AGRIMOTOR NOTES.
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R.A.S.E. Tractor Trials. Night Ploughing Possibilities.
The Royal Agricultural Society has now definitely announced its intention of holding trials of agricultural tractors and motor ploughs in the autumn of 192b. Presumably, the date will be somewhere near the beginning of September. In some ways it seems a pity that these trials cannot be held more promptly, but I. take it that the view of the Society is that ample time must be given to British manufacturers to prove and test their post-war designs, asotherwise the trials might draw undue attention to foreign as against British products and so prejudice the future, of the home industry. The entrants are to be divided into six classes as follow : Class 1.—First prize, gold medal and £20; second
• prize, bronze medal and 210. Internal-combustion direct traction engine not exceeding 30 b.h.p., suitable for ploughing two or three furrows 10 ins, wide by 6 ins. deep.
Class 2.—First prize, gold medal and £20; second prize, bronze medal and 210. Internal-combustion. direct traction engine over 30 b.h.p., suitable for ploughing four furrows 10 ins, wide by 8 ins. deep.
Class 3.—First prize, gold medal and £20; second prize, bronze medal and 210. Direct traction steam engine plant, suitable for ploughing four furrows 10 ins. wide by 8 ins. deep. Engines not to exceed 6 tons in weight. Class 4.—First prize, gold medal and £20; second prize, bronze medal and 210. Internal-combustion double engine set, with wire rope haulage, for ploughing three or four furrows 10 ins, wide by 8 ins. deep. Engines not to exceed 6 tons in weight, and to comply with the requirements of the Light Road Locomotives Acts.
Class 5.—First prize, gold medal and 220; second prize, bronze medal and 210. Double steam engine set, with wire rope haulage, for ploughing three or four furrows 10 ins. wide by 8 ins, deep. The engines not to exceed 6 tons in weight. and to comply with the requirements Of the Light Road Locomotives Acts.
Class 6.—First prize, gold medal and £20; second prize, bronze medal and 210. Self-propelled plough for ploughing not more than four furrows 10 ins, wide by 8 ins. .deep.
The selection of 30 h.p. as the limit for the first class appears to indicate fairly clearly the opinion
that it is not desirable that the power of the tractor should be very much below this limit, though the condition allowing either two or three furrows to be plOughed shows at least a realization that quite light machines of moderate power will compete. Generally speaking, Class 1 represents what is likely to be the most useful type of tractor for British farms. The more powerful engines coming into Class 2 will on the whole appeal more to those who are on the lookout for machines suitable for export.
Steam Tractors in a Class of Their Own.
It will be noted that steam tractors are separated from internal-combustion tractors. This is no doubt a result of trials held some years ago at 13aldock, which resulted in a complete triumph for steam under competition cenditions. It is felt that, while the steam tractor is comparatively economical in fuel and probably compares very favourably from the point of view of durability, there are certain inherent merits in the internal-combustion system that will recommend it to a great number of farmers despite its apparent disadvantages. In these cmcumstanees it is no doubt sound policy to .avoid any appeazance of direct competition between the two.
Class 6 makes provision for the self-propelled machine of which the plough forms an integral part. It should, however, be remembered in the drafting of the detail regulations that many of these machines. are -so constructed that the plough can be removed and a variety of other implements substituted. Moreover, the engines, though not in every case powerful enough to drive a threshing machine. and grain elevator, ca-n satisfactorily be used for driving stationary machines of many kinds. The tests of Class 6 should, therefore, be such as.to give the machines full opportunity of demonstrating such versatility as they may possess.
The official announcement rather gives the impression of a plough trial pure and simple, but this, understand, is certainly not the intention. The entrants, with the possible exception of Class 6, will certainly be given an opportunity of demonstrating with various cultivating implements. They will also be tested for their capacity to drive stationary machinery and, at any rate in the heavier classes, suitable machines will be given haulage work to do upon the road. I gather that in Class 1 the judges will not expect demonstration of suitability for road work. Of course, the great majority of tractors at present in. use are no't legally fitted for this latter class of service. Many of them have no springing systems of any kind. In many cases, again, dependence is placed on only one brake. In almost every instance the construction of the wheels and tyres is not in accordance 'with legal requirements for road haulage work. One assumes, then, that the idea is to encourage a farm tractor pure and simple for work upon farms of moderate size, this work being in the field and in the yard, but not upon the road. It is presumed that such a tractor can be kept sufficiently fully employed on service of this class. On the other hand, it would appear that the Society wishes to encourage the production of a powerful type of tractor doing its work upon the land with considerable rapidity and therefore probably available fairly often for the haulage of produce or the bringing in of supplies.
