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Farmers' Experiences

26th June 1936, Page 85
26th June 1936
Page 85
Page 85, 26th June 1936 — Farmers' Experiences
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Prove the Tractor's Value REPRESENTATIVES of The Cornmercial Motor have interviewed farmers with ' wide experience of meehanization in agriculture and below. they _ pass " on the knowledge gained for the benefit of those to 1.‘.hom the employment of power on the farm

is a neiv departure.' , A Pioneer of Mechanized Grass Farming. '

Mr. Clyde Higgs, Hatton Rock, Stratford-ori-AvOn, is a pioneer in a new kind of mechanized farming. Briefly, the system practised may be zlescribed as mechanized grass farming, which includes the drying of all grass, cut young, instead of making it into' hay, and grazing the fields.

Mr. Higgs has had two years of experience in the making and using of 'dried grass.

At one time he had 150 acres of arable land, which he laid down to grass during the depression in agriculture, with the object of reducing tabour costs, With judicious manuring he . found it possible to increase the productivity of his. grass farm—now 700 acres—but he still had to spend much money on concentrated, feeding stuffs for his herd of dairy cattle, which included 120 milkers and comprised 360 head all told: • It was first with the idea of elitninat-. ing haymaking risks that his interest in grass drying arbse. Subsequently, he discovered that dried young gra.ss of good quality would sustain his.animals Without other food, • • •

In' the first season an ordinary tractor-drawn mowing machine and, a tractor-drawn trailer formed the cutting and gathering outfit. Now. Wilders Cutlifts are used. A Cutlift trailer and a tractor to each drier and a power manure distributor complete the outfit.

Without the development of the agricultural pneumatic tyre, declared Mr. Higgs, grass drying could hardly have been practicable. Cutting is often carried out a mile from the drying plant, but the difficulty of transport is easily overcome by the pneumatictyred tractor, and no damage is caused to the tender turf.

During the summer work proceeds, in shifts, for 24 hours a day, tractors working at night by the aid of headlights. Each of two tractors averages 60 hours' work a week on grassland, Mechanization Reduces Costs at Oxford.

Three years ago, St: John's College, Oxford, which is a large owner of agricultural land, was faced with the problem of how to deal with high labour costs and falling prices, a 500acre farm having fallen in hand. The land had previously been farmed on traditional lines.

The problem was either to erect costly new buildings, new fences and to provide a water supply, so that dairy-ing could be carried on, or to take the farm, over and to work it. The latter course :was' decided upon as involving less fixed capital and less risk.

he farm was, in the first instance, equipped for mechanized wheat production, with the necessary tractors, implements of tillage, combined harvest and corn-drying plant. From this nucleus a mechanized system of mixed farming has been developed, which includes pig keeping, growing of marketgarden crops, and two-year grass and clover leys.

. The result of the effort, which was started with no preconceived ideas, shows how mechanization can make profitable a farm which was untenanted, and which had become a serious liability to the previous tenant.

Tractors' Advantages Over -Horses.

In the official report of the Mechanization Conference held at Oxford early in the year, reference is made to the notable points of Mr. E. D. Wolton, a Norfolk farmer,' on the advantages of the tractor over the horse.

Apart from the main reason (that a tractor enables one man enormously to increase his output, through its speed and immunity from physical fatigue) there are, Mr. Wolton stated, many other factors which are greatly in its favour, compared with the horse, such as its mobility when weather conditions are Most suitable. When the weather is fine, and the land fit, the tractor can work as long as the good conditions. last. If necessary, it can operate through the night by means of _headlights, thus enabling farmers to be less dependent on settled weather.

The fact that the tractor operative rides, whilst the horseman walks, gives the former a superioritycomplex, which is an asset of immense value. Moreover, as riding is less tiring than walking, there is never any trouble about working overtime.

The rhythm of the engine urges the tractor operative to work quickly, so as to be in harmony with the machine, whereas the influence of horses is to retard the horseman.

If a tractor component becomes dam aged, it can usually be replaced without much loss of time. If a horse breaks a leg it is a complete loss, or if the animal goes lame it is cften a matter of weeks before it is fit again.

In small fields there is only half the turning with a tractor, as it takes two furrows [and more, Mr. Wolton] to the horse's one. But the main advantage of the tractor in the small field is that the machine never stops, whilst horses nearly always rest for a minute or so.

Output Increased and Operating Expenses Cut.

Mr. J. D. Davidson, who farms an extensive holding on the North:13116er. _land coast, at Beal, nine miles south of Berwick-on-Tweed, spoke as a satisfied user of a Massey-Harris 12-20 tractor, for the past four or five years. Allowing for the fact that he had a good make of tractor to start with, he attributes his lack of trouble to having a " driver who thoroughly understands the machine and keeps it in good order,and to using a reliable brand of on—in this case, Agricastrol—which, Mr. Davidson finds,. gives much longer useful life and is, therefore, more economical than low-grade lubricants, •

On his fairly heavy land, Mr. Davidson empldys a two-furrow plough with this tractor, as most of the work is not less than 10 ins. deep, The Massey-Harris does practically all the ploughing on the 250 acres of arable land, which includes 60 acres of roots and potatoes, the remainder being grain crops.

It also cultivates, harrows and rolls, and, as a result Of the introduction of the tractor, the number of pairs of horses has been reduced from eight to four, whilst there has been an increase in the area tilled. This represents, of course, a big reduction in labour costs. All the corn cutting is effected by. the tractor, which also mows a large area of grass for hay.

In the latter connection, Mr. Davidson r,ernarked on the great improvement in the quality of meadows regularly mown by tractor, the extra power available rending it possible to cut much more closely and thus remove all the objectionable dead grass from the bottom, Then the improved bottom grass is all saved in subsequent years, giving increased weight of crops.

In Mr. Davidson's opinicin, the only difficulty about machinery for the farmer is the heavy depreciation, which imposes a big charge upon the crops.

When Track-layers are Essential on the Farm.

Where tractors are relied upon entirely for all the work of the farm, the possession of a certain proportion of crawler-type machines is essential. This opinion was expressed by a Scottish arable farmer with experience of both track-laying and wheeled machines.

This is especially true of heavy land, where a wet spell in the winter may put a stop to the operations of wheeled machines.

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Organisations: John's College
Locations: Berwick, Oxford

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