22 
Land & Water 
April II, 1918 
(Continued from page 20.) 
probably they are wise in taking this course. They have, 
however, summarised their conclusions a& follows :— 
Weight. — TJie weight of tractor should not exceea ^o cwt. 
Horse-po'wer. — Should be ample. Not less than 
20 B.H.P. 
Caterpillars and Wheels. — Caterpillar tracks have not 
been shown to possess any advantage in gripping-power 
over the best type of wheels. 
On Heavy Ground 
spikes, Bars, and Sptids. — Well-designed spuds {on 
■.wheels) appear preferable to either spikes or bars. 
Accessibility and Protection. — Working parts of machin- 
■ery should be readily accessible. Complete protection 
■against weather and interference should be provided. 
Brakes. — Adequate brakes should be fitted. 
Durability. — Exposed gear drives on wheel tractors and 
excessive wear on caterpillar tracks tend to impair dura- 
bility. 
Speeds. — 2\ and 4 miles per hour forward, with reverse, 
appear to be most generally useful. 
Fuel. — Complete vaporisation of paraffin does not appear 
to have been generally attained, and it may be found more 
satisfactory to use petrol when normal conditions return. 
Price.— The price should not exceed £300. 
'Several of the tractors entered for the demonstrations would 
mot comply with these conditions, and from a study of the 
particulars of each machine it is not difficult 
to reduce the number, from which to make a 
selection, to comparatively narrow hmits.- 
There do not seem, meanwhile, to be many 
reliable records of the cost of operating tractors 
for ploughing or other work. Much naturally 
depends on the skill of the man in charge for 
freedom from minor accidents and breakdowns, 
which in many instances have been the cause 
of unforeseen and exasperating delays. Even 
where accurate records exist of the cost of 
wages, fuel, etc., there must be an element of 
uncertainty as to the proper allowance for de- 
preciation, and for current repairs and replace- 
ments. It is clear, however, that the cost of 
ploughing by tractor is not meanwhile any less 
than ploughing with horses, the rates charged 
for the hire of tractors varving from 20s. to 
25s. per acre. 
With increasing reliability, reduction of prime 
cost, and, above all, substantial reduction in the 
price of oil and petrol, there is every reason to 
anticipate that the operating charges may be 
substantially reduced in the future. It must be 
acknowledged that, in spite of present defects 
and shortcomings, the tractor has been the 
means in a national emergency of getting a considerable area 
of land ploughed and put under crop which would have 
otherwise remained in grass. The sphere of usefulness of the 
tractor is by no means confined to ploughing. It has been 
tried with some measure of success in various other agricul- 
tural operations, such as cultivating, harrowing, drilling com 
hauling reapers and self-binders, and also when stationary for 
■ driving a threshing mill. 
It seems probable, however, that, whatever the tractor 
• may accomplish on the land, it is not likely to be efficient for 
road-haulage purposes. In the fi.rst place, the speeds suit- 
able for work on the land are too slow for road transport, 
and to design the engine and gears for higher speeds would 
not only add to the weight, but would unduly complicate the 
machine. Another practical difficulty in adapting tractors 
for road haulage is the absence of springs. These would 
merely add to the weight without any corresponding advan- 
tage for work on the land, while for road transport strong 
springs are almost essential in order to protect the engine 
and working parts from excessive vibration. 
Fortunately, another form of road transport 
suitable for agricultural purposes is already 
available in the motor lorry, carrying a load of 
from one to three tons. The lighter types have 
proved of great value, especially for market gar- 
den and for dairy work. To meet the require- 
ments of the more remote and outlying districts, 
however, the motor carrying a three-ton load is 
preferable in every respect. The cost of horse 
haulage has become almost prohibitive in carry- 
ing out agricultural improvements such as lim- 
ing, draining, or the erection of new buildings, 
unless a railway station is available within a few 
miles. Even the routine carting of grain, feed- 
ing stuffs, manures, and coals is becoming an 
increasingly costly item of expenditure. Ex- 
perience has proved that the larger the load 
carried by motor lorry the lower the cost per 
ton ;, but the application of this principle is 
limited in country districts by the capacity of 
the roads to stand the traffic, and a further limit 
is placed upon the width and length of the 
motor, by the narrowness of gates and roads, 
and the sharp turns which may have to be en- 
countered. In practice, therefore, it has been 
found that a motor lorry weighing three tons unladen and 
carrying a three-ton load is about the most convenient size. 
Many thousands .of motors of this type must be in use 
for military purposes, some of which might be subsequently 
made available for rural transport. It would be impossible 
for any but the largest farms to find constant employment for 
a motor of this type, but the purchase and management of a 
three-ton motor at rates of hire calculated to cover all working 
costs and depreciation would be an eminently suitable object 
for farmers or small-holders, co-operative societies or similar 
bodies. In many instances, no doubt, the owner of an estate 
might acquire such a motor for estate purposes, and [for 
hire to tenants on the estate. 
The choice of machinery and implements open to the 
agriculturist is now so wide that there is a strong temptation 
to the enthusiast entering upon farming to purchase more 
than he actually requires, and to sink too much capital in 
A General Farm Tractor 
this branch of expenditure. The safest test to apply, to any 
machinery or plant not in constant use, is that of the balance- 
sheet. Is the saving which it is expected to make in manual 
labour or in other ways at least equal to the depreciation on 
the particular implement or machine and the interest on its 
cost ? If, to use a term beloved of Cabinet Ministers, "the 
answer is in the affirmative," the contemplated purchase is 
clearly desirable. If, on the contrary, "the answer is in the 
negative," the purchase is undesirable, and the money can 
be better spent on some other fnrm nf atrrimUnrai rMifioT, 
