Where Costs Favour the Agrimotor.
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'UNDOUBTEDLY the agrimotor affords the cheapest meansaaf doing work on arable land, and as time goes on this cheapness becomes more marked. Prices have been greatly reduced for all makes, whilst working costs are very much less than they were a year or two ago. Another important addition to the economy of power farming is the increased efficiency, durability and reliability of the agrimotor itself and the greatly improved implements designed to work with it. The question of 2 s. d. governs all farmers in their decisions concerning the purchase of an agrimotor, and it is most encouraging to find how well they are being met in this direction when the cost of produce sold, is compared with what one has to spend in raising that produce, when a wellequipped motor outfit is employed.
As showing how very cheaply the agrimotor does its work, I will give some account of trials that have been held under the strictest observation with a view to finding out hard facts. These 1324 trials have been made in different districts throughout the country and on practically every type of soil.
Great importance attaches to the in. formation which the figures supply. Three typical examples are as follow ;—
1. At a demonstration held on Mr. Jackson's farm, Burnham, Slough, on some medium land, 21 aeres of crassploughing were done in 5 hours. During this time 1 pint of petrol, 6* gallons of paraffin and 21 pints of lubricating ail were consumed. The cost of this fuel works out at 78-. 100. The cost of labour in this case was 4s. 2d., and if we add to this a sum of 3s. 4d. to cover depreciation and upkeep (estimated at a flat rate of la. 4d. per acre), we find that the total cost of this job was 15s.
or 6s. 2d. per acre.
2. On June 6th, at Mr. T. Whittit's farm, Caxton, Cambridgeshire, 7 acres of heavy land were ploughed in 17 hours. The actual fuel consumption for this job was : 1 quart petrol, 30 gallons paraffin and 1 quart of oil, the total cost of fuel
working out at 29s. id., or 4s. 2d. per acre. The charge fur labour per acre being 2s. (i.e., 10d. per hour), and depreciation and upkeep being estimated at is. 4d. per acre, the cost of this operation being about 7s. 6d. per acre.
3. On June 5th, at Mr. Morrison's farm, near Tamworth, Staffordshire, 3 acres of light, sandy soil ploughing were done in 7 hours. In this case the fuel consumption was as follows: Petrol, 1pint; paraffin, 10 gallons; oil, I quart. The result. of this demonstration, summarized on an acreage basis, shows the cost of fuel to be 3.s. 5d_, labour 2s., depreciation and upkeep ls. 4c1., making a total cost of 65. 9d. per acre.
The agrimotor used was a Fordson and the three examples quoted are merely typical of the observed results of many others. The advantage in terms of actual cost and time saved are both equally important. Such results as these are at the present time unattainable by any other means of cultivation. AGRIKOT.