The French Military Trials for Agricultural Tractors.
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APART'from the section for gas-driven machines, the French tractor trials terminated on November 4th. The gas-driven tractors will be kept under test until November 18th. The event is an annual one, in which manufacturers enter machines with the object of qualifying for the bonus given by the French War Department. This year the trials, which are held at &tory, near Versailles, were rendered exceptionally severe by the recent heavy rains, which had turned the ground into a quagmire.
The Kegresse entry comprised two tractors of a new type produced since last year's " Concours." This type, which is known as the Kegresse P.17., has the driving pulley at the forward end of the flexible track instead of at the rear, as in the case of previous Kegresse models. Like all, Kegresse machines which have been entered in military trials, the P.7T. type are in the nature of tractor lorries. They carry a useful load of about 15 cwt. The suspension of the Kegresse tractors appeared to be particularly satisfactory.
The only other machines entered in the light class were Lati.ls, of the well-known four-wheel-drive type. The .tractors had to •perform their evolutions pulling trailers with a minimum weight of 1.7 tonnes Franeaises. So heavy was the going, however, • that before the trials were half. over, the vehicles had collected enough mud upon themselves to bring their weight two or three cwt. above the stipulated minimum.
The daily distances covered by the "light" class varied from 40 kiloms. to 80 kiloms. The distances to be covered on the road, as distinct from the cross
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country work, were considerably longer this year than on previous occasions. In this connectibn it may be mentioned that the French War Department had, this year, introduced a supplementary bonus for tractors capable of maintaining an average speed on the road, with their trailers, of 15 k.p.h.
In .negotiating bad land, and especially on the long, steep gradients With a surface of greasy mud which were included in the trials, the efficiency of the Lathl non-slipping device was amply demonstrated. This arrangement Was exhibited at the Paris Heavy Vehicle Salon last winter, when it was illustrated and described in The Commercial Motor. The appliance consists of a number of hinged steel plates, held in position by stout springs. When not in use, they can he folded back upon the Wheel. The Kegresse device consisted of a apecial non-slip chain arrangement capable of being rapidly fitted to the flexible tracks. This device proved exceedingly effective.
It may he mentioned that the trials included gradients up to 30 per cent. or even 40 per cent., with an appalling surface of thick, greasy Mud. When it is remembered that the tractors were pulling trailers weighing nearly two tons, the severity of the trials may be understood. _Amongst other items in the trials, the tractors had to pull examples of the famous French 75 cm. field gun over ploughed fields. In the heavy tractor section the only entries were four Renault machines. Two of these ran on petrol and the remaining two were fitted With the Renault charcoal gas producer.