The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-10-11
English Agricultural Implements,
AND MACHINES AT HE EXHIBITION
TnSnnN 1881

length, and forty-elght in breadth. The nuuiber
of exhibitors Is about 800, and many Of them
have each a score or more articles; SO that the
aggregate number of implements is some thou
sands. have spent about week in examina.
tions OF this department, and have also witness
ed the operation of a number of the machines in
actual use. So that begin to feel somewhat pre-
pared to speak nteligently of this class of arti
cles in the great exhibition; but to make my ra
marks Ineligible and useful to our farmers and
mechanics at home I wind it will be necessary
to number Of engravings, and to occupy
more space with descriptions than is possible in
these hasty letters. have concluded, therefore
only to glance at the subject now, md defer the
particular survey till after my return home.
An American farmer or mechanic oE looking
into this department Of the exhibition, is surpris
ed at the immense number Of kinds otimplements
and machines, the complexity and weight Of the
larger kinds, and the costness Of most of them
compared with those Of his own country. at
hrst he may feel inclined to ridicule or condemn
each Of these peculiar features in the articles be-
fore him, while he complacently refers the Eng
ish farmer to the simple light, and cheap imple-
meu,s Of this class in the United States depart
ment. We find, however, on examining the
practice Of English agriculture, and noticing the
difference in climate, soil, crops tillage DC, as
compared with our own that there sufficient
reasons for the great difference ia the style OF
the implements and machines, and we learn TO
admire much Of that which at first appeared 10
us ridiculous and absurd. The mora we see Of
improved English farming and farm implements.
the more we find that seems to afford valuable
suggestions for the improvement OF Our own and
IN proportion ms population, capital, and price Of
lands increase IN our country, we believe our az
rcultural Improvements and machines will APP
Al -
England
Drill culture or the sowing Of field crops in
rows instead Of broad cast is considered one Of
the most important Of modern improvements in
English farming and hence we fnd machines
for this purpose Of almost every conceivable kind
from the simple hand drill barrow, costing about
80, to the complicated Is row gram drill costing
$3.50. Many of the larger drills are constructed
tor sowing dry compost manure, bone dust or
plaster, &c, along with the grain or seeds some
deposing il above Others beneath the seed
Others again especially for turnips. are designed
for dIscharg'ng small stream Of liquid manure
upon the seed before covering II with earth; this
ia .ound to be Of very great advantage in dry
weather. One establishment alone offers no less
than 55 kinds and sizes Of manure and seed drills
designed for different kinds of crops and work
and varying in price from IS to $3.50. Nothing
/ can Ceed the regularity aud precision with
;. which these machines perform their work in the
n hands of English worknen, and with the land
smooth and finely pulverIzed beforehand as is
always done here. The rows Of the growing
l. crops are as straight and the plants rs regular
n as If all were done By line and rule with mathe.
4 ma,cal exactness
Then coraes the. .7o52e Hoes, or cultiya,ors for
h tillng between the rows OF grnin turnp1, &c,
e which have been sown by the drill, and here 4.
y gain we have grea, rumper and variety Of very
d ingenious and efficient implements VARYING in
d cost from $40 to $50, and designed for working
d from ono row to ten rows at time These are
= constructed wholly ofiron and steel, and most oi
e them can be varied for different distances ofrows
r and are furnished with extra hoes or teeth fur
e different kinds and conditions Of SOIL &c.
Is or PIote, there is fine display; and we no.
n, tlce that marked change has taken place in the
d form and size of this implement during the past
s ten or twelve years-a lighter and neater sty le
e than formerly being now approved, though there
e seems to us room fnr further improvement Of this
J, kind. We notice also that greater attention than
r, formerly is being paid to sub.soiling and other
kinds of deep tillRge-hencc we find a large mum.
" Der Of plows especially adapted to these kinds
d of work, and some of these we think would be If
n decided advantage to American farmers, although
Is tho price is necessarily higher than they are ac.
:. customed to give for any instrument Of tillNge.
d Of Rollers ClOd Crushers de- there is a great
X variety; and here again we find much that could
IS be advantageously introduced into our own coun.
h try, especially by our wealthier class Of farmer.
IS The clol crushers especially on our clay soils IN
o our sunny climate, would be found Of more fre
I, quent advan,rg> than in England, ard we shall
e expect to see It very shortly introduced We be
d leive i: has been used by few farmers in some
i ofour Eastern states for several years past--We
L Shan ~
,i machine, with others, before long The Land
Presser' is another form of roller, of recent in
;, ventIon, that is found ofgreat advantage for some
r purposes, and could easily be made by our me-
:. chancs
d Harroms and Scarifers form another very ex
p tenslve and important class Of implements, and
II present some Improvements and suggestions Of
70 value--but these can only be described by engra
l. wings. They are constructed for almost every
e conceivable kind of work to be done. anl an En-
e gish farmer would be utterly at loss to per
|, form this branch flabor with but one or at most
Z two kinds of harrow, for all the various crops
d. conditions OF the SOIL as is done ESQ poorly with
r. us.
2. In HareAing Machines, there have been va
J. rious attempts in England during the past &c
e years, but all seem to have been abandoned, and
r. the only one Of English make, 10 ono of Hussey a
d (American) Patent. This was only introduced
e last year, we believe, and has not become gene
IS rally known. lns trial Of this machine along
d with one OF the same patent but American made
d and also one of Mc0ormick's, about ten days ago
on field OF uuripe and wet grain, both Of Hus.
@ seys machines cloggsd and failed, while McCor
e mick's succeeded finely, and elected high com.
|. mendation Mr.. Mccormick had not then Srrv
o ed in this country; but he now here, and is ex
hibtng his machine among some Of the most IN
d fuental grain farmers, where we leara he is
Z reapng laures ofappause and no doubt he will
e soon reap such harvest Of orders for machines
'. as will induce him to establish q mandatory in
{. this country, and eventually reward him for hi.
g ingenuity and enterprise. Tho whole Of Europe
C is ripe for tho harvest" before him.
|. In Horse power and TtreJing Machines. al
80, our country is decidedly in advance of Eng
u land, but unfortunately there are no good spec
mems here on exhibition to prove our assertion -
We find That steam power 10 fast superccding
horse power for threshing grinding cutting straw
Dc, in this country; and this improvement, We
doubt not, will soon be introduced by extensive
:, farmers in our country.
(, "l should like you to have seen," said friend
o to Us the other day. "a specimen ola green Yan
r. kec who came down the Sound in a Hartford
Steamer with me. Hc had never been "to York
bpf,rp and lo an in ng ANN,