THE IEEIGATION AGE. 



305 



A GENERAL PURPOSE FARM TRACTOR. 

 By Raymond Olney. 



By the term "general purpose farm tractor" is meant a 

 traction engine that will replace to a large extent the use 

 of horses on the farm. This modern farm horse made its 

 appearance but a few years ago. Since then it has under- 

 gone a marvelous development. The demand for these 

 machines has been so great that traction engine manufac- 

 turers have not been able at times to supply them fast 

 enough. 



About two years ago the M. Rumely Company, 1751 

 Main street, LaPorte, Indiana, began building an internal- 

 combustion, kerosene-burning tractor, known as the Oil- 

 Pull. During the first year less than 100 of these engines 

 were manufactured and sold. At the present time, as 

 many as 75 per week are being turned out. In spite of this 

 enormous output, the demand still exceeds the supply. 



The Oil-Pull is made in three different sizes. The 

 smallest of these is the type "F," a 15-tractive, 30-brake 

 horsepower tractor. This engine is designed especially for 

 use on the smaller farms. It will do the work of 15 good 

 average horses pulling on the same load continuously dav 

 after day. 



For fuel the Oil-Pull tractor uses the cheaper grades 

 of kerosene and distillate, and all crude oils that do not 

 have an asphalt base. It is the only oil-burning engine, 

 which burns the heavier fuels economically at all loads, 

 and under all temperature and atmospheric conditions. 

 This has been made possible by the use of the Secor-Hig- 

 gins system of oil combustion. This system is thoroughly 

 covered by patents, which are owned and controlled ex- 

 clusively by the M. Rumely Company. 



This tractor will not only replace the horse for a 

 greater part of the farm work, but for the heaviest of it 

 as well. It is particularly well adapted to such work as 

 plowing, harrowing, seeding, harvesting, threshing, haul- 

 ing, road-making, and for all kinds of stationary work. 



In plowing, it will haul an engine gang of from 4 to 

 6 14-inch plows, depending upon the conditions and the 

 load hauled. And here lies an important advantage in 

 this connection. The farmer, during the plowing season, 

 does not have to limit his work day to 8 or 10 hours, as 

 he must necessarily do when using horses. This tractor 

 will work 20 hours per day just as easily and efficiently 

 as it will less. It is tireless and the more it is used, so 

 much more will the farmer realize on his investment. 



By doubling the working hours per day,' the work 

 can be done just at the right time. The plowing and other 

 spring work can be completed when the best weather and 

 moisture conditions prevail. Grain can be harvested when 

 the crop is in the proper condition. All this results in 

 improving the quality of the work done and increasing 

 crop production. 



Having, as it does, a large power capacity, this trac- 

 tor will haul a number of different implements at one 

 time. The fact that by its use it is possible to combine 

 operations makes it a valuable asset. This advantage is 

 more fully appreciated at certain rush times during the 

 year, such as spring work, summer fallowing, harvesting, 

 etc. It is usually desirable and essential that such work 

 be accomplished with all possible speed. Combining oper- 

 ations brings about a saving in time, labor and much 

 anxiety and worry on the part of the farmer. 



In the operation of plowing, discs and smoothing har- 

 rows may be hitched behind the plows. In this way the 

 ground is made ready for seeding at one operation. The 

 soil, instead of lying loose in large lumps for the air to 

 penetrate and dry it out, is pulverized and a mulch formed 

 to do away with surface evaporation. If horses were used, 

 the plows, discs, and harrows would have to be hauled 

 separately, thus requiring 3 operations in place of one 

 with the tractor. 



The operation of seeding is accomplished with the 

 Oil-Pull by hauling discs, drills, packers and harrows be- 

 hind it at one time. Once over the field with this out- 

 fit and the seeding is completed. In many instances 

 farmers find it convenient to plow and seed at one and the 

 same time. This is an insurance against the rapid evapora- 

 tion of soil water, which is sure to result, when the work 

 is divided up into several operations with horses. 



In summer fallowing, this tractor will haul 30 feet of 

 discs and harrows, and cover from 70 to 80 acres per day. 

 At times where there is danger of excessive evaporation, 

 by working the outfit day and night, almost double this 

 amount of work can be accomplished. 



The farm tractor is now conceded to be not only a 

 practical, but an economical proposition as well. The fact 

 that cheap kerosene can be used as fuel greatly decreases 

 the cost of operation. ],t can now be obtained in car lots 

 at from 5 to 7 cents per gallon. The traction engine has 

 come to stay, not in the sense of completely displacing the 

 horse, but for replacing the horse for the drudgery of 

 farm work. 





Oliver Engine Gang Plow Drawn by a Rumely "Oil Pull" Engine on the Kankakee Marsh near Crumstown, Intl. 



