Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1922.
21 DAYS IN A YEAR
DOESALLTHEFARM
WORK, SAYS FORD
Authorized Interview Covering Power
Farming Methods in Use on Henry
Ford’s Far.
By Bernard L. Johnson Editor Farm
Mechanics.
Mr. Ford said to Farm Meelianies:
“‘Go to it boys—dig as deep as you can
—get the real facts—l’m with you.” In
operating under this permit we have
also strictly adhered to the fixed phil
osophy and instructions of Henry Ford:
■“I>o not exaggerate; the facts are big
enough.”
HENRY FORD is a farmer and a
good one. lie was born a farmer
boy near Dearborn, Mich. His first
workshop, where he built his first en
gine was on this farm, and now he
makes his home there, at the same time
directing the farming operations and
guiding them into the modern efficient
way.
The old original acreage has been
added to many times since those early
days. The farm now covers more than
- 0.000 acres, with 5,000 acres kept under
a high state of cultivation —all with
tractors. Except for a few favorite
saddle horses there is not a horse on
the place!
You all know Mr. Ford as a mechani
cal genius, as a production wizard, as
the manufacturer of Ford cars and
trucks and of Fordson tractors, and as
the man who started prices tumbling
a year ago with his drastic cut in Ford
prices, and the epoch-making verdict
that the w r ar is now T over —and that war
prices must go.
But you probably do not know Hen
ry Ford as a farmer nor realize quite
how much of a farmer he is.
I had heard reports of the Henry
Ford Farm and of the thoro-going trac
tor methods there in use —reports of
fields plowed, conditioned, and the
crops put in, and later harvested and
threshed all in such quick time that it
seemed certain there must be some sort
of ‘progressive assembly” farming
method in use there —some method sim
ilar to that now-famo.us one inaugurat
ed in the Ford factories which turns
out a uniform product in such tremen
dous quantities and in such short time
as to make one almost doubt his sen
ses.
So 1 determined that if possible I
would head a delegation to visit Mr.
Ford qt his farm and see at first hand
what kind of a farmer the maker of
the Ford car and Fordson tractor re
ally is, how he thinks a modern farm
should be operated, and what he sees
ahead for farmers.
A ride of half an hour out Michigan
Ave. from the Detroit City Hall brings
you to the thriving Village of Dear
born; and it is here that Henry Ford
is at home. The farm lies along both
sides of the paved highway as you ap
proach the village the well tilled fields
stretching away, level and verdant, as
far as the eye can Teach.
Mr. Ford’s residence is to the right,
away back from the road among a tan
gle of natural forest growth which frin
ges the river Rouge, at this point a
very meandering windey little stream.
We will not stop at the house now,
as Mr. Ford is much more likely to be
over at his office or shop, these being
located in the so-called “old tractor
pAmt,” now the publishing of “The
Dearborn Independent,” just a few
miles further along the road on tl>e
outskirts of the village.
Yes Mr. Ford was there, one of his
capable secretaries informed us; but
very busy; he had been in and out
several times that morning; was just
%
getting ready to be gone a week on
railroad matters.
Presently Henry Ford came in, his
hair wirad tossed in true outdoor far
mer style, a kindly twinkle in his eye,
and real warmth and democracy in his
hand clasp. He talked freely of the
New Day that is Just about to break
on the farm for those who are wide
awake enough to see it.
“Why, farming. Mr. Johnson, the way
■we do it here, is so simple there is real
ly nothing to it. Twenty-one days a
year does all our farm work. The rest
of the time the boys go back into the
shop and build tractors.
“That is the way it should be with
Fordson But a Vision
Fifty Years Ago —Now
More Than 200,000
Nearly 50 years Henry Ford first
planned to make farm life better —
to remove much of its drudgery and to
make the farmer a practical busiuess
man. Although most of his earlier life
was spent in developing the automobile
he never lost sight of his plans for a
tractor and through the years his ex
riments continued until the time came
when, as Mr. Ford is quoted, “we have
spent S4O 000,000 getting ready to
i
make and sell tractors, but we are
ready now.” The price-cut is the final
step which is to usher in anew era in
farm life.
First experiments with the tractor
were made on the Henry Ford farm in
Dearborn, Michigan. Nearly 20 years
ago there was in successful operation a
crude type of tractor. However, step
by step, the Fordson was developed.
