MOTOR TRACTOR TRIAL

Northland Age, Volume 14, Issue 44, 12 July 1917, Page 5

MOTOR TRACTOR TRIAL

The trial of the Samson Sieve Grip Agrimotor, which had been announced, was held at Mr Wilkinson’s farm, Kaitaia on Monday afternoon last. That the trial had aroused keen public interest was clearly shown by the fact that fully sixty •aimers were present from this and surrounding districts to witness the trial. The land selected for operations was in an unsatisfactory condition, as a result of the wet weather we have had. it was very wet, the land was grass land in paspalum. The first attempt with the tractor was an attempt to pull two double furrow ploughs in this land, the ploughs used however were most unsatisfactory being in a broken condition and unfit for use with motor power, as the draught with motor power is quite different to horse power, this coupled with the state of the ground made this portion of the trial hardly satisfactory it is however, only fair to the agents to state that under normal conditions they guarantee the tractor to work from 4 to 6 furrows at once. The next operation was made with a very heavy Booth MacDonald swamp plough and although the plough is of the heaviest type and the ground very heavy the tractor made splendid woik with it, simply walked away with it, and it was apparent to all that the tractor could easily have worked two such plows.

The fuel used throughout the trial was distillate and the tractor used the 8 to 10 Horse Pull Agrimotor sold to the Mangonui County Council.

It was apparent that one of the chief virtues of farm motor traction is sustained effort, several farmers present used to bullock power pointed out to the operator that a bullock team of ordinary size would pull more at a dead lift, the expert agreed with this and in reply pointed out that this phase of the question had been tested at an American Agricultuial College was selected and found able to pull at a dead lift 1100 lbs, however in a days work of 8 hours the same horse could only pull 250 lbs, the “long suit” of the motor tractor is its ability to work indefinitely at its maximum power. The Agrimotor was worked by Mr J. Pearson, Messrs T. & S. Morrin’s expert and with the exception of its effort with unsuitable implements the trial was a success and should go far to convince the farmers of this district of the advantages of motor traction for farm work.