Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1851-09-04


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Reapers in the Crystal Palace.
The American exhibitors in the Crystal
Palace, who have had so much fun poked
at their patent stoves and double-acting dog
churns, are rather turning the tables upon
the wits, who forgot the old adage, that he
laughs best who laughs last Those rough
and Unlocking agricultural implements,
which the cockney critics could make moth
ing of, and which they doubtless supposed
some kind of cross between turning
lathe and a windmill, have come into con-
siderable honor of late When John Bull
was told that these were "reaplng ma
Chimes" which would walk through a field
of wheat and cut it at the rate of thirty or
forty acres day, he Immediately, with
knowing wink, called to mind those stories
of Slick and other veracious chroniclers,
who told him of machines where hogs were
driven in at one end, and came out sausa-
ges and shoe brushes at the other "Cute
fellow is Jonathan" he exclaimed, and
passed on to look at Indian Jewels and
French fIigree. But when reaping time
came, John, if we may judge by this ex~
tract from the London correspondence of
the Evening Journal, began to take another
view of matter. The writer says:
con Thursday, the Oath instant, three
of the Jurors on Implements proceeded to
Mr., Mechi's farm, in Essex, (Tiptree HAIL.
about AS miles from London, to try the
American Reaping Machines, and TO test
the draught of the plows. Col. ChalIoner,
of the English department, Baron Martens,
of Belgium, and myself, were the Jurors.
This day was selected at the request Of Mr..
Mech, who held his annual festival for
the examination of his crops, stocks, &C..
one Of the favorite days in England-that
is, rain necessarily. We left here at eight
o'clock i'll the morning, and found as
sembed from one hundred and fifty to two
hundred farmers and others, to witness the
trial, as we'll as to examine the farm and its
crops and arrangements. Mr. Mechi's
wheat was not ripe, but quite green-the
crop very heavy upon the ground, and eve
rythlng as unfavorabe as possible for trying
the ReaperS. The people present were
camorous for the trial, and the person shag.
ing Hussey's Reaper in charge placed on
the field, and trial was made with it; bat
the grain was so green, that it soon clogged
the machine, and it passed over without
cutting it. This damped, as you may well
imagine, the spirits of many who had hoped
the trial would have been satisfactory. 1t
was suggested by the other members Of the
Jury, that we had better not Try McCor-
mick's; but | informed them that the ma.
chine was there fol trial, and it must be
tried, as | could not consent that the gen.
teman present, many Of whom had come
for the same purpose Of witnessing the tri-
al, should go'away@With the impression that
our our Reapers could not do the work
promised. Nc Cormicks reaper was &C
cordlngly placed TO its work, and with a
single span Of horses, it went through the
grain, green as it was, cutting all before it.
When ordered the machine stopped, the
crowd around it, who had followed after We
ny closely, we've addressed by Mr.. Mechi
He SAID to them: Genteman-here is a
triumph for the American reaping machine.
Ii has, under all its disadvantages, done its
work completely. Now, let us, as English
men, show that we appreciate this contri.
button to our implements for cheapening
our agriculture, and let US give the Amer
leans three hearty English cheers!" They
gave them, | assure you, and with a will
and fourth with hip hip hurrah The
Jurors then required the machine to cut
! another swath, so that it might be timed
and its powers ascartaned. Accordingly
, the machine was put i'll operation again,
and cut "a yards in length in 70 seconds,
, doing Its work first rate, and to the salts.
faction of every one present, At this rate
it would cut twenty acres per day, during
their usual hours Of work here. A large
number of farmers present called upon me
to express their great qualification at the
result under such unfavorable circumstan-
ces, and said they considered the result a
very great triumph for the American ma
chine, and that it had fully redeemed every
thing | had said in relation to its capabii-
ties.
Hussey's was afterwards tried upon a
clover field, and did the work we'll. A
machine made after Hussey's, by Garret,
here, with some alterations, was tried upon
a clover field, but would not work The
English machinists will learn, by-and-by,
if they expect to improve American ma.
chimes, they must learn to work them =
until they do that, their attempts to improve
will fail, as this did. Another trial will be
given when the grain is ripe, probably Tor
the satisfaction Of many who were not pres
ent, and who are anxious to see the ma
chine work.
You can hardly imagine how the tone
is altered since we have had our implements
tried The Prairie Ground is filled with
inquirers, and some gentlemen have found
out that there are some people who know
what they are doing in some other parts Of
the globe as we'll as this little island, where,
it is most readily admitted, there are many
clever people. The Mccormick machine
was put together in the Palace again, and
yesterday it had more visitors than the Ko,
i-noor diamond ITSELF"
After the close of the trial Mr.. Mech
gave his visitors dinner, at which he pre-.
sided himself, assisted by Lord Ebrington