THE FARM.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13487, 5 June 1914, Page 8

THE FARM.

MOTOK PLOUGHING

An interesting ploughing demonstra-

ilon was given on a New South Wales wcation recently with a 40-h.p, motor tractor, and a- careful record kept of the oil consumption. The tractor hauled five five-furrow Sunrise stump-jump disc ploughs en virgin soil, which was extremely hard. A block of 70 acre* was measwed out, and the engine tank Leing filled with 65 gallons of 13IMeff. iest kerosene, a start was made at 9.45 a.m. on the first day. Notwithstanding the' fact that the soil was hard and isunbukcd, the engine appeared to haul its bad easily. A slight delay occurred ;:t 10 a.m. owing to the plough striking a stump and loosening a. disc; but the engine was kept running continuously from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. At the close or the day the land was nica&ured again, and it was found that 32 acres had been turned over, at the rate of four acres per hour. The kerosene tanks were then emptied, and found to contain eight gallons. Thus the kerosene consumed averaged 1-8 gallons per acre,. The petrol used was one-third of a pint for priming the engine on starting. On the second day the performance was repeated. An eight-hour non-stop, run resulted in a further 32 acres being turned over at the same kerosene consumption. The cost of ploughing the 64 acres worked out as follows: —

114 gallons of kerosene at Is per gallon at the farm £5 14 0 1 pint of petrol, at 2s 3d per gallon approximately 0 0 31 crattons of lubricating oil, " at 4s 6d 0 13 G 31b of grease, at lid, landed at tho farm 0 2 9 Driver's wages, at 12s 8d per day, two days 1 5 0 £7 15 6i Or approximately 2g 5| per acre. A. number of local farmers were present at the trial, and were much impressed with the way to which the land was turned over, and the ease in which the whole plant was handler! by one man. Plants of such a description should go a long way towards solving the question of labour on the farm.— Auckland "Star."