A UTILITY VEHICLE FOR THE FARM.
Page 17
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Produce and Passenger Carrying by the Same Vehicle.
AS TRACTORS are gradually making progress on farms, so the farmer is looking round for a mechanical method of replacing the many and varied vehicleshe uses for all kinds of haulage. For hauling a heavy warn, the tractor can be used, especially as a portion of its progress is over rough fields. In addition to his heavy wagons, the farmer generally has several other vehicles. He has a cart in which he takes pigs and cows to market, or transfers them from one portion of his farm to another. He has a vehicle in which he conveys milk and other farm produce, and he generally has a trapin which he visits the maiiket and goes to the station.. Many farmers have replaced the last-named vehicle by a motorcar, but there are others who feel that they must put utility before pleasure. The accompanying illustration of a covered vehicle, designed for passenger and general farm produce carrying, will doubtless be of interest This particular body is mounted on a Ford one-ton chassis, which was chosen because early delivery could be obtained, and, in addition, the employees on this farm could have experience with a tractor of similar make. Further, it was thought to be an advantage to have -pneumatics on the front wheels in view of the fact that it was intended to do a little passenger carrying.
The requirements which it had to meet were as follow :— .
Milk.
In the first place, it was arranged to carry milk churns. In the summer surplus Milk was sold, and had to be carried, either to. 4 railway station, or to a milk-collecting depot. It was found that the motor lorry was much more speedy than horse vehicles, and the milk was delivered in a much better condition, thus involving fewer returns of sour milk.
. . .
Stock.
It was sometimes necessary to Carry pigs or Calves, so provision had to be made for them. This necessitated rather high sides of lath frames, whereas posts and chains would have done if milk only had to be carried. Removable partitions were provided for use when carrying pigs.
Passengers.
The farm in question was situated some miles from a railway station, and it was necessary to promise that each employee should regularly 'be taken to the nearest town for shopping and recreative purposes. An extra seat, therefore, was fitted at the rear of the driver's canopy. Some passengers, of course, would sit next to the driver, and the remainder at the, rear. As the journey was only of fairly short duration, it was thought that this arrangement would be adequate. A ledge was provided on the floor of the vehicle to keep the portion near the passengers reasonably clean, although it was not anticipated that stock or any dirty goods would be carried at the same time as passengers were being conveyed.
The general opinion of this seat seems to be that it is quite as pleasant as to sit in the interior of a covered-in van where the surrounding viewis very. .limited.
Shortly after this vehicle was put in use many, of the roads in the vicinity of the farm were covered with tarmac, awl trouble was experienced with horses. This vehicle was able to take over many of . the duties •previously carried out by horse vehicles, and although several improvements might now be effected, it has proved generally satisfactory, and of
all-round utility: • W. N.H.