There are today more than 200,000
Fordsons in this and other countries'
and while this figure seems large, it is
only a beginning. The Fordson has
proved its merit and in the war when
the cry came for food it plowed night
and day. But these days are gone and
the tractor, on a peace basis, has been
found practical, not only in agricultur
al but in industry by many who saw
its great possibilities. The cut in price
to $.195 was unquestionably a surprise—
a welcome one to farmers and others.
It meant that a tractor with an almost
unbelievable small original cost had
become a practical and labor-saving
possibility foT the farmers throughout
America and many foreign countries.
It also meant in industry there would
be an ever-increasing demand. The
first Fordson tractor was built in Dear
born, Michigan, September 1, 1917.
THE WORK OF
THE MONTH.
This is the time when the wise far
mer gets out the map of his farm,
studies it carefully and sees that his
fields are laid out so that they may be
plowed, seeded and harvested with the
least amount of labor. If such a map
has not been made it ought to be. A
map will show many farmers how mis
shapen the fields are, and how the fen
ces could he changes so that there would
be fewer turns with the plows and oth
er implements. “Turns cut no furrows
nor harvest no grain,” someone has
said.
Every field on the farm should he
numbered. In February or March at
the very latest, what each field will he
seeded to, or retained as pasture and
given a rest for a season, should be
written on the map. Then when the
spring comes the work can be planned
so that the successive operations will be
correct; one will not be piled on the
other, and an efficient system will be
used. This map will be carefully pre
served, and next winter the rotation
can be figured to a nicety.
ALL farmers. The time will come —
mark my word—when every farming
community will have its local shop and
industry where the farmers can employ
themselves productively for the two
hundred days and more each year when
there is no work to be done on their
farms.
“As I see it, the farm homes in the
future will be grouped in villages
where modern conveniences can be en
joyed cheaply and where the workers
can find profitable employment about
nine months of every year when there
is nothing more to do out on the fields.
In the spring and again in the fall when
field work is to be done the tractor
and implements will be loaded onto
motor trucks and quickly hauled to
the job. The work will be quickly
done and the implements returned
again to proper storage.
“Our work here on the farm is all
cleaned up now for fall—nothing
to do in the fields till next spring and
summer. Mother nature will work for
us now unassisted until harvest time,
just as she is working and will work
for all farmers who will let her work.
We fall plow in every instance; just
as soon as the crop is harvested that
field is immediately turned over. Usu
ally the plow follows right teehind the
THE WINDER NEWS
NOTICE TO
THE UNIVERSAL CAR
Owners of Winder and Barrow
County
When your Ford car or Truck need repairs, it is good
business for YOU to go to an authorized Ford dealer
and purchase your parts.
Do not be misled! Buy them yourself, so that you
may be sure of getting only Genuine Ford parts at reg
ular list prices.
We are the Authorized Ford Dealers for Winder and
Barrow county and carry a complete stock of GENU
INE FORD MADE PARTS, made and guaranteed by
the Ford Motor Company.
FORD OWNERS can always get any parts they may
need at our place. But if our stock should be short of
any item needed, it will be a pleasure for us to get it
with the least possible delay of time and without an
extra charge for out of town trips or telephone calls.
Our labor charges are the most reasonable to be had.
All work is done by trained mechanics —men who spe
cialize in Ford work only and can do your work better,
with least cost to you. All work is absolutely guaran
teed 6y us.
Our stock is the only complete stock of Genuine Ford
Parts in Winder and Barrow county. Bear this in mind
—and next time you are in need of Ford parts call at
our place personally. We’ll be glad to explain the ad
vantage in using Genuine Ford Parts and we will strive
to give the best of service to FORD OWNERS.
Sincerely,
King Motor Company
C. B. MOTT, Manager
Fords orv
TRACTORS
month the delivered price of a Fordson Tractor was $685.00. Today we will
deliver a Fordson Tractor, A 24 inch Oliver Disc Plow Specially designed for the Ford
son and a Roderick I-cam 6-foot Disc Harrow, all for $684.00.
*New prices have just gone into effect. Below is a comparison of the former prices,
with the new price now in effect:
FORMER NEW
PRICE PRICK
Fordson Tractor $685J)0 450.00
Oliver No. 3 Single Mouldboard Plow 115.00 _87.00
Oliver No. 7 Double Mouldboard Plow 125.00 93.50
Oliver No. 72 24-inch Double Disc Plow 185.00 130.00
Roderick Lean 6-foot Disc Harrow 126.00 100.00
UuSti-Packer —Oliver 95.00 _B5O
20-inch Grist Mill—Universal 135.00 115.00
Stover No. 70 Feed Grinding Mill * * 95.00 _BO.OO
Stover Cut-Off Saw Frame, with 26” Blade 45.00 40.00
Roderick Mower 135.00 115.00
Martin Ditcher and Grader 75.00 60.00
Greyhound Saw Mill 425.00 375.00
SOME OF THE THINGS A TRACTOR WILL DO:
Plow 4 to 6 acres in a normal day.
