Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-09-04
CFrom our Regular Correspondent
Paris Letter.
PARIS. Aug. 20. 1873.


There is no reason why our own success,
or excellence, in the manufacture of agri-
cultural machinery should blind us TO the
splendid achievements of other countries
in this department; and after few hours
study of the English annex one cannot
help being impressed by the great progress
made by the mother country in the inven-
ton and perfection of ponderous agricul-
tural machines. The application of steam
to agriculture is of comparatively recent
introduction, and, indeed NAV be said to
date from scarcely thirty years ago; but
the idea is old and many clear sighted men
seem to have long foreseen its final adop-
lion. The reasons of the tardy application
of steam to branch of industry in which
it has proved so effective, and, in lact the
relatively recent leap, so TO speak, which
all agricultural machinery made. about
abe time steam blowing came into fashion,
is probably to be sought not so much in
the character of the machinery itself us in
change of the social condition of the
countries in which demand for high class
machinery has arisen. When labor is
cheap and the cultivation of the soil is
what writers call intensive rather than
extensive" the outlay of capital for new
inventions is out of the question owing 10
the low price Of grain. But in the last
few years there have been, so to speak,
great revolutions in the labor of CO rtain
parts of Europe. In Southern Russia, for
instance, the demand for agricultural ma
chinery has arisen chiefly from the eman-
cipation of the serfs, revolution which
has resulted in q state of things similar, it
seems, TO that of Ireland. The peasant is
satisfied to live on the little property that
has fallen to his share and has left the
great proprietors in the difficult position
of having much land and great demand
for its products, but no laborers. In Hun
gary there is also demand for steam
driven plows. In France and parts OF
Germany the soil is so divided up into
minute farms that want of capital pre-
vents the purchase of expensive imple-
ments by individual holders. England,
notwithstanding the fact that she has an
advanced system of working tho land, is
not an agricultural country, and is becom-
ing every year less of n grain growing
one; but her implements have done much
to revolutionize the methods in other coun-
tries, and at this exhibition they take in
some respects the first position. 1t seems
as if England, having satisfied her own
wants, has turned her inventive faculty
chiefly to those of the foreigner. Nearly
every exhibitor in the British agricultural
annex has this or that apparatus adapted
to the special requirements of one country
or another. and visit TO this annex. with
the aid at different stands of the represent
atives OF the firms exhibiting, is, need
scarcely add, very interesting. Some of
these gentlemen have spent years in the
countries for which their several machines
are made, and their explanations are, in
many cases, fresh page in the history of
husbandry. This is indeed feature O,
the department in question, and, added to
the uniform courtesy with which every
inquiry is at once replied to by all from
the chief to the porter, mnch contrasts
with the state of things in the French
branch, where it is rare to find the person
in charge of the machine, and who, when
he is found, is in filter state to receive
information than to impart it. The French
have large collection of portable engines,
threshiug machines and other implements,
but remarked nothing new in their con-
| remarked also that English
portable engines, even with the duty and
paid, can compete with
those exhibited by France. while I need
not add that in point of workmanship the
French engines cannot put forward a
claim to perfection. Everything in the
French branch is painted ready for use,
while the English exhibitors have purpose
ly left their steel work FREE for examina-
ton.
A much more interesting display than
the French, though much smaller, is that
mowers, reapers, and afbindino reap
cIS, luI WulCu SePtIul AulerlCdU uIlHS are
well known on both sides of the Atlantic.
What strikes one chiefly is the lightness
and hardness of every thing they, and, ]
must add, the Canadian manufacturers
show. and also the cheapness of their ma
chimes. No doubt but that American in
genuity has had an effect to awaken En-
glish manufacturers, and many pretty
little contr:vance, and sometimes a big
one. proves that the English have some
thing besides Il market for their produc-
tions. Americans have done everything
in their power to make an impres sion
upon the visitor to their agricultural Sec
tion; valuable metal and carving have not
been spared to give brilliance to the ma
chimes on their stands, and | heard the
ironical remark that glass cases should
have been placed over some of them. The
American display is, however, very at
tractve for other reasons than this, and
having with characteristic ingenuity, set
all the knives and rakes of their reapers
in motion, they have avoided the solemn
silence of the English and French agr-
cultural annexes. And this is really not
unimportant, for many are attracted to
the American shed by the mere novelty
of motion in agricultural machinery.
G. A. S.