Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-07-15
4oult Snttuiaents.
Trial of Moving Machines.

Trial of Moving Machines.
REroRr OF CoMMTTrEE-The undersigned,
Committee appointed by the Trumbull Agrieul
tural Society, to award Premiums for Mowin,
Machines, would report, that pursuant to publ
advertisements, the trial was had at the farm 0
James Ray, in the township of Vienna. on Tues
day, the It'll inst
Six machines were entered for the trial, as fol
lows, viz: /. Ball, Aultman & Cos. Mower
manufactured at Canton, Ohio, weight given Il
500 lbs, price sl25,O0; entered by c. Messenger
Warren.
9. Manny's Mower & Reaper, manufacture
by Baldwin, Dewitt d Co., Cleveland, weight
given as 1000 lbs, price $4,000, or slI5,O0 as
a Mower alone; entered by Reeves & Abel, How
land.
8. Manny's Mower & Reaper, with the Els
worth improvement, and no castor wheel, man
ufactured as the last, same weight and price
entered by Reeves & Abel, Rowland.
L.. Danforth's Mower, entered by Peter Carl
ton. Hartford.
5. Danfo1h's Mower L Reaper; both Ma
chimes manufactured by Sennett, Barr & Co.
Erie, Pa, weight given as 300 lbs, price Of Now
er & Reaper, $4,000 Mower alone, -Sl25, 90;
entered by S. DeForest. Brookdeld.
G.. Aliens Mower, manufactured by R. L. Al
len, lS9 Water Street, New York. weight given
as $50 u.s., price $4,000; entered by NJ. B.
Briggs, Palmyra, n. Y.
The machines were al tried in ordinary mead
ow, and in a very heavy field of mixed clover
and timothy, mostly clover, which was a good
deal lodged, and in the latter, each was made to
cut a double swath cutting upon the return swath
that which had been trampled Town by the team
in cutting the first. The committee were very
agrceably surprised 10 notieet The admirable work
done by all the machines, under both tcsts.-
None of them failed, but all did smooth and
even cutting, and the success of all was so great
and uniform, that the committee feel the great
est embarrassment in pronouneing any one ma
chine really superior to the others. With any
one of them, they feel confident that a farmer
could make a vast saving in labor and expense
in haying, over the old mode of cutting with
seythes.
There was no opportunity to test The machines
as reapers, and only one of them had the reaping
attachment on the ground. though the agents
and prcprietors of ali the others, report them as
being furnished with the reaping attachment.
The committee. after much hesitation, have
decided to award the first premium of $500, to
Manny's Mower and Reaper, with the Ellsworth
improvement, and the second of \ like sum to
Aliens Mower.
They found some peculiar advantages in each
of the Machines.
Manny's Machine, is exceedingly firm and
well made, moves with the greatest steadiness
and least jar, cuts a broad swath, has a rather
light draft, and by means of the Ellsworth i'm
provenent, is handled by the driver from his
seat with remarkable ease. By means of a lever
the driver is able to raise the cutting bar several
inches so as to rass over a rail, a small stump or
other obstruction, or TO clear mown grass. Italso
gives it great advantage in backing, turning. or
moving the machine from one field to another.
These confined advantages, decided the CON-
mittee in awarding to it the first premium.
Aliens Machine, Is more compact in its con-
~struction than any other, simpler in its gearing,
and decidedly lighter in draft. The workman
ship appeared excellent, and 1t was furnished
with a simple apparatus, by which the driver
without leaving his seat, could ungear the ma
chine, so as to stop the play of the knives in an
instant. 1t cut very smoothly and evenly,
and was shown to be quickly repaired, in case
of accident to the knives or guards. As a Now
er, it is excellent, and the committee were unan-
imOus in awarding it the second premium.
Danforth's Machines are almost wholly OF iron,
There being do wood about it, except the tongue
and drivers seat. Its gearing is good and sub
%stantial, and it seems to be a very durable and
efficient Mower. 1t has no guards to the knife
blades, and works with a double set of knives
playing back and forth upon each other like
shears. This arrangement gives it a freedom
from danger of elogging and an advantage in this
respectoyer all machines with guards. The COM
mittee think, however, that there is more danger
of serious accident to the knives in this arrange
ment, and the weight of The machine and posi-
ton of the small roller. or bearing wheel behind,
makes the draft proportionally heavier, and puts
it at some disadvantage in turning and backing.
Tho cutting done by the machine was admitted
on all hands to be excellent.
Ball, Aultman & Co.'S, Machine is well known
by the flexible principle employed in the cutting
bar, by which it can accommodate itself to great
unevenness of ground-its double wheel enables
it to cut in turning short corners, and its peculiar
gearing stops all motion of the knives in back
ing, without any interference of the driver. Add
to this, that it docs its work well and steadily.
and its popularity as a machine is easily account
ed for. The committee felt some doubt whether
the machine on the ground performed as well as
many Others of the same kind have done, as it
worked evidently at some disadvantage, and was
not quite equal in smoothness or lightness to
those taking the premiums.
The day was a beautiful one, and a large con-
course of spectators of both sexes were on tie
ground, all enjoying the sccne. !
F. KINSMAN,
j. f. KING,
JOHN RATEIFF,