Plow six. eight and ten inches deep as easily as a mule
will scratch the ground at two to four inches..
Will do the work of six mules.
Requires only one man riding the Tractor to operate
both the Tractor and Plow.
Will work all day and night in the hottest season without
rest.
Cannot die, and therefore is a safer investment than
mules.
Costs nothing for fuel on fifty-two Sundays each year.
Costs nothing when idle in wet weather.
Costs nothing when idle during off season.
Has belt power to run farm machinery.
Will pay for itself in increased yield.
Will pay for itself by cultivating idle acres.
Will pay for itself by increasing value of the land.
Wdl let the farmer have more time to do other work.
Will provide an interest to keep the boy on the farm.
Cost less than a team of mules.
TALK IT OVER WITH THE MAN WHO OWNS
ONE AND PLACE YOUR ORDER TODAY TO BE
SURE OF SPRING DELIVERY.
KING MOTOR COMPANY
WINDER GA. -
■si.nscription Price: $1.50 Per Year.
WHY HENRY FORD
BELIEVES IN THE
TRACTOR’S FUTURE
In a recent editorial under the title,
“Why I Believe in the Tractor,” Mr.
Ford summed up in clear words what
lie sees ahead for the farmer:
“The reason why I believe that the
tractor lias a great future ahead of it
is because I believe that it will in
crease happiness and make life more
worth living for people throughout the
world than any other device whicli has
ever been given to mankiud.
‘I believe it will make farming what
it ought to be—the most pleasant, the
most healthful and most profitable bus
iness in the world.
"This may at first appear like an ex
aggeration, but when you think what
the tractor will do for millions of peo
ple all over the world, it doesn’t seem
so.
“Today the American workman
works shorter hours, lives better, g/t*
more of the things that make life worth
living than any other class in any
country in any age. And as time goes
on he will get a greater percentage of
the profits which his work brings.
“In this development from physical
labor to lal*or of power and machines
the fanner lias lagged behind.
"The coming of the gas engine he}p
ed him as far ns the stationary work
was concerned. But still in all of his
field work—by far the most important
work—he was limited to the speed and
strength of horses —until the tractor
came.
“The life of a plowman and the joys
a
of his existence may be poetic —to a
poet a long way off. But there is
nothing more tiresome —more deaden
ing to the mind and ambition than to
tramp mile and hour after hour in a
furrow following a slow moving team
of horses with only an occasional jab
in the ribs from the plow handles to
vary the monotony.
“ThiH is not theory with me, for I
was born and raised on a farm, and
have followed the plow many a weary
mile. I have been both a farmer and
a manufacturer. So I know what an
advantage power and machinery have
given to the latter.
“Can you imagine anything more
wasteful or inefficient than for an in
telligent man to be compelled to spend
days and days following a slow moving
team without a chance in the world of
using his brains or his initiative to
speed up that work beyond the leisure
ly rate at which the horses choose to
navigate. •
“And then at the end of the day what
has lie to show for his 12 to 14 hours
of labor? An acre or two of ground
plowed up.
“Is it any wonder that farmers and
firm workers have left the farms where
they could get neither the things they
want or the time to enjoy them and
have gone to the city where, by the aid
of power and machines, they have been
able to product* more and thus to get
more of the things they want aud more
leisure to enjoy life?
“The tractor will help solve the food
problem and this is one of the serious
problems which confronts the world
to-day.
“The tractor will solve the help prob
lem.
“The farmer will he able to make the
worker an even more attractive propo
sition than the manufacturer, lie will
be able to pay him well, do away with
drudgery and heavy manual labor, give
him good working conditions and more
leisure.
“In this way I believe that the trac
tor will make life more enjoyable both
for the man who owns the farm and
the men who work it.”
i-nper. Then later when weather coa
litions are just right we get in with
■or tractors and tools to harrow and
od.
“On Sept. 28, last year, we started
‘o put in our 2500-acre crop of winter
1 at. In five and one-half days the
’ was all done and the tractor aud
• * foments put away again in our big
machine shed.” j