THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



139 



corners were turned and the plows thrown out and in 

 the ground with no more difficulty than is experienced in 

 operatiflg the ordinary traction plowing outfit. One or 

 more sections of the plows could be detached in a moment, 

 and the outfit could move forward without readjusting the 

 hitch. The long gang was made up by connecting eleven 

 sections, each section having five plows, and the sections 

 were hitched together in a way that permitted the plows 

 to follow the contour of the field easily and with an even- 

 ness in depth that was as surprising as it was uniform. One 

 prominent citizen, who met the Moguls half way down the 

 field, hailed us with the terse interrogative "Are you going 

 to plow the whole township at one lick ?" 



Perhaps you wonder how the engines could be suc- 

 cessfully hitched to such a long gang of plows -but it's 

 all very simple after you know how. The hitch works 

 on the principle of the block and tackle. Six pulleys are 

 connected with the platform behind which the plows are 

 attached. The hitch on each of the three engines con- 

 sists of two pulleys. A chain is passed around these 

 pulleys and fastened to each end of the platform. It 

 will thus be seen that this hitch prevents any one of 

 the engines taking more load than another, and also insures 

 the flexibility required to turn the corners. 



Another singular feature about this outfit is the posi- 

 tion of the engines with relation to the gang of plows. 

 If we did not stop to figure out the center of draft, we 

 would be sure to believe that the engines should be hitched 

 nearer the center of the long line of plows, but the 

 engineers figured out this feature of the problem very 

 carefully and found that the center of draft made it nec- 

 essary for them to hitch the engines as shown in the 

 illustration. In other words, the plows on the land side 

 are so far in the rear that they come more nearly being 

 directly behind the engines than they appear to be. 



Hardly had the ink dried on the announcement that 

 fifty 14-inch plows had been drawn by three 60-horse 

 power engines, thus marking an epoch in agriculture, when 

 these three 45-horse power Mogul gasoline tractors pulled 

 fifty-five plows, carrying the stupendous load easily and 

 without a whimper, other than the staccato chugs re- 

 sounding from the mufflers. 



Following the plows from one end of the field to the 

 other, we noticed a high ridge at each end of the field 

 and on inquiry learned that the field in which we were 

 working was once the private race course of James Oliver, 

 where he found much pleasure in driving his thorough- 

 bred horses. Although Mr. Oliver lived until a few years 

 ago, he never dreamed that it was possible to successfully 

 operate such a gigantic plowing outfit. 



Who can say how much this great lesson means to 

 agriculture and to the progress of civilization? Plowing 

 is not so much the peak load of agriculture as it is the 

 foundation upon which rests the whole superstructure of 

 agricultural production. Good plowing and good tillage 

 and there can be no good tillage without good plowing 

 largely determine the yield of our cereal crops and there- 

 fore fix the price of bread. The high or low cost of liv- 

 ing is largely determined by the manner in which our 

 fields are plowed. Think of plowing an acre in less than 

 four minutes, or more than fifteen acres an hour 150 

 acres a day ! It may not be far out of the way to call this 

 p'owing outfit the realization of the dream of "The Man 

 with the Hoe." The McCormicks, the Deerings and the Oli- 

 vers made this dream come true, and to them belongs the 

 wreath of laurel, for they have lessoned the cost of bread. 



THE AUTO WAGON AS AN AID TO THE FRUIT 

 GROWER. 



Wonderful progress has been made in the improvement 

 and development of motor-driven vehicles in the past decade. 

 They have passed through the experimental stage, and have 

 been placed on a practical basis. It is a demonstrated fact 

 that the motor-driven vehicle of today gives service that 

 cannot be obtained from a flesh and blood animal. 



That a motor-driven vehicle is a profitable investment 

 for the modern business man is no longer a matter of con- 

 jecture it is a conceded fact. The questions that confront 

 the prospective purchaser of the motor truck are: Which 

 truck is best adapted to my business? Will give the .best 

 service? Is simple in construction and operation? Can be 

 operated with least expense? Will best meet the required 



The Auto Wagon as an Aid to the Fruit Grower. 



road conditions? Give satisfactory service the year round? 

 Is sold at a reasonable price? These questions he must 

 answer for himself after studying his conditions, and after 

 a careful investigation of the different makes of cars on 

 the market. 



Mr. Isaac E. Andrus, a fruit grower at Missoula, Mont., 

 was confronted with a problem of this kind. His deliveries 

 could not be made with the equipment he had. To buy addi- 

 tional horses would mean much additional expense, because 

 horses must be fed whether they are in use or not. He 

 solved the problem by purchasing a motor-driven vehicle. 



Mr. Andrus says : "Owing to my rapidly growing trade 

 in the city, requiring several trips daily, each trip covering 

 from seven to ten miles, I found it necessary to either in- 

 crease the number of horses and vehicles or purchase 

 something more speedy. 



"After careful deliberation, I purchased in June an auto 

 wagon for use in delivering the products of my twenty-acre 

 fruit and produce farm. I can safely say that, as a business 

 proposition, I consider it one of the best I ever made, for I 

 can now handle my business with speed and comfort. My 

 best record, however, was made on November 23, when I made 

 six trips into the city, covering a distance of more than 

 forty miles, and handling more than 7,000 pounds of pack- 

 age fruit." 



The experience of Mr. Andrus goes to show that the 

 motor-driven vehicle is a paying proposition, not only from 

 the standpoint of dollars and cents, but from the stand- 

 point of comfort, and the satisfaction it gives to the owner 

 of knowing that his fruit and produce is being handled 

 with the least possible delay. 



CALIFORNIA'S IRRIGATION STATISTICS. 



The total number of farms irrigated in 1909 was 

 39,352, against 25,675 in 1899, an increase of 13,677, or 53.3 

 per cent. Between 1899 and 1909 the number of all farms 

 in the state increased 21.6 per cent. The per cent irri- 

 gated of the whole number of farms in 1909 was 44.6. In 

 1899 the per cent was 35.4. showing an increase in per 

 cent of 9.2 during the 10 years. 



The total acreage irrigated in 1909 was 2,664,104 acres, 

 against 1,446,114 acres in 1899, an increase of 1,217,990 

 acres, or 84.2 per cent. The total acreage which all en- 

 terprises were capable of irrigating in 1910 was 3,619.378 

 acres, an excess of 955.274 acres over the area irrigated 

 in 1909. The area included in projects either completed 

 or under construction in 1910 was 5,490,360 acres, an excess 

 of 2,826,256 acres. This indicates in a general way the 

 area which will be available within the next few years 

 for the extension of irrigation, and shows that the area 

 irrigated in .1909 can be more than doubled without the 

 construction of additional works. 



The number of independent enterprises reported in 

 1910 was 13,970. The total length of all ditches was 21,- 

 129 miles, of which 12,599 miles were in main canals and 

 8.530 miles in laterals. The length of main canals reported 

 in 1899 was 5,106 miles, showing an increase in the 10 

 years of 7,493 miles, or 146.7 per cent. The number of 



