IOO 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
February 12 
THE ADVANTAGE OF BROAD-TIRED WHEELS. 
ON TITE ROAD AND ON TIIK FARM. 
There has always been considerable argument as 
to the difference in the draught of wagons running on 
six-inch tires, as compared with the ordinary narrow- 
tired wheels. Prof. H. J. Waters of the Missouri Ex¬ 
periment Station. Columbia, has conducted some elab¬ 
orate experiments to give this matter a fair test. 
These details arc all given in bulletin No. 30. It is 
enough here to say that the draught of the different 
wagons was determined by loading 2,000 
pounds on each, and then attaching a 
self-recording dynamometer. It is found 
that, in a great majority of cases, the 
draught was considerably less on six- 
inch tires than where the wheels had 
tires of standard width—1 14 inch. In 
brief, it may be said of macadam roads, 
that a load weighing 2,511 pounds can 
be hauled on the broad tires with the 
same draught that a load of 2,000 pounds 
required on the narrow tires. On gravel 
road, a load averaging 2.482 pounds can 
be hauled on broad tires with the 
strength required to haul 2,000 pounds 
on the narrow tires. 
There was only one condition with the 
gravel road, where the draught of the 
broad tires was heavier than that of the 
narrow, and that was where the road 
was wet and sloppy on top. In fact, 
there are three conditions of ordinary 
country roads where the broad tires 
draw heavier than the narrow: First, 
when the road is sloppy, muddy or sticky 
on the surface and firm or hard under¬ 
neath ; second, when the surface is cov¬ 
ered with a very loose dust, and is hard 
Underneath ; third, when the mud is 
very deep and so sticky that it adheres 
to the wheels of both kinds of wagons. 
These three conditions are somewhat 
unusual, and generally of short duration. 
It is safe to say that, through a ma¬ 
jority of days in the year, on ordinary 
country roads, a. tire six inches wide will 
haul easier than the ordinary narrow 
tire. It was found best to have both 
axles the same length, so that the front 
and hind wheels will run in the same 
track. It is a fact, however, that most 
of the farmer’s hauling is done on the 
farm itself, and not over the country 
road. In hauling manure from the barn, 
or hauling crops back to the barn or 
house, most of the wheeling is done over 
bare or stubble fields and along grassy 
lanes or roads. In order to test the two 
sorts of wheels fairly, the loads were 
driven over sod. over stubble land, and 
over corn land, ready for the plow. 
After the wheels were run. the tracks 
were filled with plaster before, they had 
a chance to fill, and then pictures were 
made to show exactly how the ruts com¬ 
pared. For example, at Fig. 38. we have 
a soft stubble land such as a farmer 
would use for hauling manure to be 
plowed under for corn. The narrow tire 
made a rut 14 inches deep, while the 
broad tire ran only five inches deep. It 
is easy to see what a difference there 
would be in the draught from these two 
ruts. On wheat stubble, the narrow tires 
gave an average draught of 298% pounds, 
the broad tires gave a draught of 222 
pounds, or a difference of 34 per cent in 
favor of the broad tire. On a cow-pea 
stubble, with the ground soft, this differ¬ 
ence was 40 per cent in favor of the 
broad tire. Fig. 39 shows the work done 
on a Timothy sod which was moist but 
reasonably firm. In this case, the differ¬ 
ence is 38 per cent in favor of the broad 
tire. Fig. 40 shows how the wheels 
acted on corn land that was just dry 
enough to plow and almost entirely free 
from weeds and trash. In this case, the 
difference in favor of the broad 'tires 
was actually 72 per cent. In fact, on all farm trials, 
the advantage was decidedly in favor of the broad 
tires, and Prof. Waters, as a summary of his results 
makes the following statement, which seems to us 
entirely sensible, and in line with the facts : 
In every trial on the farm, whether in the meadows, pastures, 
stubble or plowed fields, the draft was materially lessened by the 
use of the broad tires. When it is considered that most of the 
freighting done by the farmers in the Middle West is on the farm 
itself in hauling feed from their Helds and hauling manure from 
their barns, and that the tonnage hauled to market is insignifi¬ 
cant in comparison with that hauled about on the farm, a large 
proportion of the products of the average Missouri farm being 
sent to market in the concentrated form of beef, pork, butter or 
other live stock production, this saving of draught by the use of the 
broad tires assumes proportions that should command respect, 
and have the serious consideration of every farmer in Missouri. 
The protection to the fields and meadows and pastures afforded 
by the broad tires, in itself ought tc be sufficient reason for their 
immediate adoption, but when from one-third to one-lialf the 
draught can be saved at the same time, there remains no reason¬ 
able excuse for the continued use of the narrow tires. As fast as 
the narrow-tired wheels now owned by the farmers wear out, they 
should be replaced, without exception, by the broad-tired wheels. 
