PQWER ON THE FARM.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19903, 24 September 1926, Page 4

PQWER ON THE FARM.

USE OF ELECTRIC PLOUGHS. EXPERIMENTS ON THE CONTINENT. Dr R. Borlase Matthews, who has carried out experiments on a practical scale in regard to the use of power in agriculture. gave an account of the present position before the Engineering Section of the British Association. He said that ploughing was the most expensive item in the arable farmer’s bill, and economic considerations suggested that the time was opportune for tho engineer to step into tho breach. The object at which to aim appeared to be to effect an increase in the rate at which the work could be carried out. Results obtained bad, indeed, indicated that the cost of the extra power required to carry out tho work of cultivation at a higher rate was less than the amount saved in labour and other costs. On the Continent over 200 electric ploughs wore

now in use, and hod been employed with success, although the search for improvement in the design of the implements and in the methods of applying the electric power was still being actively pursued. The efficiency of the present-day plough was very low. and the question had been raised whether the operation of ploughing, ns at present practised .was really an essential part of tillage. In any event, a quick end cheap method of ploughing was needed by the British farmer, and there was a good case for the electric plough. CHEAPER AND QUICKER. All ploughs of this t5 r pe were either in the tractor or rope haulage class. As a result of his own tests and investigations o nthe Continent, ho had decided that the

most suitable equipment for the farmer with ISO acres and upwards could be anelectric tractor with a half creeper track, a storage battery, a trailing cable, on automatic reel on the tractor, and an automatic and movable supply point at the centre of the furrow jupplied from the side of tb.o field, A tractor of this typo could bo used for cultivating- harrowing, rolling, seed drilling, harvesting work, and could also be employed as a road transport vehicle. Figures of comparative costs showed that with electricity at Id per unit electric ploughing was cheaper than with petrol, paraffin, or fuel oil tractors, and was also to bo preferred, owing to the greater immunity from breakdown. Deep ploughing was made easier, an important factor in the growing of sugar-beet. Labour costs generally were low, and during favourable weather large areas could bo ploughed quickly.