THE SENLIS TRACTOR TRIALS.
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A Hundred Machines, Representing Fifty Different Makes, Take Part in th Annual French Trials.,
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD of Senlis was chosen this year by the Chambre Syndicate de la Motoculture de France for its annual tractor trials, because it desired to assist the liberated regions of France by proving how valuable the tractor will be in re-Cultivating these areas. It is perhaps a misnomer to call the trials "tractor trials," because the machines which were -competing were not all tractors. There were tractors, selfcontained motor ploughs, cultivators, etc., ranging from 5 h.p. up to 50 h.p., comprising in all a hundred. machines of 50 different makes, of which 30 were French.
The trials began on October 1st and continued until the evening of October 5th, the working hours being from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m:.
In view of the trials which were recently held at Lincoln, and in which no fixed minimum of work was required from the machines, it is interesting to note the way in which the French society eliminated unsuitable machines. Each machine had., the choice of one out of four tests,: (1) 400 sq..laietres of ploughing. per horse-power to a mean depth of 26 cm. (101 ins.) ; (2) 500 sq. metres -of ploughing per h.p. to a mean depth of 22 cm. (84 ins.); (3) 700 sq. metres of ploughing per horse-power to a mean depth of 18 cm. (7 ins.); (4) 1,500 sq. metres of superficial work per horsepower to a mean depth of 8 cm. (3i ins.). It will be noted that no mention is made in these tests of the
type of ground, so that they cannot be taken as definite expressions, of what a lmachine's capabilities should be.
Each rnachine had to complete its particular test of the four during the first three days ; in addition, it had to-complete a corresponding proportion of this work 'by noon on October 1st, under 'penalty of exclusion from the trials.
To France the importance of intensifying her agriciiltural production is perhaps even more important than to us. The difference in the value of French and American money is so great that every sack of wheat bought from America tends to keep at its present high level the cost of living.
It is to be regretted that so few British makers catered machines, but the Senlis trials came rather too 'soon after those at Lincoln. However, we trust that at the next trials held in France there will be a representative selection of British, machines. The following machines took part in the trials :— Agro, Cleveland, Gray, Atlas, Agrophile, Ph. Caire, Ca.se, Ceres, International, Titan, Mogul, Dubois, Happy. Farmer, Taur.eau, Borel-Type Rumely, Chapron, Sandusky, Le Gaulois, Feuillette, Excelsior, Huber, La Crosse, Abeilla, Globe,.Norinania, Sexton, Fiat, Fordson, Praga, Moline Universal, Le Griffon, Auror, Peugeot, Piclwell, Avery, Renault, Rip, Seemia, Tomand Latil, T.A.F., Parrett, Nilson Junr., MacCorrnick