Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-07-11
RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, JULY =, 1867.
The Gathering OF the Hay Crop.

AS the time mas arrived Tor tue gain
ering of the grass crop OF the country,
which is reported to be abundant In all
sections, and the advent among our
farmers Of the inevitable agents for the
various labor-saving implements, the
people are led TO reflect upon the vast
improvements that have been made with.
in generation of men for securing 1t,
thus simplifying and saving the labor
of the farm. The genius OF modern i'm.
provement promises at no distant day
TO rob hay. making OF one element of
the picturesque although 1t has not yet |
wholly succeeded In banishiDg the hand /
scythe from modern scenery. Yet ted |
ious and laborious as the use of the |
scythe appears, compared with that |
OF the moving machine, II Is wonder
fully effective in comparison with the |
rude practice of the Mexican OF our day,
who cuts his grain and hay by handfuls
with common knife. The most vala-
able improvement on the old scythe for
centuries was made by one OF the first
iron workers OF Massachusetts, more
than two hundred years ago, In the very
infancy of that colony. In the year
1916 the general assembly OF that prov.
ince granted to Joseph Jenckes OF Lynn
the exclusive privilege for fourteen years
'"to make experience of his abillityes and
invention for making his patent for ye
more speedy cutting OF grasse," His
Improvement consisted (says Bishops
History of American Manufacturers in
making the blade longer and thinner
and in strengthening it st the same time
by welding a square bar OF iron to the
back, and, as in the modern scythe, thus
materially improving upon the old Eng
lish scythe then In use, which was short,
thick and heavy, like bush scythe.
Improvements have taken place from
generation to generation in this tmple-
ment, until it had reached nearly to per-
lection for hand use, and then it very
naturally gave way to the introduction
of the moving machine.
The great breadth OF land devoted to
grass in this country has rendered me-
chanica, appliances for gathering the
crop indispensable to the farmer. The
nature of our climate, the character Of
our crops, the scarcity OF labor, and the
extent OF our agricultural operations, all
conspire to increase the introduction and
use OF the mower, and all other imple-
ments and machines that will expedite
the labors of the farm. They are espe-
cially indispensable where the season is
so short and the labors Of sowing and
planting the spring crops are quickly
followed by haying and harvesting.
These useful implements are Of every
variety and form, and are brought TO the
door Of every farmer by those who are
engaged In their sale. Each one has
some new and useful point added, and
the later improvements combining all,
being far superior to those in use but q
few years since. We do not propose to
enter into a discussion of the merits or
points of combination secured by any OF
these inventions, our purpose IS only to
call attention to the wonderful progress
that has been made in the implements
for the saving of labor upon the farm in
the gathering of. the crops our farmers
will soon be so busiy engaged in secur-
ing.
1t is difficult to conceive that Ameri-
can agriculture could have attained its
present condition, had the invention Of
machines been delayed thirty years The
extent to which they are already used Is
enormous. Since 1860 ten manufac.
turers have alone produced Two Aun'
dred and fourteen thousand and ninety
four machines, not including those OF
the present year, the Importance of which
may be estimated, when it is considered
that a common mower will cut from
eight to ten acres, n day Of twelve
hours.
The crop OF hay in the country, it will
be seen from the following summary Of
the amount produced in 1850, is sutfi
Gent to stimulate to much larger manu-
facture than at present. The amount OF
hay grown in the United States and ter
riLories in 1860 was 9083 1876 tons, o
which New England produced 1855, 2OC
tons, and Vermont alone 940,178 tons.
Washington Items.