The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1853-08-20
aariruItuTnl.
Newly-Invented Agricultural Implements
at the Crysta! Palace.

One Of the new thinr> which seems 10 at
tract the most attention IS AtkinSs .iutonr1-
ton Eakcr-onr of The most simple and vet
most effective pieces OF machinery ever I'm
operation. II was invented last wear hv .Tra-
rum Atkins. o; Chicago. a hrd-ri,lden cripple
who had not been in harvest field for wears.
and who has never vet been able TO witness
the operation of his ingenious and useful in
vcntinn. This Rakcr can hc a,tarhel Ia any
of the halt score Of E~aprr> on exhibition,
aS there * nothing peculiar in the cnn>truc-
ton Of the machine upon which it iS now
shown unless it Is peculiar TO see one shown
Just in the condition they are all huilt 80 Ice
sod to the wheat-growers Of Illinois. without
tinscl. or extra gew-Gaw show. such as some
exhibitors seem to tlink make their articles
more attractive. The attachment and opc-
ration Of the Rakcr is bv 4 hevcl wheel about
tw"ntv-thrce inches diam"tcr,np1n a spur of
which, on the inside Of the rim. Is a knob.
working into the hollow end of an arm. and
hv the mere turning of that wheel, without
anv other means, tiat arm. in It's circular
motion Of the rake. whirh Is exactly what the
two hands of man would br If lie stoopcd
down and scraped up the grain with his
hands which the reaper has cut and laid up
on the platform. The rake then turns round,
opens It's fingers laws down the wheat really
for the hinucr. out of the WAY of the next
through. stretches ont It's arms. turns hark to-
the platform and takes mp another load, and
thus @ocS on his ccaScl,>S round. the motion
] Of the reaper keeping the raker performing
its work with unerrinr certainty. II there
was not another article in the Palace
/ of interest TO the farmer, this one would be
sufficient 10 pav him we'll for Journey of a
thousand miles. Machini>tS will be equally
interested with the wheat "rowcr. for thew
see a complicated movement produced bv the
most simple and ingenious piece Of mcrha, =
ism, perhaps, in the whole exhibition. One
of these rcap"rs was put IN operation on the
farm of Mr. Kirkland. Grccnhu>h, one mile
east of the Albany Ferry. on "Wednesday .Ju-
/ " %, where all who felt an interest in ac-i-
cultural Improvement had an opportunity Of
seeing whether the half had been told them
%; It's value.
/ Rv the side of the laSt described machine.
stands another nld-lookinr rnnrcrn. unlike
anvfhing else in the Palace. and. for aucht
we know, anvwhcrc on earth out oft This
attracts great deal of attention. ar.,l hears
the name of Gibbs Rotary Spade. 1t has
long been dr>ilcra'um among farmers TO
produce machine whirh would perform by
>tcam-power, and produce the same effect
upon the earth that i produced hy the op-
Grafton of >pading- II seems very probable
/ that this result has at length been reached.
| The implement hetor. Us is the inventor
of PLAIN. practical, common-sense sor. OF a
man, who, unlike many OF his co-exhibitors,
has not attempted TO get up something that
looks more ike piece of Iarlor furniture
than it does Ike a farm implement, but shows
his machine in working order, viii, the dirt
Of the last trial still alhcrin. 30 il. This
spadingmachinc Is composed of two cast i,on
circular plates. about two feet four inches ii
ameter, and one inch Thick These are fast
ened mnon lra:t, ahont r-yo in, he's apart,
and working i.,~es.i -. m ar, ,.i.l' r,ou.,
narrow nngti in teeth, >c,usw,l.