PLOUGHING BY MOTOR.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1653, 21 January 1913, Page 8

PLOUGHING BY MOTOR.

■ : EXPERIENCE 'AT RUAJCITRA.'. /'The first ploughiilg in the Waikato per .medium. of'motor traction is at present being, carried :out at. .the -Ruakura -Parzri of Instruction on a Stubble field some 23 acres; in'extent.-/; '., 1 ..,///

:Tha plant being: lised,ih/ahi.II.C.-.'oii-; driven motor.;-tractor .of '20 horse-power, and. a fivo-furrow . Mogul .gang plough. Ihe plough Ms' fitted..with -two '.sets of mould boards; one for;! stubble- and; the other,: for grass lands,' the . latter ' having a longer breast, which turns 1 the sward over in board even furrows. The. stubble boards .were- in use at the trial,' and/'a -.width of just on Gft. was turned up on each breadth, each mould" board turning over 14 inches.; - . , ://. -. -■

. The'plough,-which .-.is/the/first of its kind in the Dominion,- has adjustable levers to :each mould' board, fitted with a .Wooden,, pin; which breaks should aiiy ilndub -.'obstruction be met. with; ' and .throws ; this; portion out;of- action.'.without doing..any damage. r ' /'■/ '-'/./ : /; V : . The work -ivns'sitpervised by Mr. Black-, more,' expert for. the.company, "but at 'the time of.'the visit.'of- a Waikatoreporter,--th,o. tractor;.was, -being .driven! '-'by : .Mr. , Douthivaite, of. the , farm ' staff. It .was the time; that ho, had work«d ths. machine,- and its,; adaptability was de- 1 'monstratcd. s by'-the-, ease with which ho handled jt. -- ; ~' / ; Some little ;time ; was..devoted to ments, ..but;, once ' these-/were.: made, the work proceeded , at;. a^Ael-i'J; field being traversed 'more quickly '(km could be,, done-by 'a team pf four, horses, wliose turnover-iu a day/would be about ; two| acres.'. Wlieii'the plsiighWas in. full swing .-thei.g'rodiid. ivas/'tuthed 'over, at about the rate. :of 13. acres/iiv eight hn-urs, the. cost of "fiieFbeing estimated at about .2s.'fld. per acre;'.,-v// i : .. •' ' .-' " ■ ; The ground; ,was of .vnryinf!, consistency ; «>mc:: pbrt'ons, where, the , water had 'been lying being; partionlarly, hard,"but it was all taken.-.;figuratively;'-'"iii.-v-its: stride," ,there being praotically no .variation-in the speed. .The depth of-the furrow-w,is about .five inches, 'and , the, whole ! width was to a' fine tilth. : ■ : ■" 1 • The cost of: the motor tractor., is. XSOO/.' and the plough, but this 'dees hot by /'any. means ".total the 'value- of'the plant ,'and horses that would be reouired ,to' accomplish,; tho same 1 work 1 in the" same .time:. ; : ./'.,;.' ■ /■■ / < "' Ths motor is, however,; not confined to farni - work,' but /can bo-applied to . all sorts of. haulage, and ns it. is fitted with a rriving pnlly it-can. be used for various purposes. '.For instance, it has this seasbji been , ted 'to.,drive' the .' shearing machines.', and it,-is to be'employed in . and later 'in! threshing. ..The -'manager of the farm,' Mr; Primro?e. 'M'Connell. is particularly , pleised with the' .initial work' in the-stubble ,field, and anticipates equally satisfactory .results on the grass lands.. -