Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1861-01-18
FARM IMPLEMENTS & MACHINERY.

We copy the following excellent advice on
this subject from the Country Gentleman
During the more leisure season Of winter,
farmers will find i, advantageous to examine,
repair and improve all the implements and
machines. IL is in these that agricultural
progress has been most strikingly marked
within the past twenty years and the cul-
tivator who does not keep pace with the inn
provements made is wasting a valuable ele-
ment Of success. There IS less danger Of i'm
position in this direction than in some others,
for years use will establish the character
Of any machine. A knowledge of the princi-
Piles Of mechanism, added to the experience
which every observing farmer should possess.
will enable him, in most cases, to judge
with good deal Of certainty beforehand on
the value Of new invention.
There are two points that should always
be kept before the farmers eye when making
any provision Of this kind. The frst is, sim
plicity OF structure. A simple machine is
cheaply bought, easily managed, not easily
dsranged, and quickly restored TO repair
Other things being nearly equal, always buy
the simplest machine The crowbar is a fine
illustrstion--simple, efficient used by every
one, valuable for many purposes. and never
out Of joint. The great difficulty in repla-
cling the plow with any other cultivatug ma
chine is its great simplicity. Complex busk-
ing machines have all given place to the old
fashioned appliance Of thumb and finger.
armed, sometimes, with husking thimble or
peg, but oftener without.
The greatest advantage derived from ma
chinery is where the powerful muscles Of
horses are made to accomplish what before
was done by the weaker force Of man-as in
the moving or threshing machine or where
the slow manipulation Of fingers, with no ex-
penditure Of strength is changed to greatly
increased rapidity OF the same work by me-
chanical combinations. instances Of which oc-
cur in the garden drill and the sewing ma
chine, Some compexity is here necessary,
and admissible when great speed is gained
but when a machine works but little faster
than the unassisted hands. it may be discard
ed, as a universal rule, unless extremely sim
pie.
The second point to observe in providing
farm machinery is to select such each farm
or can work with his own unborrowed forces.
A threshing machine, for examPle, that re-
quires six or eig6t aarses to drive, one-half
Of which must be hired or borrowed for the
4 occasion-or six or eight hands 70 man il,
one-half Of whom must be collected through
the neighbood before sheaf can be threshed
lis an inconvenient mschinc-troublesom
and not economical. II the farmer has but
two horses and two hands, he should procure
thresher which they can work. He has
then complete command Of bis own operations,
and can. on any occasion, for day, half day,
or less, set his machine 10 work when he
wishes asupply of grain for seed or for bread,
or straw for his cattle. Many spare or stor-
my days may be advantageously occupied
where such convenience as this is always at
hand. The farmers wife will not complain
of being relieved of boarding n number Of
hands required to man ponderous ten-horse
thresher, nor will he himself get the fidgets
iso often ialseeirg all Bis collection Of men
standing idle while broken cog is under
going repairs.