TRACTORS VIE ONE WITH THE OTHER

Shannon News, 20 January 1928, Page 4

TRACTORS VIE ONE WITH THE OTHER

INTERESTING DEMONSTRATION AT MASSEY COLLEGE When tlie Massey College authorities decided upon the purchase of a" farm tractor they resolved . that in fairness to each make of machine, the agents should be given an opportunity of demonstrating its capabilities. Further than that, the College heads came to the conclusion that the tests should take the form of a mass demonstration and notified the agents that the time and place had been appointed when, should they care to bring along theii tractors, those concerned in the. purchase 'would be pleased to see what they could do. The firms wore also notified that they could invite pros pective clients and the public generally to be present should they care to do' so. The time was -fixed for 10 a.m. on Wednesday last and the place an old house paddock on the river front at the back of the Batehelar homestead. “Rus ficus” has seen many unploughed paddocks but the one chosen by the College authorities for this demonstration was certainly a nut to crack. There were hillocks on it that stood four and five feet high with depressions that almost hid a man from sight. And the hillocks were not just here and there. At one end of the paddock they were so thick that a tractor could almost span the depression ’..(tween any two. The other ci.cl of the field had evidently seen the plough at one time -or another and was fairly level and in this portion good work of the four machines that faced the trial. To make the undertaking more difficult the rougher portion of the paddock was covered with giant fescue and cocksfoot that entirely hid from view many of the depressions and must have given the tractor drivers much uneasiness. Without suspecting a hole, a machine would suddenly pitch forward into it almost unseating the man at the wheel. The demonstrators seemed to experience more difficulty with their ploughs than with their machines, the

heavier type of swamp plough being the only -one that seemed fitted for the particular job in hand. The light makes just hopped in and out- as each hillock and depression was encountered. The test was an exceedingly hard one—one wonders if it was really not boo severe —but the College authorities had no other paddock available at the time. Before starting lots were drawn for “lands 1 ' as there was a percep tible difference between each of the four marked off. Nevertheless, none of the machines was given anything like a billiard table to turn over. Soon, no doubt, the College heads, will make their decision. This will be awaited by the agents and those who witnessed the trial, with interest.