The RURAL NEW-YORKER 
\ /; 
Experience With A Tractoi 
M ANY USES.—Ill the Spring of I'.M.s we pur¬ 
chased a liirlir two-plow tractor of a popular 
make, and consider it one of the best investments 
we have made. We have a dairy and fruit farm of 
120 acres, of which 15 are in fruit. We use the 
The Tractor Runs the Buzz Fair. Fig. 22.9 
tractor for plowing and fitting all of our ground, and 
also use it in doing all of the work in the orchards. 
Besides doing field work, we use the tractor for fill¬ 
ing silos, husking corn, baling hay and sawing wood. 
PLOWING.—We use a 12-in. gang plow in our 
heavy clay loam soil and plow from 7 
to 1* in. deep, depending upon the crop. 
A plow with 14-in. bottoms would he all 
right in lighter soil, or when one docs 
yot wish to plow so deep. Tf one is 
careful and keeps the plow adjusted 
right a much better job of plowing can 
be done with a tractor than with 
horses: that is, on ground suitable for 
a tractor to work on. When plowing 
we have a team following up with a 
roller (as soon as ground has dried a 
little), and as soon as we are through 
plowing the tractor is hitched to a tan¬ 
dem disk and the field is disked from 
two to three times, depending upon the 
condition of the soil. On a tandem disk 
the tractor far excells a team in get¬ 
ting over (he ground. 
CULTIVATING.—We do all of the 
cultivating in our orchards with our 
tractor, and on account of its being low 
we can go under low-hanging branches 
where a team could not go. During hot 
spells in Summer the heat often be¬ 
comes unbearable iivan orchard for a 
team to work in. there being no breeze, 
but the tractor never pauses. My 
brother and I “change off" running the 
tractor during the rush season. The 
tractor starts working in the field at 
daybreak and works until dark, from 
14 to Id hours each day. In this way 
we get a lot of field work done in a 
day. The picture, Fig. 232, showing 
the tractor at work disking (my brother 
at the wheel) in a 16-acre field, was 
taken in the Fall of 1919. This 10-acre 
field was plowed, double-disked three 
times, harrowed with spring-tooth once, 
and sown to Wheat in a little less than 
4 J /> days. We used a team on the 
grain drill. 
REGULATING SPEED.—This par- . 
ticular make of tractor is not as yet 
equipped with a governor (although the manufacturer 
is working on one), and when doing belt work my 
brother and I have devised an easy way of regulat¬ 
ing the speed of the tractor without anyone being 
near the tractor. When filling silo or any other kind 
of belt work requiring variable power we take two 
lint's of binder twine and run them from the machine 
we are operating back to the tractor. One string is 
fastened directly to the outer end of the gas lever 
(this string shuts off the gas when you pull on it), 
and the other string is run through a small pulley 
which is fastened to the back end and middle of the 
tractor seat and .then fastened to the gas lever. 
Pulling on this string opens the throttle. With a 
little experience a person can regulate the speed this 
way to perfection. When filling silo one man feeds 
the cutter and looks after the tractor. With this 
string arrangement the tractor and cutting box are 
allowed to run slowly between loads. It the string 
“cuts” where it passes through tin* small pulley use 
a short piece of sash cord where it “works” through 
the pulley. We like this arrangement as well as a 
governor, for we can regulate the speed to suit our 
need. 
EXTENT OF WORK.—We use our tractor about 
350 hours each year, and so far have never lost a 
moment on-account of motor trouble. During the 
season of 1919 the tractor was run a total of 375 
hours, and not a single spark plug was taken out or 
cleaned. We used kerosene about two-thirds of the 
time. So far we have hover had a loose or hot 
tearing. 
SOME USEFUL POINTS.—We drain out the old 
oil in the crank case, flush out with kerosene, and 
refill with fresh oil at the end of 30 or 40 hours of 
running. We never leave the oil in more than 40 
hours, and in hot weather and dusty work we drain 
the crank case every 30 hours. During the Summer 
we use heavy tractor oil. which we buy at wholesale 
fiom a large oil company. To a great many people 
draining the oil so often might seem wasteful, but 
by draining the oil out at the end of a day you only 
lose a gallon, and we save this to use on our other 
machinery. .Tust try this for a year, and see what a 
nice, quiet running motor you will have, (’are must 
be taken to always keep the oil at the proper level, 
neither too high nor too low. We drain out the oil 
in the gear case every 75 hours, flush with kerosene 
and refill with a heavy grade of transmission oil. 
GENERAL ('ARE.—Once a week we take off the 
commutator or timer and thoroughly clean it with 
kerosene. The commutator should be oiled twice a 
day. Ry doing this we have no commutator trouble. 
