The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17

by that of food products. If these did
not keep pace with the increase OF popu-
lation. the theories of Nautilus would be
true but he never saw a modern reaper.
The steam plow WAS invented in Eng
land some fifty years since, but the
great use of agricultural machinery dates
from our civil war. when SO many men
were taken from agriculture. 1t h,c5mo
necessary to iii their places with ma
chlnery Without tracing TIN steps
which have led to il. we may say that
the common type is what is called the
binder and is machine drawn chiefly
by animals, and in some cases by a iield
locomotive.
1t cuts. rakes. and binds sheaves of
grain at one operation. Sometimes
thrcshing and winnowing machines are
combined with it. and the gram is deliv-
cred into bags ready for the market.
Different machines are used fer cutting
and binding corn. and for moving and
rakng hay. but the most important Of all
is the grain binder The extent Of their
use may he known from the fact that
-. ON tons of Irvine are used by these
machines annually.
1t is estimated that there are in the
United States 1.5coOOJ Of these machines.
but as The harvest is earlier in the South
there are probably not over 100000 in
use at one time As each machine takes
the place Of sixteen men, this means that
lG.Oo2 90 men are released from farming
for other pursuits.
The man with the hoe has disap-
peared from the real world, ana is only
to be found in the dreams OF poets.
1t is fair to assume that a large part
of these 1G,G6,Oo0 men have gone into
manufacturers, the operating Of railways
and other pursuits. The use Of aEricul-
tural machinery. therefore. is one explain
alton Of why the United States produces
eight-tenths of the worlds cotton and
corn. oue-quarter of its wheat. c..e-third
of It's meat and iron, two-iifths of its
steel. and one-third of its coal. and a
large part of The worlds manufactured
goods.
CONCLUSION.
1t is a very interesting question, why
was this great development of material
prosperity delayed so late? Why did it
wait until the nineteenth century. and
strides?
1t was not until modern times that the
reign Of law was greatly extended, and
men were ensured the product Of their
labors.
Then came the union of scientists in
ventors, and engineers.
So long as these three classes worked
separately but little was done. There
was an artagonism between them. An
cient writer's went so far as u say that
the invention of the arch and of the
potters wheel were beneath the dignity
Of philosopher.
one Of the first great men to take a
different view was Francis Bacon.
Macaulay, in his famous essay, quotes
him as saying: Philosophy is the relief
OF mans estate. and the endowment of
the human race with new powers; in
creasing their pleasures, and mitigating
their sufterings' These noble words
seem to anticipate the famous definition
of civil engineering. embodied by Telford
in the charter OF the British institution
OF Civil Engineers: Engineering is the
art Of controlling the great powers OF
nature for the use and convenience Of
man.
The seed sown by Bacon was long in
producing fruit. Until the laws of nature
were better known, there could be no
practical application II them. Toward
the end Of the eighteenth century
great intellectual revival took place In
literature appeared Voltaire, Rousseau.
Kant Hume, and Goethe. In pure
science there came Laplace. Cavendish,
Lavoisier. Linnaeus Berzelius, Prestly,
Count Rumford. James Watt, and Dr..
Franklin. The last three We're among the
earliest to bring about a union of pure
and applied science. Franklin immedi-
atcIy applied his discovery, that FRACTIONAL
electricity and lightning were the same
TO the protection of buildings by lightning
rods. Count Rumford Cwhose expert
nnents on the conversion of power into
heat led TO the discovery Of the conserva-
ton OF energy spent a long life in con-
irving useful inventions.
James Watt. one of the few men who
have united in themselves knowledge of
abstract science, great inventive facul-
ties. and rare mechanical skill, changed
the steam engine from a worthless rat