Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-12
Progress Of improvements in Agricultural,
plements


1t 10 both instructive and amusing to ,a,
template the style Of farming u,en.;I. W., ,,
thirty years ago. The farmers o. tbc,.J,
although they were economical and bu.La:t
ed very closely the nett proceed, of % J,'',
crops, are regarded rs having been ",Id e
gies" and opposed To all innovations in m.,
ters pertaining to farming. The old wocT.s
plows, clumsy hoes, two prouged b.,,,'''"
pitchforks with short stubbed tines ars.
peculiar make, the scythes and sickIes !;
those days, would constitute cabinet # ,,. y
curiosities.
The pillow was about the first thing a,om.
ted to be improved. and this natur,Jin
enough, too because it il the most imnor,a:.
article in the list of agricultural imrlrn,or,'
BY degrees it has been improved until !, :,
now about ~ near perfect As it can he
good pillow is of the first Importance and n
man is satisfied To Use one now that doe, -,
combine IN its construction all the mn,,,.
ments of the latest patents. Every ,owr
county and State Fair contributes snme,b;,.'
! new i'll this line, but rs we have already -
served all of the latest patents are not rs,
improvements.
The hoe, the next implement in imn,
lance to the pillow, in shape material ,.l
make, is wholly unlike that of olicn tjmr.
Then, it was made of iron, with cum.y
eye for the handle inserted in the blade al
was as fit for any other purpose rs tha, Nv
which it was intended. Now. il il made ~,
! steel plate, is light, rarely clogs, even wha,
/ the ground Is wet. and is capableof doing gn.J
execution with comparatively little excr,jop
The harrow Of thirty years aga WA, 4,
''crotched' stick with row of wooden teeth
in each prong-few had iron teeth-and of
course, it could do but little in the way oi
mellowing or levelling the ground. But !,
was the sole dependence Of the farmer, g..
pecially in the newly opened lands, uher,
the undecayed stumps and roots prevented
the use ofthe pillow. The harrow Of TO-DAY
is an entirely different thing and Wilde four
fold the execution of the old one.
The pitchiork, an important Implement
was formerly very clumsy. i,l.,naped at,
fair. The tines were made of iron thick
short and straight; but such rs they ve-,
they were the best that could be procured
Manufacturers of farming utensils ~ length
discovered that steel was the best material
for this implement. because it admits of tn.
tines being much smaller, longer. AMI c,G.
sequently much lighter than those made 0,
iron. But another advantage of the FORK,
now used over those of former years is. in tho
shape Of the tines. These are so construc.ci
that hay or grain can be handled with them
with the greatest ease. The tines are rng
and admirably shaped, and being made d
the hest Of steel and springy withaI, ars
readily detached from whatever is being
handled, when the tines Instantly Resume their
accustomed shape Like the pillow, this use.
full implement is now nearly perfect.
Axes, grass scythes and grain cradles.
have also been vastly improved One i'm.
portant feature in these and other improve
ments in farming utensils is, their compare
tive lightness. Those formerly in use wero
heavy, clumsy and unwieldy.
Notwithstanding the variety Of reaping
and moving machines now in use, neither
the scyshs nor cradle is laid aside. Many
farmers still prefer the latter to the former
by reason that the best machines are thought
to cause much waste. Lodged grain and
grass cannot be cut by machinery without
,,ss to some extent; and chose owning small
farms can readily dispense with their USE. -
But it is surprising to contemplate how the
harvests of former days were accomplished
before even the cradle was invented. Then
the sickle alone was depended upon. The
grain was gathered by handfuls, cut AMI
placed in gayels by the reaper. 1t wa, =
slow process, and oftentimes the wheat would
begin to grow ere it could be secured Bu.
large fields were harvested, and the h-.
quality Of wheat in those days was sold or
fifty and seventy-fve cents per bushel. How
ever, in the great wheat districts Of this
State, and in the West, the rcaping machine
is employed, and it requires but n few days
to cut hundreds and thousands Of acres.
Next follows tho Threshing machine, one
of themo important agricultural inventlon'
of modern times. 1t is called into roqus'
ton Immediately on the close of the harvest,
and one machine threshes and separates
from the straw and chat from 300 TO 80
bushels per day.
Thus it is, that the noblest of all occups'
tons which can engage the attention Of man.
has kept pace with the march Of knowleds,
and Science. Agriculture is claiming the
almost undivided attention Of the people Of
the United States, and it's claims 10 consider.
alton are being acknowledged by the STAT,
Legislatures and by Congress. Much set
remains to be done both in respect to 'It
best mode of farming and the implements o.
be employed. The latter, no doubt, WI
keep pace with the former; and ere many
years roll by, We shall witness still greater
Improvements in agriculture and agrrnIiG
raj implements than any that have get been
achieyed-N. L. Ekp.
The ToUgNAMgHT AT LEEsBURG, came "