A Living from the LandDuryee, William B. (William Budington)
History
A Living from the Land
Duryee, William B. (William Budington)
Agriculture
_Farm Power and Equipment._--Where the land area to be cultivated is
larger than the family garden some type of equipment for working the land,
propelled by horse or motor, will be found desirable and in larger areas
essential. One or more horses may be used where there are stabling
facilities and where arrangements can be made for the daily care and
feeding that these animals require. A horse suitable for work purposes may
be obtained for less than $200. The price will, of course, depend upon the
age and physical soundness of the animal, but should not exceed $150 for a
physically sound animal under ten years old. A person unskilled in the
assessing of animal values should obtain the services of a veterinarian or
an experienced horseman in making a selection. A horse for this purpose
should be of quiet, tractable disposition, bred and broken for work
purposes. The cost of caring for a horse for one year will approximate
$125, including feed and bedding, but without labor charge.
Leather harness costing $25 to $50 will be required and in addition tools,
including a plow, a harrow, and a cultivator costing about $15 each. Other
special equipment such as a mower will cost considerably more, depending
upon the type used.
If the members of the family are fond of animals and willing to assume the
responsibility for their daily care, the horse will be found an efficient
and useful source of power for tilling the land. In this connection it
should be pointed out that flies breed with great rapidity in the strawy
manure of the stable, and such wastes should be spread upon the land
almost daily or treated to prevent fly-breeding.
_Tractor Power._--Just as large tractors have supplanted horses and
horse-drawn equipment on thousands of farms in the United States, the
so-called garden tractor has become increasingly popular for the tilling
of small acreages. The tractor requires "feed" only when it is working, is
not subject to the ills that beset animals, and may be used for
twenty-four hours a day if necessary. It makes an appeal to the
mechanically minded members of the household and, if properly cared for,
will give economical and lasting service.
The usual type of garden tractor consists of two large wheels with lugs on
them to give traction and is driven by a one- or two-cylinder motor. A
plow, a cultivator, or mower may be attached to the drawbar, the operator
walking behind and regulating the speed and guiding the outfit by handles
provided for the purpose. Earlier types of these machines were not always
satisfactory owing to construction weaknesses and occasionally balky
motors. Those now on the market, however, are greatly improved, require
less attention, and rival their big brothers, the powerful farm tractors,
in dependability.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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