Demonstrations or Trials for the Agrimotor.
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IN FULLER PERSPECTIVE it is possible now to examine, more closely than was permissible in our last issue, the aims and intentions of the tractor trials at Lineoln and to see how nearly they -were accomplished. The,trials were favoured with excellent weather, a solitary shower at mid-day on the last day not being so heavy or so prolonged as many would have liked, as enabling the demonstrators to show which tractors could do their work without unduly packing the soil. One heard nothing in the way of complaint that was worth listening to ;'there was little but praise for the waylin which the triala'had been organized and can lied out, and a feeling of pride that their conduct had compared extremely favourably with the trials at Wichita,' Kansas, where the organizers had enjoyed the advantage of previous experience to guide them. The Prevailing feeling, however, was that the machines had been set too easy a task. 1Vlost of the ploughing was taken to a depth of 5 ins. Very little of the land was required to be ploughed deeper and where the subsoil was exposed in section in the:pits from which the curiously-tumbled broken stone was being quarried, the reason was obvious at a glance, for ,the top soil over large areas was only 6 ins. deep. In some of the furrOws the rock could be seen and
felt. . Tractor makers and concessionnaires all pined for something more to "bite at " ; some thought the trials :should have been made much more severe, with a system of marks such as used to be adopted in the Scottish Automobile Club's trials. B4
On this we join issue. The time will come (and, we believe, will come quickly) when the tractor trials will be conducted on rigid lines, with the machines guarded by independent watchers during the nIght to prevent efforts to .ride threugh the rules. Then, marks will be given, amongst other things, for reliability, every repair and,adjustment entailing a loss of points; foi low fuel and oil consumption ; for speed of ploughing .., for rapidity in starting to plough from cold ; for capacity,for manoeuvring at the headlands and when 'hauling ; for absence of packing of the soil; for speed in attaching or removing spuds or strakes ; for cheapness ; for adaptability to many purposes ; for belt efficiency and for easeof control and management.
But we contend that it is too early-to begin to disclose weak points-by a process of public competition. A trial should certainly aimat the disclosure of weak points to potential purchasers, in whom long experience of the machinesfhas created,a conviction of their usefulness and reliability.To attempt such a course
now would be),the equivalent of demonstrating that one can run beforeone is able to walk.
It is all-sufficient, in present circumstances, to attempt a modest and moderate show, and to leave the spectator to judge for himself, as he is quite quali fied to do. ,
An important point *Lust be kept in mind : it was made abundantly apparent at Lincoln, and active brains are already at Zork remedying the defect. The plough, the harrow, and other implements, bar' ing connections for trailers, and so forth have not kept pace with the change from horse to motor. Implements have been modified, but there is much to be done to equip the tractor, with suitable appliances. All this requires experience and calls for experiment. aWhen, as was seen more than once at Lincoln, the loaded trailer actually tended to reduce the adhesion of the tractor wheels, whereas with advantage they could have borne a proportion of the load, it is con elusively shown. that trials, which shall serve to eliminate the weak machine and enable the best to demonstrate its good points, cannot be held until the machines are able to work under,fair and proper eon di'tions.
In the meantime, there is ample work before the organizers of the S.M.M. and T. trials in convincing the farmer that a new and valuable form of power has been placed at his disposal.