One Thousand Ways to Make a Living; or, An Encyclopædia of Plans to Make Money

by Harold Morse Dunphy

This opens a new field of employment, that of farm mechanic.

The farm mechanic will have employment the year round, and the farm owner who has a competent mechanic in his employ will find his machinery in good order when needed.

The farm mechanic should not think that he is above doing regular farm work, when that is more important. He may be called upon to repair buildings, build fences, or even plant potatoes, but his duties should be primarily the operation and upkeep of mechanical equipment.

With the machinery cared for by a competent farm mechanic there will be less loss of time due to breakdowns and the equipment lasts longer. If anything goes wrong with any of the mechanical equipment while in operation it will receive the immediate attention of an expert. When there is a need for repairs to any of the buildings a competent man is available to do the work.

Some large scientific farmers who have made their farming truly commercial propositions have introduced as one of the economic features of their business a department of farm mechanics with an expert mechanic in charge. The time is ripe and the need urgent for the general introduction of the farm mechanic on every farm of sufficient size. Adjoining farms might in some cases advantageously combine in employing a farm mechanic.

A person with a desire to farm and an inclination toward mechanics may make one help the other by getting a farm so located that he can do general repair work for near neighbors, this work to be undertaken with the understanding that repairing and sharpening of tools will be done when farming is at a standstill because of weather or for other reasons, and that his own farming operations must not be sacrificed. Those desiring his services will gladly bring their machines to him to be overhauled before the season for use and while other work is not pressing.

The farm mechanic must be ingenious in utilizing the equipment at hand. He can often adapt available equipment to do work that, without his ingenious help, would be accomplished with much difficulty.

The cut shows a small gasoline engine mounted on a binder to drive the cutting and binding machinery. With this arrangement the team has only to draw the binder. This is particularly advantageous on soft ground. Where the bull wheel does not have to drive the machinery it is not so liable to mire in wet places. This plan, taking much of the load from the team, enables more and better work to be done. If a tractor is available that can draw a grain drill and a harrow at the same time, it is poor economy not to do both operations at once.

Efficient hitches are very important and the mechanic must arrange these so that he can do the maximum work with a minimum power in the shortest time. It has been found that the power required by some methods of hitching may be 15 to 25 per cent greater than by others. As a rule, proper hitches not only take less power but the tools do better work. This illustrates one of the benefits to be derived from having an expert in charge of the machinery.

The farm mechanic will be able to supervise the use of machines and tools on the farm and thus greatly increase the efficiency of the equipment in the hands of others, as well as of that operated by himself. By supervising machines when in use and by keeping equipment in the best working condition, the farm mechanic can make himself the most valued man on the place.