254 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



The various counties in the State have laws applying to their 

 particular conditions, which the county commissioners have 

 power to enforce. 



There are too many narrow-tired wagons used on farms 

 and country roads. The following tables compiled from ex- 

 haustive experiments on roads and farms prove the beneficial 

 effects of broad tires, both in regard to the draft wagon and 

 rutting of the surface. The narrow tires were one and one-half 

 inches wide and the broad tires six inches wide. The load in 

 each case was 2000 pounds, including weight of wagon. 



1. Dirt Road — 



(a) Surface dry, free from ruts and dust. 



Narrow tires required 137.3 pounds to pull the load. 

 Broad tires required 104.8 pounds to pull the load. 

 Difference in favor of broad tires, 32.5 pounds or 31 

 per cent. 



(b) Clay Roads- 

 Surface soft to depth of three or four inches. 

 Narrow tire cut rut five or six inches deep. 

 Broad tire cut rut three and one-half inches deep. 

 Narrow tire required 340.1 pounds to draw load. 

 Broad tire required 490.8 pounds to draw load. 

 Difference in favor of narrow tire, 150.7 pounds, or 



44.3 per cent. 



2. Meadows — 



(a) Timothy sod, moist but firm. 



Narrow tire cut rut three and one-half inches deep. 

 Broad tire cut rut one-quarter to one inch deep, doing 



no perceptible damage. 

 Narrow tire required 420.8 pounds to draw load. 

 Broad tire required 305 pounds to draw load. 

 Difference in favor of broad tire, 11 5.8 pounds, or 38 

 per cent. 



