AGRIMOTOR NOTES.
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A New Subsoiling Plough. The Fordson Freedom.
ALTHOUGH it has. not yet been applied to a tractor plough—that will follow, no doubt, as a matter of logical development—the trials of a new plough which were carried Out a few days ago on Mr. l'erser's farm, near Slough, will be of considerable interest to agriculturists. I was not present myselft but a friend who was there tells a wonderful story of its accomplishments, as, in one operation, the ground was subSoiled, ploughed and cultivated, and to a greater depth, and that with no more power employed and in quicker time than surface ploughing alone was done by a similar team -working a parallel course in the same field. The special feature however, of the implement—which is attachable feature, any plough and,„in this case was used on a Ransome plough, and is known as the " S.S." Subsoil Cultivating Vlough—is the . absolutely unique feature of its construction, whereby it achieves a long-sought but hitherto unattained olotject, in the fact that, although it ploughs deeper and goes down into the subsoil, which it breaks up, aerates, turns over and pulverizes, it brings none of this subsoil to the surface, but turns it over underneath the surface soil. My, friend told me it was very interesting to walk behind and watch it in opnation and see the subsoil—which was of a. reddish colour and quite•distinct from the cultivated soil above it—being turned out in a steady little stream into the bottom of the furrow which had ii.it been cut, whilst the dark surface earth came tumbling
down on top of it. ..
Subsoiling or -deep ploughing with an ordinary plough usually necessitates the employment of a larger team, owing to the greater draught of . the implement, which is one reason why it is not More often done, and great scepticisml was expressed by the farmers present when the statement was made that the draught with the 'new plough VMS not increased ; but the inventors triumphantly made good their elaims when the work was finished, as it was found that the team which was working with the new invention, although ploughing 7 ins. to 9 ins, deep, as against a depth of only 3* ins. to 4* ins., which the • mouldboard plough was set at, had ploughed. a strip of land 14 yds.. in width, whereas the other team had only accomplished 11 yds., the length of the furrows being the same. This was all the more remarkable because the ground in the one case was left broken up and level, as after the passage of a cultivators whereas the other land was left with the usual furrow lines, -requiring to be worked over with a cultivator before it could be brought into the same condition. The new outfit, therefore, broke up. the subsoil without diluting the surface earth with it; ploughed and cultivated at the same time and worked the ground to-twice the depth in less time and with, no more power than was required for the single operation of ploughing with the conventional implement. Thus a result was obtained which, by enabling. the earth to retain the moisture better and allowing the plant roots to go doWn after it, should show itself in increased crops. In effecting this there Was saved the labour of two men and two teams, 'to say nothing of the almost more important question of the saving in time. Very high opinions were expressed by those present as to the merits of the invention, which is sure of a large sale 90 soon as it can be placed on the market, which is expected to be early in August, as the implement is of British manufacture and the necessary Government permit has been obtained for its production by its sponsors.
According to a recent statement in. the House of Commons, the driver of one of the new Government Fordson tractors has been killed by the machine rearing up on its-.back wheels and somersaulting over on top, of him. I fear the explanation given of the cause of the occurrence is hardly convincing. It was said that the accident was due to the plough having been hitched to some part of the machine—which was not particularized—other than the drawbar, which caused it to behave in this unseemly manner ; but how could this be it is difficult to follow. It must he remembered that when a tractor is at NVork, and particularly when it is doing heavy work, nearly up to the full capacity of its power, it is a continuous struggle as to whether the machine shall move forward or the front be lifted up. In other words, driving resistance being obtained in a tractor of this type by reaction against the forward weight of the machine itself, if the power at any moment, as in starting under load, is greaten than the weight "up goes the donkey."
Speaking of the Fordson reminds me that the independent tractor importers are up in arms at their treatment by the Government, because, whilst they are not allowed even to order a tractor until it has
actually been sold to a user and are not allowed toimport any for stock, the Ford Co. is announcing through all its depots that it can now give immediate delivery of tractOrs which it holds for general sale, and it seems to me this is most unfair and certainly not in the interests of the farming community. It gives the Fordson people practically a monopoly, whilst their competitors are virtually shut out. If this tractor were admittedly the best and only one at all suitable for use on British land, it might be a -reasonable position to create. But, as the incident alluded to above shows, it is far from being the only pebble on the beach and by itsaction the Government is preventing agriculturists thornobtaining _machines which are better suited to the needs of their respective holdings. As an illustration of how it is affecting the importers of other tractors, I was shown a letter by one of than recently in which the correspondent said :—" As you cannot give me any definite promise of delivery to any given date, I have now psocured three Fordsons to do my work." .Practically it cernes to this, that when the autumn comes and when the stocks of other makes in the hands of agents are cleared, the Fordson will be the only tractor obtainable and farmers will have to take it or do without
tractor assistance altogether. . A GRIS1OT.