The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1876-09-09
Want of Farm Implements.

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large farms without sufficient capital
to purchase the amount of stock, or the
number and kinds of implements that
are requisite for the advantageous
working of the establishment. In or.
der TO hold on to their excess of land
the owners struggle on for life time
burdened with debt and taxation, and
continually lacking funds for needed
expenditures
As well might 1t be expected that q
manufacturer could thrive, In these
days Of sharp competition, who should
refuse to purchase the best kinds OF
machinery that are in use for his
branch Of business, as for q farmer TO
suppose that he can keep up with the
times, or make good profits ut farming.
without aYailing himself of the i'm
proved implements and machinery, for
the increase of his crops and the saw
ing of labor. A few illustrations of
this kind have recently come under
my particular notice,
While spending week at my old
homo In Central Ohio last month. 1
made several excursions among the
farmers, In good region for grass and
stock. 1t was just at haying time, and
the weather was quite "catching"-
frequent showers, with little sun.
slime between. Much grass was cut
and badly damaged, or spoiled by rain
before it was secured. Hundreds of
acres. should say, were nearly or
quite a total loss, that might have been
saved In fair condition by the use of
the tedding machine, and yet not one
could be seen or heard of In the region
that visited. One sensible old farm
er. with whom l conversed, told me he
was the owner of three hundred acres
OF good land, had farmed 1t for thirty
years, within twenty miles of Column
bus, had been at o number ofState fairs
ana had derived much pleasure and in
struction from the exhibition OF cattle
and horses he had taken hasty looks
at the farm implements, believed he
had seen hay tedders among them, but
passed them by as belonging to a GLASS
Of novelties that were Of no interest 10 |
MIN. He seemed quite incredulous
when told him that In my opinion be
would have saved double tho cost OF |
'ne Of the machines In securing his
iay crop, the previous week. He said
he had never seen one Of them in oper-
,tion-dld not think there was one of
he machines in his county but he
would make 1t point to look after the
natter at the coming state fair.
Farmers who only see the hay. tedder
operate at a fair or exhibition are net
'pt to realize how much II can be made
o accomplish that cannot otherwise
'e done In season like the one lust
passed, When the grass Is cut by
moving machine 1t Is left pretty evenly
distributed over the ground, and If no
ain occurs it will commonly dry in one
ay so as to he safely raked up towards
light then the tedder Is not wanted.
'ut If cloudy weather, even without
ain, it VIII greatly facilitate drying TO
asa tho !sdoer over il once or twice, as
he motion ofthe lay in the air, caused |
y the revolving of the machine, evap.
rates the moisture. But 1t Is when a
ain has fallen upon the cut grass, and
Is thereby fiattened down upon the
Jet ground, that the utility of the ted. |
or is best seen; and especially If there /
sunshine only foz q few hours and
ION rain again, aa was often the oa-~
iis season, In some fields ,ya saw
len and boys laboriousiy fclklng over
res OF hay that hs1 been cut and
''eu W rain, in the almost vain
'pe 81 getting some of it dry enough
pu' ~, before night. whereas a good
"'.ng machine, kept at work, would
ave turned the whole two or three
mes in rs rHany hours, and the whole
rop might have.been saved.
A little further north, where there
I'D been no rain for a couple of weeks,
saw man plowing field of stiff
ay for wheat. and using a pillow that
as specially calculated for mellow
'li' consequently of very heavy
raught In the firm clay, and with the
OF weather keeping his team in a |
'ther of sweat, and compelling fire.
uent rests. The man admitted to me
nat his plow was not the best kind for
lie purpose. but he had no other, and
ould not afford to buy one this season.
nd yet If the truth was known, pre-
ime that the injury to his team In
lowing that one field, and the loss of
me, WAS greater than the price of a
litable pillow. Nor is this at all rare
sse; toE l have found it quite common
II our average class of farmers to use s
ie sanlo plow for all kinds Of soil and
uiposes and some of our pillow max.
rs have contributed to this practice by
ivertising 4 lows for all work"
L might speak here of tho sams fanlt
nd false economy in relation to har.
ows; but there has, l think, been
iarted improvement of late In the
.yles and use of this implement, and
aero has been much said about 1t In
lis and Other agricultural papers.
The roller, too, though not In as gen.
al usa as it should be. and not half
Rough appreciated by the common
~ OF farmers, is more frequently seen
IAN formerly, and Is regarded as es-
initial on most we'll equipped farms.
The clod crusher Ia not half enough b
nown or appreciated in this country.
n clay aoiis, such as are much used y
= wheat and other grain crops In c
1 In