Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1874-04-23

| F0At ~ Wv AGRICULTURAL OcpaI lInCH
for 1872. 1--WE have made some pro
gress in the application of steam t.
the operation of plowing, and tn
wonderful performance of the steam
plow, in the few instances it ha
been tried, have indicated the posi-
bilities 81 the future, and shown thai
the time is not far distant when WI
shall have it in our power to develop
the resources of The great West tx
sn extent and with an economy
never dreamed off, Contrast Ties,
results with the plows used by the
| French settlers and others in Illinois
down TO the time Of tho war of 1912
| which were "made OF wood, with .
small point of iron fastened upon the
wood ny strips OF raw-hide. The
beam rested upon al axle and small
wooden wheel. They were drawn
by oxen yoksd by the horns, the
yokes being straight and fastened by
raw leather straps, pole extending
back from The yoke 10 the axle. =
| Now we have factories turning cut
from two to three hundred plows per
day, and some OF the larger tact orie
make ffrom ten TO twelve hundred
different patterns, adapted to every
variety Of soll and circumstance.
"As an evidence" says Mr.. Flint
in the Agricultural Department re-
| port already quoted, "that the me-
chanloal genius of the country is not
yet exhausted, but is 80 untiring as
ever, it may be stated that the pat
ents issued fer improvements in ag-
ricultural implements and machinery
for the year 1872 exceeded one thou
sand, Of which 36 were for rakcs,
100 for hay and grain harvesters and
attachments III for seed-planters
and drills, 30 for hay aud straw-cut-
tets, 80 for cultivators, 70 foI
bee-hives, 80 for churne, 100 for
plows and attachments, and that the
annual manufacture of agricultural
Implements amoant8 to over S52, 0O0,-
600.
As Indicating the superiority Of
American agricultural machinery, ii
it will be remembered that as far
back as 1855, ct tho Internationa!
Exposition in Parsi. American reap
ers were put in competition with
those of the world, on field of oats,
each machine having about al acre
to cut. Three machines entered
one English, one from Algiers, and
enc American, each to cut and rake
at the same time. The Algerian
u achino did its work in seventy-two
minutes, the English in sixty-six
minutes, and the american in t,oenty.
one minutes
Three other machines then entered,
one each Of American, English, and
French make, The American ma
chine done its work in twenty.one
minutes, while the other two failed
The contest was then narrowed down
to three machines, all American
Two machines were afterWard cor
Verted from reapere into mowers, one
in twenty minutes, and the other in
one minute. Both did their work to
The entire satisfaction of the judges,
who cried out "Good, good y "WelI
done!' A French agricultural journ-
ii in its report of these trials said :
Gall the laurels, we are free to con-
fess, have been gl1riously won by
Americans, and this achievement can
not be looked upon With indifference,
as il plainly foreshadows the ultimate
destiny Of the New World"
The grand result of this perfection
in our agricultural machinery, seonr-
cd under the fostering caro- of toe
Government for the agricultural in
terests, and aided by intelligent in
dustry on the part of our farmers, is
an annual product tfording an
abundance t. feed a population o.
10 100000 of peopla, with surplus
equal TO tho foreign demand Eng-
! land alone takes from us annually
agricultural pro ducts amounting in
value t, nearly $500 100000, though
the demand faotuatesIwith the varia-
lions in the quantity OF her home
product and supplies from the Baltic
and other places.
| AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES.
In 1862 Congress showed it's pre-.
tecting care over the agricultural liz.
forests by voting land or Iand-scripl
to the aggregate value of nearly ten
million dollars, for the purpose ofon,
dowing one or moro agricultural col
leges ia each State 10 the Union
already nearly all the States have
their Farmers Colleges in successful
operation, with an aggregate attend.
ance OF about 1000 students under
the training of 375 professors in the
ore.ical and practical agriculture in
all their branches. Each college has
an experimental farm of one to three
hundred acres attached to their col
Iege. whore the students go daily
from the lecture room, and are
thoroughly trained in the art and
practice of intelligent husbandry.
This higher standard Of agricul,ur-
al education promises great results 10
elevating the calling and advancing
the interests Of the farmer.
In conclusion, we submit this pa.
per to the consideration Of our farm
ers, and Granger friends especially,
and il yet there is believed to be
cause for any compliant against the
| Government 10 want of solicitude
or provision for the development Of
the great industry of agriculture, the
pages of The Republic are open to eff
ford interested parties hearing on
a subject that effects either directly
or indirectly, not the Gragers anc
| farmers alone, bat our entire popula
ton.
s@The Witness says Harry Woods
who recently died in PlatieviIle, o.
years of age, was in his youth amen
~ ID Ellie u