Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-20


AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITS, ETC, ETC.
PARIS. August 20, 1873.
To the Editor of the Free Press and Times
There Is no reason why our own success
or excellence, in the manufacture of agricul-
tural 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 invention and
perfection of ponderous agricultural ma
chimes. The application of steam to agricul-
ture Is oil comparatively recent introduction.
and, indeed, may be said to date from scarce
ly ~ years ago; but the idea is old and
many elear-sighted men seem 10 have long
iorseen Its final adoption. The reasons Of
tne tardy application OF steam to branch
OF industry in which it has proved 80 effect
We, and, in fact the relatively recent leap,
so to speak, which all agricultural machinery
made about the time steam plowing came
into fashion, is probably to be sought not so
much IN the character OF the machinery it.
sell as 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
writer's call intensive" rather than "extep-
sive, the outlay Of capital for new inven-
tions is out of the question, ow-
ing to the low price of grain. But in the
last lew years there have been, so to speak,
great revolutions In the labor OF certain
parts of Europe. In Southern Russia, for
instance, the demand for agricultural ma
chinery has arisen chiefly from the emancipa-
tion of the Serls, a revolution which has
resulted in stale 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 pro-
ducts, but no laborers. In Hungary there
Is also demand Tor steam-drIven ploughs.
In France and parts Of Germany the soil is
so divided up into minute farms that want of
capita! prevents the purchase of expensive
implements by Individual holders. England.
Notwithstanding the fact that she has an ad-
vanced system OF working the land. is not
an agricultural country, and is becoming
every year less OF grain growing one but
her implements have done much to reyolu-
tlonize the methods in other countries, and
a: this Exhibition they take, in some respects,
the hrst position 1t seems as il 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
adopted to the special reouirments
OF one country o. another. and a visit to
this annex, with the aid at different stands
OF the representatives of the firms exhibiting.
l., | need scarcely add, very inter
estIng. Some OF these gentlemen
have spent years in the countries
Ior n hleh their several machines are made.
and their explanations are, in many cases, a |
fresh page in the history of husbandry.
This is indeed feature Of the department in |
question. and, added to the uniform courtesy |
with which every inquiry is at once replied |
to by all. IRON the chief to the porter, much |
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 re- |
,eSe information than to impart it, The
French have large collection of portable
Engines, thrashing machines and other i'm
plements but remarked nothing new in
heir construction. remarked, also, that
English portable engines, even with the duty
Ind transportation paid, can compete with
those exhibited by France, while | need not
'dd that in point of work nanship the French
,ngInes cannot put forward claim to per-
ectIon. Everything in the French branch is
'alnted ready for use, while the English ex-
libitors have purposely left their steel work
rec for examination.
A much more interesting display than the
'sench, though much smaller, is that of the
United States Here are shown mowers.
eapers. and sheaf-bnding reapers, for which
everal American firms are well known on
10Th sides Of the Atlantic What strikes
nc chiefly is the lightness and handiness of
very thing they and. must add, the Cana
iar manufacturers show, and also the cheap
less of their machines. No doubt but that
american ingenuity has had an effect to
waken Engllsh manufacturers. and MANY
reuy little continuance and sometimes a
ig one, proves that the English have some
hing besides market for their productions
americans have done every thing in their
ower to make an impression upon the visit
r to their agricultural section valuable
letal and carvings have not been spared to
i've briliance to the machines on their
tands, and heard the ironical remark that
lass cases should have been placed over some
t them. The American display, is however,
cry attractive for other reasons than this,
nd having, with characteristic ingenuity,
ct all the knives and rakes of their reapers
nd mowers in motion, they have avoided
he solemn silence Of the English and
'rench agricultural anneIes. And this
5 really not unimportant, for many are
ttracted TO the American shed by the mere
ovelty OF motion in agricultural ma
hinery. C. A. S.