II74 



Lincoln Tractor Trials. 



[mar., 



This is only one of a large number of similar undertakings 

 which have been carried out by Executive Committees in low- 

 lying lands throughout England and Wales during the past 

 two years. 



****** 



The Report on the Lincoln Tractor Trials was issued by the 

 Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders a few weeks ago, 

 ^. ^ but it does not seem necessary to add very 



Tractor^Triak. ^^^^ preHminary notice which 



appeared in this Journal in October last, 

 while the data afforded do not suggest any modification of the 

 conclusions then expressed. A summary of the results printed 

 in the Technical Advisor's Report has already appeared widely 

 in the agricultural press, and no object could be served by 

 reproducing them. The most serious omission is any state- 

 ment of the actual work accomphshed by the tractors : the 

 figure for the " estimated acres per day of eight hours " is of 

 very little value, and without the data upon which it is based 

 may be positively misleading. Although it might be sug- 

 gested that it would be a little unfair to take the number of 

 acres ploughed and the time taken by stoppages during a trial 

 of a few days' duration as the basis for a calculation of the 

 amount of work to be expected during the whole hfe of the 

 machine, yet there is no escape from this method if all the 

 other figures are based, as the}^ are based, upon the recorded 

 performances during the trial. It may be assumed, although 

 it is not directly stated, that the estimated acreage per eight 

 hours is deduced from the actual performance plus an allowance 

 for time recorded as lost either on the tractor or the plough. 

 If this be so, the actual performance may be calculated with a 

 little trouble. 



The Technical Advisor's Report takes up the major portion 

 of the volume and rather overshadows the Judge's Report. 

 The standpoint from which the Judges regarded the trial is 

 sometimes a little obscure. As regards the first tractor on 

 the list, they express the opinion that " the weight of this 

 tractor, 3 tons, is excessive for work on the land, especially 

 on heavy land in wet weather," and this note runs through a 

 number of their criticisms. In their general remarks, for 

 instance, they state that " the use of caterpillar tracks un- 

 doubtedly reduces the pressure per square inch on the land, 

 and where well designed may permit of ploughing under con- 

 ditions where a wheeled tractor could not be used." It may 

 be asked, however, whether there is any advantage in seeking 



