train, and are so devised that they may be 

 drawn from either end to adapt them for us in close quarters 

 and save time in turning. As a rule, however, the farmer must 

 use some machine suited to animal power, and not strong 

 enough to withstand the strain when the power of from twenty 

 to thirty animals is exerted against a single point. No engineer 

 has as yet earned lasting gratitude by devising an easily manu- 

 factured hitch, whereby these various implements can be 

 conveniently attached in numbers sufficient to utilize the full 

 power of the engine. Even the plowmaker could add to the 

 success of the small tractor by devising a simple means for 

 enabling the engine driver to handle the plows easily without 



