1913. 
A TRACTOR IN PENNSYLVANIA. 
Many Uses for the Gasoline Team. 
As to our work with a traction engine, it was pur¬ 
chased first to run a thrashing and baling outfit, and 
I have now used it three years for that purpose, doing 
a large proportion of such work in this section. This 
engine, a 15 H. P., we used two seasons, and while 
it ran the machinery very satisfactorily we found it 
at times difficult to pull the whole train—thrasher, 
baler and water wagon—up some of our grades on 
the roads, so last season changed for a 20 H. P. same 
make but heavier. With this we have no trouble 
at all on the road unless muddy and slippery. We 
have this last week baled 36 tons of hay in a little 
over a day and a half. We are coming to use it 
more and more about the farm. Last Fall we cleaned 
up a hedgerow between our farm and a neighbor’s 
(we don’t grow them inside), consisting of wild cher¬ 
ries and other trash. No difficulty to pull trees four 
or five inches in diameter or even larger and pulled 
them clean, bringing out all roots. The only use 
we have made to pull loads on the road was to load 
a car of baled hay. We loaded two heavy hay 
wagons, putting on about 10 tons, all the wagons 
could well carry, took out the long tongues, put in 
six-foot ones, coupled the two together and hauled 
to the station, 3)4 miles, and loaded the car at one 
trip, running the wagons close up to the car. The 
engine would have taken probably five tons more 
just as easily. I have pulled out, a few 
days ago, over one hundred peach trees 
that had outlived their usefulness, in 
about 2)4 hours, and using, the engi¬ 
neer says, not over 25 cents’ worth of 
coal. We use it a good deal for town¬ 
ship road work; using it now to pull 
the scraper and giving far better re¬ 
sults than horses. 
There was some talk among the peo¬ 
ple when first starting to use tractor, 
fearing that it would injure the roads. 
Our experience is just the opposite, as 
we live on a road that we have to travel 
over a mile either way to get onto any 
other, and part of it is always bad at 
seasons, but for two years now since 
we have been running the tractor over it 
so much it has been and is in very 
much better condition. Another thing—> 
the use of these machines is compelling 
the township to put in better bridges. 
As to plowing, there is no question of 
its success on our ground. The object 
of plowing is to use a subsoiler, and I 
am so well pleased with the work it 
has done so far I have ordered the sub¬ 
soil attachment and will try it out on 
the corn ground, 16 acres, sown last 
Fall, with rye and Crimson clover to 
turn under for green manure. If of 
interest to you will let you know how 
the machine works there. The experi¬ 
ment is being watched closely here and 
we see no reason why tractors should 
not come in more general use, as we 
have many fine farms through this sec¬ 
tion. We are perhaps fortunate in hav¬ 
ing a competent and trustworthy engi¬ 
neer, and our machinery is well housed 
and cared for. f. o. dudbridge. 
Bucks Co., Pa. 
the RURAL NEW-YORKER 
3. Tree growing in the nursery must become a local 
business where the fruit grower can see that his buds 
or scions are made use of by the nurseryman. 
4. Fruit growers must expect to pay vastly higher 
prices for their trees than they now do since the 
selection advocated is a difficult and time-taking task. 
5. The fruit grower must be trained to select his 
buds and scions—a difficult task, since trees good in 
one quality are nearly always deficient in others so 
that selecting for one quality will not do. 
These are but a few of the practical difficulties 
in propagating stock from selected trees, even if it 
prove to be true, which I greatly doubt, that acquired 
characters are transmitted. During the past few 
years I have given this matter a very great deal of 
attention, have corresponded with practically all of 
our horticulturists, have written to a good many men 
abroad, have followed the recent teachings of Mendel 
and DeVries, have studied carefully the several 
thousands of varieties of fruits on our own plan¬ 
tations and the nursery practices in Western New 
\ ork and have come to be pretty certain of the posi¬ 
tion I take in the matter of pedigreed stock. 
Geneva Exp. Station. w. p. hedrick. 
“CONSERVATIVE FATHER AND 
PROGRESSIVE SON.” 
I would like to say a word on the subject raised 
on page 593 on the “Conservative Father and Pro¬ 
gressive Son.” My sympathies are largely with the 
6S1 
pet theories unceremoniously knocked into a cocked 
hat. 
The son should be in the better mental condition 
to make concessions and gain his point by proving his 
case, and make it clear that he is competent to carry 
on the work when his father reaches the inevitable 
point where he must quit. My advice would be “go 
ahead with the cattle raising scheme.” The farm is 
certainly large enough for the combined efforts of 
father and son without going outside and improving 
a stranger’s 40 acres. If they are irreconcilably 
divided in their judgment as to best methods, the 
son should hire from the father the worst 40 acres 
on the place and show what he can do with it. Hilly 
land is not at all bad for purposes of cattle raising, 
and the first fall should be taken out of the unde¬ 
sirable conditions by getting a stand of grass on the 
uneven ground and stop the further cutting of gullies. 
Alfalfa can be raised anywhere if you know how 
to go about it; pays better than almost any other crop, 
no expensive equipment is required and the results will 
be in line with what will be needed for the pro¬ 
posed herd ; besides, no amount of argument would be 
as convincing in backing up college theory as six 
tons of Alfalfa to the acre. 
Start the herd in a small way as soon as possible, 
and in this connection provide an up-to-date place to 
house the cattle, which includes a concrete-lined pit in 
which to conserve all the manure with overhead pro¬ 
tection against rain until it is put back on the land. 
