The Portland daily press., 1882-05-08
DOWN TOWN.
Financial Farming Machinery
Bill for the Relief of Shipping

The condition of affairs in 1.-THE local
market remains unchanged. The transac-
lions at the clearing house last week footed up
81 ,01O, 70993. The Boston money market CLOS
ed Saturday evening very steady with greater
ease, owing to the receipts of large amounts OF
gold from New York Loans had declined
slightly, Governments were dull except for
45. which advanced little. Maine Central
shares which sold at so for so shares on We'd
nesday, declined to 30 on Saturday.
This is the season for seeds, fertilizers and
agricultural appliances and it is apparent to.the
least observant city pedestrian that there Is
remarkable degree of activity among seedsmen
and around the stores where garden tools and
farming implements are sold. From the lady
in garden hat and gloves, with her box OF tiny
TOOLS intent over flow er borders, to the prepar-
alton of broad fields for future crops OF corn,
grain and potatoes, lisa continuous line OF actlv-
ity. That original agriculturalist, Adam adopt
ed farming as best fitted for him as an unskilled
laborer, but his posterity has raised his primi-
tive calling to the dignity of one of the exact
sciences and extended its scope to an almost
incredible extent. While the father OF the
human race was doubtless content with mod
crate crops gained by hard work and much
''sweat of the brow, his successor agricultursts
study to increase the yield and escape the toll.
Brain work is taking the place OF hand work
in farming, and the higher the skill the great
er the return. The improvement in agricul-
tural implements in the past twenty years is as
wonderful as that OF any chapter of human
progress, for advancement in science has given
an impetus to mechanical and industrial arts
at the same time. If we we're asked what is
necessary to raise the rank OF Maine as an ag-
rioultural State, we should put among the chief
agents to be employed, the wider adoption OF
farming machinery for field work. The value
of chemical fertilizers is admitted by an in
creased and increasing demand. The ques-
tion of labor has already become serious one,
and the growing scarcity of bone and sinew on
the farm must be supplied by machinery.
There are already too many acres of valuable
land lapsing to weeds and worthless shrubs for
want of hands to cultivate them. More in
ducements must be made to the boys to remain
on the old farm. A machine that will make
drill, fertilize the HILL drop the corn at proper
distances and in exact quantities and cover it
as fast as the horse that draws 1t can walk over
the field and that can be afforded at moderate
cost, will deprive farming of its greatest terror
increase the profit of the harvest, and allow
IA great deal of time for recreation and other
employments. The high cost which attached
to farming machinery few years ago has dis
appeared, and farmer can now supply him.
self with an outfit adapted to all sorts of farm
labor for little more money than one or two
of the more important articles cost him once
An hour spent among the ware houses in this
city examining the great variety and ingeni-
GUS and effective operation of the farm ma
chinery of the present day is instructive and
profitable.
On Thursday the House Committee on COM
MERGE reported fayorably Mr.. Hewitt's bill
providing that from the gross tonnage of every
vessel there shall be deducted the tonnage of
the spaces or compartments occupied by or ap-
propriated to the use of the crew, but the de-
duction for crew space shall not in any case ex-
coed five per cent. of the gross tonnage 1t is
claimed that the system of tonnage now in use
makes the tonnage of vessels to which it is APP
piled greater than it really is and it is to rem
edy this that this bill is framed.