MOTIVE POWER ON THE FARM, THE FORDSON TRACTOR Part 2
Description
The original catalog description provided by the Ford Motor Company reads as follows: “The ‘tractor’ has become the most efficient and economical power plant on the farm. As a labor saver it demands less dependence upon man and beast. Socially it is regenerating the life of the farm, removes much of the drudgery and inclines the farmer boy to stay at home.” “Preparing the soil. Plowing with a battery of tractors.” Fleet of tractor-drawn plows in field. “The tractor is able to turn in a radius of 21 feet and can work steadily under a 1,800 lb. draw bar pull or a two plow load on the plowing (intermediate) gear, which still leaves a 25 percent reserve of power.” Tractor-drawn plow breaking ground. “Pulling a double disc.” Fleet of tractor-drawn disc harrows in field. “Pulling a 16 foot drill.” Tractor-drawn planters in field. “The driving wheels are 42 inches in diameter and are provided with suitable traction lugs on the rims.” Tractor-drawn planters from behind. “Harvesting the hay crop.” Tractor-drawn mower - tractor-drawn rake. “The hard ground clearance of the tractor is eleven inches. On medium ground where the flange of the front wheel sinks into the surface the clearance is ten inches.” Tractor-drawn rake in hay field - tractor-drawn flatbed wagon on dirt road - tractor-drawn hay wagon moving through field, workers on top arranging hay thrown up by belt-type hay loader drawn behind - loaded wagon moving through field into barn. “Harvesting wheat. In olden times wheat was cut with a cradle swung by hand. Great skill and endurance were necessary in the handling of the cradle, some operators cutting as much as six acres in a day. The cradle is this picture is swung by the same man who used it over sixty years ago.” One man cutting wheat, others tying it into sheaves - two men posing, wheat field in background. “After the cradle came the binder who gathered the wheat together and tied it in bundles.” Worker binding wheat by hand, posing with sheaves. “Horse power followed man power. Three horses pulling a binder which cut the grain and bound it automatically.” Horse-drawn binder in wheat field. “The Fordson tractor takes the place of four horses - weighs 2,500 pounds -- runs on kerosene. The engine is a four cylinder 4x5 inch L-head block type having a displacement of 251.3 cubic inches. It will deliver 22 horse power at 1000 r.p.m.” Fleet of tractor-drawn binders in field. “Each tractor is pulling a binder with an eight foot knife.” Tractor-drawn binders. “The kerosene tank, holding 21½ gallons, is placed directly over the engine. The tractor is started on gasoline and after a minute is switched on to kerosene.’’ Shocks of wheat in field - tractor-drawn wagon moving through field, workers throwing sheaves up, worker on wagon arranging them - workers unloading wheat from wagon onto stack. “In place of the planetary gearing there is a three-speed gear box of the sliding selective type and the final drive is through a bottom worm.” Tractor moving across field, stacks of grain in background. “Large gangs of men stand the wheat in shocks ready to be gathered and ‘Tractored’ to the separator.” Men in field shocking wheat. “Separating wheat. The separator, operated by power from a tractor, thrashes out the grain, depositing it in bags ready for the mill, which the chaff is ‘blown’ into a large pile.” Tractor-threshing machine in operation - view of tractor and drive belt, tractor-drawn wagon loaded with wheat moving up - close-up of drive belt - tractor-drawn wagon moving up to threshing machine, workers loading sheaves into threshing machine - worker holding sack under spout of threshing machine, tying it - workers loading full sacks into tractor-drawn wagon, wagon leaving. [1919]
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