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R.A.S.E. and Mechanical Aids to Farming.

3rd May 1917, Page 17
3rd May 1917
Page 17
Page 17, 3rd May 1917 — R.A.S.E. and Mechanical Aids to Farming.
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Mr. C. Adeane, C.13., presided at the R,A.S.E. Council meeting on the 25th ult. He stated, in the course of the proceedings, that the Council would remember that at their last meeting a letter was read from the Machinery and Implements Section of the Board of Agriculture respecting the holding of a, demonstrating exhibition .Of motor tractors under the auspices of the Society, and the matter -was referred to the Special Committee appointed in Nor:ember to carry out the demonstration..

This exhibition was to have included a considerable number of machines of various makes, but ksubsequently Sir Arthur Lee stated that the Board of Agriculture wished to try ta-e or three tarpes of machines available. The Honorary Director and himself (the President) then endeavoured to get some further details as to the Governments requirements, and were informed that the Govehmsent had received an offer from Mr. Ford of America to place at their disposal the plans and specifications of his agricultural tractor, as well as the services of his experts in order. that those Machines might be madein this country by British manufacturers, provided they were not sold but only used by the Government. Before accepting the offer, Sir Arthur Lee was anxious to obtain the advice of the -Royal Agricultural Society. In this emergency he (the President-) thought that-the Society would be anxious to assist, and stated that'he would bring the matter before the Council at that meeting, but Sir Arthur Lee said that immediate action Was necessary, as he must come to a decision at once. It was therefore arranged that the two Ford tractors now in this country should-be tried, and that a jury of practical agriculturists and engineers should inspect the working of the machiree and report. The tractors were in Cheshire, and he had heard from Sir Gilbert Greenall that they were at work all the previous day, and were again being worked that morning. The Agricultural Judges would complete their inspection that day, and the Engineering Judges were going ito the Manchester works of Mr. Ford that afternoon to see one of the machines taken to pieces.

The. President added that the Judges selected were : Professor Why, F.R.S., of the City and Guilds

Engineering Institute, South Kensington ; Mr. Courtney, the Society's Consulting Engineer ; Mr. Greaves, Chairman of the _Implement Committee repreeentmg both Engineering and Practical Agriculture ; Mr. R. T. flaiblis and Mr. Henry Overman, Practical -Agriculturist The expenses of the Demonstration would be defrayed by the Government. The necessary land for the trials had been provided bY Sir GilbertGreenall who was entertaining the Judges at his house, being assisted by the Hon. John E. Cross.

The President asked the Council to approve of these arrangements, and to give him power to submit at the earliest possible moment the report of the Judges to Sir Arthur Lee, at the Board of. Agriculture. He would Move a resolution to that effect

Mr._ W. liarrison, in seconding the resolution, said that it was a fact that there were many tractors on the market, tntctors which had been made in England, but the makers were not in a position to turn out a large quantity. • He. believed it was the intentiet Of the Board of Agriculture to get as many trac tors as they could-5000, if possible—for the autumn, but more particularly for next year. Sir Arthur Lee had invited the Society to conduct exhaustive tests as to the working of the two tractors now in this country, and if the judges appointed by the Society were able to report favcairably upon them, the manufacturing Proposition, he was given to understand, would be a comparatively simPle ene.Personally, he thought the Society had done the right thing in uhderta.king to test the possibilities (if these tractors: The knowledge that would be acquired during the present ploughing and the autumn ploughing would lead to the, evolution of a tractor for 1918 1■ery mach superior to the one at present employed on the land. Tha agricultural tractor at present was in its infancy, and he would suggest that the earliest date at which a large trial should be made under the regis. -of the Society should be the autumn of 19-18, and if they could wait until 1919, and then have a competitive trial, it would be productive of much more good. The resolution was adopted, and. the Council adjourned until Wednesday; 30th May, at 2 p.m,


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