Overcoming difficulties strengthens char¬ 
ter, and success in this case might be the 
means of erecting a monument in honor 
of the’hero. Why not regard the con¬ 
ditions as a providential opportunity? 
JOHN L. 
A CONCRETE ROLLER BEHIND A TRACTION PLOW. Fig. 216 . 
AS THE CONCRETE PACKER LEAVES THE SOD. Fig. 217. 
NEW ENGLAND FARMERS’ 
INSTITUTES. 
May I add a word to the discussion of 
the farmers’ institute question? My ex¬ 
perience from the inside has been in a 
suburban community, not now, though 
formerly a farming town. For one 
thing the social life of a town within 
easy reach of a large city is so full 
that there is not time enough to go 
round, and a lecture upon any subject 
no longer attracts as many people as 
formerly, even though there are many 
more people within reach. It seems as 
if the lecture platform is going the way 
of the spelling bee, the singing school 
and the debating club, all of which flour¬ 
ished 50 years ago in New England. 
The average citizen is a much better 
read person on all subjects than for¬ 
merly and with a reading table well 
covered with periodicals and a public 
library within easy reach one can find 
something in print upon almost any 
subject, and the chances are that a 
given lecture will be printed a week 
or two later. As to the institute and 
farm topics, the farm papers are full, 
even crammed, with up-to-date in¬ 
formation. The experiment station will 
answer questions for the enterprising 
farmers who ask, and the Govern- 
“old man.” In the evolution of the race, we have ment bulletins may be had for a small fee or even 
come to a decidedly lively epoch. A theory is no for the asking in -some cases. With all this litera- 
sooner worked out and proven than a new thought ture at hand it becomes increasingly difficult for the 
puts us on a higher plane and gives us a broader institute speaker to tell his audience anything they 
view. The fresh, active young brain takes kindly to do not know. The most valuable part is no doubt 
the new, while the older brain, with riper and harder the discussion that usually follows. Such speakers, 
“THE DRONE TREE.” 
The fact of drone trees must be apparent to every¬ 
one who has had to do with orcharding. I am told me nt»v, mmc me umci uiam, wuu riper anu naraer tne discussion mat usually tonows. bueft speakers, 
tnat there are many more drones in Citrus orchards fibre, lives more in the conclusions and deductions as J. H. Hale and Dr. Twitchell, who have a wide 
than in Dlantations nf rWirWnc tr^e j do no t see of the past, and the difference between the two ‘ -“■*- ■ ■ • • «• • • 
is reputation as entertaining as well as instructive lec- 
be turers, are not easily available. Dr. Twitchell is on 
--- VIJVV UVUM.V.U 1.11V- L VV 
lllt ^ r ‘ Sliamel has yet proved, nor has anyone greater than formerly. Much friction would ue mrers, are not easily avanaoie. ur. lwitcliell is on 
e Sc ’ * la t drones can be prevented by breeding. Until avoided if everybody in their intercourse with their the circuit every Winter with time so filled that 
iave suc ^ proof nurserymen ought not to be fellows (which includes fathers, sons, mothers and societies must adjust their dates to his convenience or 
encouraged to lead fruit growers to think that such daughters) would make proper allowance for the get someone else. A story comes to me of what 
must have been an interesting experience of Dr. 
Twitchell’s this last Winter, when he talked to a 
^ - -- - —»*0***V4 W/ »• V V^Vl Uliw ll li\-V- 1U1 111' 
the case. I am in a nursery center, and I think unquestionable effect of early environment and as 
know nearly every phase of the nursery business so sociation, and the hypnotic effect of accepted tradi- iwitcnens mis last winter, wnen lie talked to a 
as lt: a bldics to the fruits of this climate. If fruit tions in their relation to fixed convictions and point colony of foreigners in a New Hampshire town. I 
growers or nurserymen are to breed pedigreed trees of view. In this case, the father in his younger days think they were Poles or Finns who are rapidly taking 
n t ie propagation of trees must be absolutely no doubt had his visions and dreams. He tried out up the back lands of New England. Anyway, an 
C t0 1 le following particulars: many schemes that looked good but did not ma- interpreter was necessary to translate the informa- 
• le rui * £ r °"cr must furnish the buds or terialize; he took some hard knocks, learned some tion to their understanding, and I was told that the 
t 10nS . t0 , * ie nurser )' man - The latter cannot select bitter unforgetable lessons; he is not so cock-sure audience that was seated at the beginning was stand- 
grower ' ^ n ° tlons ^ lat ’ or t ^ e ot her fruit as formerly, he has become conservative. He is not ing huddled about the platform at the close. Here 
, T .' t afraid to take a chance, but he would like to be was an instance where because of a strange language 
on tl 1C SC eCte< ^ k ut ^ s or scions must be propagated certain that lie is not backing another pipe-dream our literature was not available, and the lecture was 
n . K " f 0UU Ioots as cuttings. It will not do to bud before he endorses his son’s enthusiasm. In this he as popular as it was in my younger days of 50 years 
k gratt the * n on variable stocks raised from seed is altogether within his legitimate rights. He is, of ago 
rom cider mills and canning factories as most course, bound to be in the wrong if he expects his 
l S 110 j V are ' The roots as well as the tops must son to learn the lessons of life without allowing him 
passed through the sieve of selection. 
Massachusetts. 
u. T. B. 
.v r , • . . . Some men are so “broad-minded" that thev cannot cot 
the opportunity of personal experience in having his inside any working harness. * ^ 