587 
to race or to work continuously under an overload. 
If a piece of string is tied to a spoke in a drive 
wheel and the revolutions counted for a minute (in 
our particular tractor the drive wheels should make 
22 revolutions per minute), this will enable one to 
tell whether his tractor is being run at the correct 
speed or not carl e. juengel. 
Michigan. 
A Clod Crusher of Planks 
A N implement that deserves consideration for nse 
on many farms is shown in the accompanying 
illustration. Fig. 230. which is a simple clod crusher 
that may be made iu odd moments, and is particu¬ 
larly effective to use ahead of the potato planter or 
corn planter. This homemade tool may be made 
by using four 4x4’s, about 7 ft. long, or as long as 
may be desired for the pulling power of ibe team. 
The pieces are held firmly by two bolts passing 
through the ends of each of the pieces. These bolts 
may be made out of old buggy axles or 1-in. iron 
rods. They should be taken to the blacksmith shop 
and the back end threaded to hold on the last piece 
of the implement. To separate the pieces from each 
other they should be kept about 6 in. apart; small 
pieces of pipe may be slipped over the bolts between 
each (x 1 as the leveler is being set. up. 
A hitching device is attached to the end 
of each bolt. 
If the 4x4’s are held 6 in. apart it is 
possible for much of tin* dirt to be dis¬ 
tributed evenly over the surface of the 
ground by this leveler: also the clods 
are broken up as they pass beneath the 
sharp surfaces of the wood. The leveler 
may be reversed when one sot of edges 
is worn off. clahkxcio m. hakkr. 
Home Grown Potato Seed 
A Simple Homemade Clod Crusher. .Fig. 230 
N a recent issue of Tm: R. N.-Y. a 
correspondent from Eastern Massa¬ 
chusetts. E. R. W. II., raises a question 
about home-grown potatoes for seed. 
Relieving firmly that the burden of 
purchased seed can easily be stopped, 
and the grower bo stimulated through 
systematic seed production. I suggest 
to E. R. W. II. and others the testing 
out of the unit system. Knowing of 
men who have not changed seed for 40 
years, jet grow potatoes of high qual¬ 
ity, .T like to encourage others. The 
trouble these days is that there are too 
many learners. 
Take a given number of potatoes, of 
any one variety, of equal weight, and 
as near the same shape as possible, and 
cut each potato by itself into the same 
number of pieces. Then plant each 
potato by itself by marking with small 
stakes. Iu this way follow through the 
season, and at digging time be sure 
that the product of each potato is 
saved by itself and weighed. Using 
this precaution the yield of each potato 
can he determined, and the foundation 
laid for future seed supply. In my 
first trial I found a variation per potato, 
using seed weighing 7 oz., to he from 
6% to 16% lbs., suggesting loss on one 
. hand and profit on the other. This 
and one commutator lasts through an entire season last year one potato weighing 7 oz., cut into six 
and then some. The air washer must be kept full pieces, gave me 45 lbs. 1'his was from one-eighth 
•1 Tractor with 'Trailer Carrying Spray Rig. Fig. 231 
or water at all times, and once or twice a day the 
water should he drained off and all sand and sedi¬ 
ment washed out. When working in hot weather it 
is necessary to refill the air washer every three or 
four hours. When burning kerosene we always place 
a sheet, of newspaper in front of radiator and use 
gasoline until water reaches the boiling point. When 
water gets hot remove the newspaper from radiator, 
shift over to kerosene, and you will have no carbon 
trouble. 
BREAKING IN THE NEW TRACTOR.—I would 
like to say a word or two to those who are getting a 
new tractor this Spring. Get it home as soon as you 
can and familiarize yourself with its care and opera¬ 
tion. "Break it in” first with a light load for the 
first few days, and drain oil often. Never hitch a 
brand-new tractor onto a plow or anything else where 
its full power is required, for you are very apt to 
damage it seriously. When the tractor is >ew all 
parts fit tight, and if care is not takVWm »nit part is 
liable to overheat and burn out. No heavy load 
should be placed on a new tractor until all the benr- 
of an acre yielding 75 bushels. 
Here, by this unit system, one may find a founda¬ 
tion on which to build an enduring strain. Seed 
runs out through neglect. It can be improved 
through care, protection and selection. The hill svs- 
lUshing irilh Light Tractor. Fig. 232 
tern of selection is tar and away ahead of the bin, 
but the unit will certainly lead to results otherwise 
impossible When we can produce the potato ball, 
as we who do not use arsenic in spraying or dusting 
ings and wearing surfaces have acquired a high can. there is certainty of perfection of the tuber, 
polish. The tractor motor should never be allowed There is such a wealth of satisfaction in doing 
