Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1881-01-28
Eelrf Misrellany.
What Machinery has done for Agicul-
., ture.

The various a6rlcuituFai SHOWS
held last autumn In different parts of
the country cannot fail to impress all
who visited them with the e1traordl-
nary Developments made in recent
years in mechanical appliances for
agriculture. 1t is we'll, therefore. to
notice the benefits which this industry
has derived from the genius and the
labor Of the mechsniciau. We may
60 back in thought to the time when
the spade, the hoe, the sickle, aud the
fail comprised the farmers store Of
machinery. and when the plow was
the rudest oontrisance hardly worthy
to be called tool. Then every man
titled the soil or engaged in pastoral
pursuits because it vas al one man
could do to provide himself and his
dependents with food. Then each
man was forced 10 oioths himself and
be his own mechanic for this simple
reason. H. labored long aud with
Infinite pains, and the ancient sentence
that man shonld earn his bread by the
sweat of his brow came home 10 him
with unmitigated force. In course O!
time improved and effective tools 50
irhtencd the Iabors Of the agrlcul-
turist, aud so increased his products,
that the opportunity to make dlvl-
sion Of labor arrived, because there
was food TO spare for the mechanic.
This condition ofthings became more
and more firmly established, until it
changed the whole social and political
aspect Of human Affairs. And now
what do We see: Tue true "landlord
IS not the owner Of an English estate.
proclaims writer In Capita and
| LoJor, bat the farmer who commands
An army OF farmers, with hrigades OF
ploxs. .reapsrs,. and other machinery
upon the plains vi Western America
I lie makes laws for countries thousands
OF miles away, and his prodncn rale
the worlds markets. fhe genius oi
agriculturs TO-DAY isthe mechanic: the
soul Of asr.cu,ture is the inventor
7 One farmer can now, with the .hel 2 OF
machinery, feed a hundred men Hitt
greater ease than a. one time ne could
feel himself alone. The farmer sup
ports the railroads. For stocks rise ant
fall with .hegood and indifferent re
nor,s of Whist. the harvest shall he
lie supports lines OF steamers with
his wonderful freights Of bresdstutfs
provisions, meats cattle, and sheep
lie msinta:ps the millions OF artisan
who clothe a.d shelter him an(
who provide for every aqs Of HI
wants outside Of the field.
The mechanical power of the age
like : series Of coneentrice and &C
centric circles, Of which the farme
stands ont ia the principal center
These all revolvc with n,dh abou
, agriculture, and the same force set
all in motion. 1t is the farmers dut
! now to make the most Of his opportuni
ties. He should be the foremost MAJ
: of the age. His influence should b
| felt here Ii is felt everywhere
| for the wealthieEt merchants an
capitalists aud the most active poll
/, ticians all ask themselves how far tn
e farmers can be depended upon beFor
J, they make IL movement IN their specls
: pursuits. But the farmer should fe(
8 this himself. 1t is one thing to hav
power, and another thing TO be cogniz
o ant of the possession. Let the farmer
s consider now their position, and, 4
IL they take view of it, let them cor
r slider what they owe to the power an
? influence of machinery. One mos
: conspicuous example Of the result
IS pointed out may be noted. A fc'
e years ago Minnesota spring whe;
was graded very low in the graf
g markets and brought a low pric
d Unfortunately for the Western farmer
d this grade of spring wheat was the OF
d ly one they could produce. A ne
. process in milling was INTRODUCES
e Elaborate machinery was invented
perfect the process. The best whe;
l. by this process was the grade know
,e as ssMinnesota spring. heretofore W;
de.pised and rejected r
ID jected," in fact, in the market
Afterward this grade became sougI
ve by millers, and the value advanced
~ a point equal to, and sometimes mo
than that of the previously niue
u sought winter wheats. If Minneso
I" farmers produce forty million bushe
n of wheat annually, this advanc
I'd value, due to the new process, pu
nd several millions of dollars yearly