The Whiting-Bull Tractor.
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A Successful Ploughing Demonstration in Kent.
The President of the Board of Apiculture having intimated his intention to send representatives to witness a demonstration of the capabilities of the Whiting-Bull farm tractor, a number of Pressmen, farmers, and others interested in the development and doings of power plant for agricultural purposes journeyed on the 2nd inst. to k arnborougn (Kent) and thence to Crockenhill, overlooking the Darent Valley, in order to be present at what promised to be an interesting display. A 10-acre stubble field, from which a crop of hay had recently been cut, had been obtained for the demonstration, and three Whiting-Bull tractors were at work when the visitors arrived, about two acres already being ploughed up. Going over the field one saw a promising second crop of grass coming along, one which was almost too good to turn in, and there was a large amount of clover amongst it. But here was land to be ploughed, and here was the power to do it, so the small immediate loss was set against the ultimate gain of getting the ploughing done early, thus ;freeing the plant for the press of work which is bound to follow as autumn approaches.
The Whiting-Bull is of the three-wheeled type with a 5 \ft.,ff driving wheel having a 12 in. face. The steering wheel is set in line with the driving wheel; is 32 ins, in diameter with a 6 in:face having a central rib. The weight of the left-hand .side of the tractor is carried on a 40 in. wheel, which also drives.
The steering.head.is a substantial casting bolted to the frame, the steering wheel being carried in a fork, its position being controlled through worm and segment gearing operated by a hand wheel from the , driver's seat at the rear of the tractor.
The engine is two-cylindered disposed horizontally, the cylinders being opposed, and it develops 20 h.p., the bore and stroke'being 5i ins. by 7 ins. The radiator and fuel tanks arc carried on the right-hand side of the frame. _ The .power is transmitted through uncovered toothed gearing to a pinion having roller "teeth engaging with an internally-toothed gear ring which is mounted on the off driving wheel, The clutch is connected and disconnected by a lever brought conveniently to a position near the driver's left hand.
A notable feature. of the Whiting-Bull is the method of mounting the land-driving wheel on the knuckle of a bell. cran-k. By means ok a cranked handle (brought to the forward left-hand angle of the frame and clearly seen in the second of the accompanying photographs) the stub axle on which the wheel ;rotates may be raised or lowered, so that the tractor may be levelled no whether the main driving wheel be running on the furrow or on the land.
In the course of the demonstration the three tractors were to be seen running at times On the land and at other times with the off driving and steering wheels in the furrow. When the ploughing was being done with 12 in, bottoms obvious advantages were • offered by keeping the steering and driving wheels in the furrow, for the tractor then proved to be solisteering, seldom requiring a correcting, touch from the driver, who could leave his seat and walk beside the machine giving an eye over tractor or plough as fancy or the need of the moment bid. Then the spuds on the driving, wheel by digging a series of holes 4i ins, deep with tapering sides into the bottom of the furrow helped in the drainage of the subsoil,• thus more than counteracting the effect of packing due to driving weight. The 12 in. furrows were being ploughed with Case self-lifting two-furrow ploughs, a light pull on a cord brought within easy reach of the driver's left hand being all that was necessary to lift the plough at the end of one furrow or to drop it again after turning on the headland.
A three-furrow Case plough had been in use as
well, but, unfortunately, it was damaged during the morning, so a three-furrow Rahaome plough was attachedto the drawbar of one of the tractors, and it was noticed that the-soil turned over by this plough was in a very open, broken-up condition. So well broken was it, in fact, that the bailiff of the estate expressed t-be opinion that it only required a harrowing to be all ready for the nextt sowing. With .the
Ransome plough a 9-in. on was being turned, so the tractor was driven on the land,and here again was no evidence of any evil effect due to weight. The weight of the Whiting-Bull is given as 4870 .lb., whilst the power on the drawbar is' stated to be 12 h.p. (about 1900 lb.), 24 h.p. being given on, the belt..
*The turnings on the headlands were done in a curve of very small radius, and there was every evidence that the machine was handy in every sense of the word.
The .engine of the Whiting-Bull tractor is fed from a carburetter of standard make through the Clapper kerosene vaporizer, which, being heat-jacketed, ensures the thorough vaporization of the fuel. Efficiency and economy are daimeelfor this vaporizer. The more perfect the combustion the less is the likelihood of unconsumed fuel leaking past the piston rings into the base chamber, there to dilute the lubricating oil, Petrol is used.■ fa., starting porposes and to secure the initial heat to ensure perfect vaporisation of the kerosene which is then employed for running purposes. All the air for carburetting is drawn through a patented dust-trapping device at once simple and effective.
All the wheels run in substantial roller bearings. In fact, there is not a single detail of the design of the Whiting-Bull tractor which can be said to have been slurred over. The manner in which the difficulties of applying power to the land wheel whilst the large-diameter driving wheel runs in the furrow is at once simple and clever, stamping the machine for originality and perfection of detail. There was evidence, too, of ample power at the command of the ploughman, and if the condition of the soil would permit it (which is, unfortunately, not often the case in this country) a, harrow could be attached to the right-hand side of the drawbar, so that ploughing and harrowing could be carried out in one operation.
The dimensions of the Whiting-Bull are as follow :—Overall length, 13 ft. 11 ins. ; overall width, 6 ft. 5 ins.. overall height, 6 ft. 3 ins., and the price in this country is £325: the sole concessionnaire being Whiting, Ltd., 334-304, Easton Road, London. N.W. •