Disregarding the benefits to the public highways arising from 
IIOW TIRES CUT A TIMOTHY SOI). Fig. 39. 
the use of the broad tires, and also the benefits to the user of the 
broad tires in the saving of draught on the public roads, it would 
be profitable to every farmer tobave broad-tired'wagons, if for no 
other use than on his farm. 
R. N.-Y.—Our experience with a wide-tired wagon 
during the past year supports these conclusions. In 
hauling out manure or other loads over soft ground, 
the wide tires are quite superior. We use a set of the 
metal wheels which are now largely sold, and find 
them very useful, indeed. They are low-down, too, 
and thus save any quantity of lifting and straining 
when loading the wagon. 
The Farmers’ Club. 
[Every query must be accompanied by the name and address of 
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see whether it is not answered in our advertising columns. Ask 
only a few questions at one time. Put questions on a separate 
piece of paper.] 
How to Start a Pecan Grove. 
IT. A. C., Bourbon , lit.— How must I plant and treat pecans to 
make a good grove ? 
Ans.—T here are two ways to start a pecan grove or 
orchard, aside from clearing out and giving natural 
trees a chance to grow and bear. One 
is, to plant nuts right where the trees 
are to grow. Some plant very choice 
nuts with the expectation of the nuts on 
the seedling trees being of equal average 
size and quality. This will not be fully 
realized, especially if the large, thin- 
slielled pecans of the Gulf States are 
planted in the more northern regions, 
where the pecan does not flourish so well. 
Rut there will be much better nuts than 
if poor nuts were planted. It is thought 
by some to be wise to graft these trees as 
they stand, with scions from named varie¬ 
ties of well established good character¬ 
istics. This is a safe plan, provided the 
grafting is successful. The other plan 
is to plant small trees that have been 
nursery grown. They may be seedlings 
from good nuts or grafted trees, with 
probable results as in the ease of trees of 
either kind grown from nuts planted in 
the places where they are to stand per¬ 
manently. There will be little loss from 
dying, if the trees are quite young, per¬ 
haps not more than two or three years 
old, and the best of care be used in trans¬ 
planting. In either case, the pecan should 
be planted in the very best of rich, al¬ 
luvial soil, and creek and river bottoms 
are usually the best; and it is useless to 
try to grow it with profit north of a line 
running from southern New Jersey to 
northern Missouri. ir. E. v. n. 
Crab Apples and Grapes for South Dakota. 
J. If. IK, Deadwood, 8. I). What are the best 
kinds of standard and crab apple trees, also 
grapes, to plant in the Black Hills? Tree agents 
are nutnerons, and while I want to set out trees, 
I have not had experience enough to make a 
proper selection. 
Ans. —Many varieties of the crab apple 
are. perhaps, hardy enough to endure the 
climate of the vicinity of Deadwood, in 
the Black Hills. Transcendent is one of 
the earliest and largest; Marengo, Mont¬ 
real, and Gibb are somewhat later, and 
Ilyslop is still later. As to grapes, the 
earlier kinds should be set, that they may 
be able to ripen before frost. Winchell, 
which is also called Green Mountain, is 
a very early green-colored one of high 
quality. Delaware is about the best red 
variety, and Moore’s Early the best black 
one. It will be necessary to lay down the 
vines in the Fall, and cover them with 
earth to protect them from the severity 
of the cold, dry Winters. This is a com¬ 
mon practice in all that northwestern 
part of the Mississippi Valley, ii. E. v. i>. 
Hut Trees for Colorado. 
V. Ii., Brighton. Colo .—What kind of nut trees 
would you advise me to plant ? Do you think the 
English walnut, hazelnut and chestnut would 
grow and bear here V If so, at what age ? 
Ans. —It is not very probable that any 
kind of chestnut, walnut or hickory will 
be of much value in eastern Colorado. 
They all need a longer Summer season 
than that climate affords. The very early 
varieties of the chestnut may sometimes 
succeed, and it might be well to try them. 
Some of tlie.Iapan kinds are of this char¬ 
acter, but all of our native American 
varieties are too late, I fear. The Persian 
(improperly called English) walnut is too 
tender. Native hazels that are of suf¬ 
ficiently large size to be worthy of 
transplanting and cultivating, might do 
well there and prove successful. The 
varieties of the European hazel, commonly called 
filberts, are likely to be tender there. ii. E. v. D. 
Market Pears in Pennsylvania. 
.1. It. C., Manordale, Pa.—We intend to set out (500 pear trees 
next Spring, and as there is some difference of opinions as regards 
the varieties to plant, I would like advice. I would like to plant 
not more than four varieties, and would like two Winter and two 
Autumn kinds. Some say that the KiefTer is of no value. What 
is your opinion ? 
Ans. —I presume that the idea is to set only for mar¬ 
ket. Bartlett seems to be the standard; almost every- 
TIRE MARKS ON CORN GROUND DRY ENOUGH TO PLOW. 
