Cycling and Motoring.

Free Lance, Volume XVII, Issue 915, 25 January 1918, Page 23

Cycling and Motoring.

A series of short-distance track, records have recently been established on the .Sheepshead Track (New York) by Rader in a car equipped with a 12-t>y.linder aviation engine. The engine is a- massive affair, and, though it appears bulky and weighty, yet in xeality it is lighter per horse-power than many of those previously designed. The car proved to be too fast for the track, for Rader in his irials had to travel at the-top of the bank, and in most instances he shut off for the turns. On.a straightway he should be able to beat 150 miles per hour with ,great ease. In the Sheepshead Bay, trials he covered the quarter-mile in 6.95e0, beating the previous best of B.l6s'ee. His Half-mile. in 13.95secbeat the world's best of 14.075ee. He negotiated the mile in 28.755ec 3 bettering the world's best) of 29.015ec. The two mile was made in 57.815 ec as against Horristed's 58.09sec.'The 3-mile was recorded in Imin 26.65 ec, the preceding hesb being Imin 54,835ec. Rader travelled fuurmiles in Imin 55.745ee as against Bragg's 2min 33.375ec. The five-mile post was passed in 2min 24.665 ec, beating the world's mark of 2min 35.8se*c. The ten mile was checked in 4min 50i88seb, a big reduction from the previous world's record of smin 19;78sec. Here's a tip from France for our new Minister of Lands. The French Government has -arranged for the supply immediately after the war! of 25,000 farmj tractors (to be made in France). These tractors will be of a smajll iype suitable for various classes of work and within the means of the farmer in a small way. The idea is to place the tractors at the disposal of the poorer cookies upon easy terms and to be paid for on the instalment plan; Local depots would be established at suitable . centres. These would be staffed soi as to deal with all work appertaining to .repair, overhaul, or maintenance. They would also provide for the technical training of farmers and their men. The depots would also take charge of adequate stocks of parts, which would be retailed at reasonable prices controlled by the Government. . The employment of these tractors in place of the machinery and animals formerly used would lead to an annual saving of ,40,000,000 . working. days among farmers and agricultural labourers, thus having the effect of immensely increasing the available manpower, and also of filling the deficiency in the number of draught animals.