The Implement Committee of the Society has forwarded to the President of the Board of Agriculture a resolution in the following terms :— "In view of the forthcoming trials of agricultural tractors, the Society would call the attention of the Board of Agriculture• to the present unsatisfactory regulations governing the construction and use of such machines an public roads ; and, to enable manufacturers to prepare the designs of their competing machines., would request that the. attention of the Local Government Board be called to the matter with the view of revising such regulations and of rendering them more efficient.'
This is a very sensible move because, as things stand at present, the majority of the tractors are not even legally employed when travelling along the road from point to point. Special regulations are neces sary to permit this to be done without interference. Such regulations ought to provide that almost any reasonably-designed tractor shall be allowed to proceed along the road under its awn power and to draw behind it any implement which is required for its work upon the land. Such use would be only occasional and over short distances, and is quite distinct from the regular use of the tractor for road haulage purposes.
Medal Awards.
It will be observed that the Society adheres to its regular practice of offering awards of gold and bronze medals and cash prizes • The silver, medal is traditionally reserved for new implements. There are, of course, two opinions as to the desirability of medal awards to farm tractors. The granting of such awards places some one particular tractor, so to speak, on a pinnacle, drawing to it the attention of the whole farming community and more or less acting as a recommendation in favour of selecting that one machine as against all others. The difficulty is that the requirements of various farmers differ very considerably. The machine which would do best on one farm would not necessarily do best upon another. Therefore, in some cases the granting of medals may be misleading. Moreover, any comparatively short trial cannot reveal fully the durability of each competing machine. It may lay undue stress upon fuel economy and certain other 'more or less obvious characteristics. A design in which thesescharacteristics have to some extent been sacrificed to secure exceptional durability must thus suffer in comparison with a more showy but more ephemeral type and experience may, therefore, stultify the medal awards. On the other hand, if the Society were to refrain from giving medals, less interest would be taken in the trials, which would really have then degenerated to a rather unusually big demonstration. The question is a difficult one, particularly when the trials are held
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at a time when many of the entrants must have come only recently on to the market, and when therefore, the judges have no reliable lead as to which are the machines that have stood up satisfactorily under long periods of heavy work. Probably the best solution is to adhere to the old system, but to take care that the trials of 1920 are followed by another Eerier.; of trials within the next year or so, making provision that, in these latter, account will be taken of all reliable records of performance to the credit of the various participating machines. • The Possibilities of Night Ploughing.
At the time when the food shortage in this country was becoming acute and sleepy. officials were beginning to, rub their eyes and mistily to foresee the gravity oftthe impending situation controversy prevailed as to the most efficacious means of bringing more land under the plough. It was suggested, and
the suggestion was car ried into effect in some quarters, that night ploughing by motor tractor would afford a simple method of meeting this end. Ploughing by night, however, did not meet with very great success, and the adherents to this practice were few in number, largely due to the fact that the net results which were gained were hardly compatible with the difficulties which had perforce to be surmounted. However, now that the war is. overthe necessity for such work does not exist, on account of the gradual improvement in food supplies. One point in favour of night ploughing, and this applies to any class of machinery, is that the most economical and efficient results are secured, other things being equal,' if the • plant is in continuous operation, which means that the maximum work is rendered at the lowest possible cost. This factor is par ticularly applicable to the largest types of farm tractors, which are 'extensively used in the States, al-. though not employed to a large degree in this country. On some of the largest farms in America night ploughing is practised, and it is with a view to enabling this to be effectively carried out that the Victor tractor lamp, manufactured by the Corcoran-Victor Co., of Cincinnati, Ohio, has been produced. This lamp, an illustration of which we reproduce herewith, has been developed after tests and trials under actual nightworking conditions on the farm. It enables the tractor user, so it is claimed, to plough, harrow, thresh, and to carry out other farm operations just `as easily by night as by day. Unlike motor vehicle lamps, the Victor tractor
lamp does not throw a long-distance concentrated light. A shallow reflector spreads an even diffused light on tria.field ahead. An auxiliary lamp is also used for rear lighting, which illuminates the .impIements so that the progress of the work can be watched and adjustments made. This lamp can also be used s s a portable inspection hand-lamp. The front lamp can be adjusted.; to reflect its beam at any angle' this isk an advantage when performing pulley work. If night .ploughing must be:performed this accessory appears to possess the necessary features to enable the operation to be carried out as easily as possible. No sort of artificial light is, however, quite like daylight for ploughing.
An electric lamp for use when ploughing at night. AGRIMOT.