The Greeley tribune., 1907-12-19
EOT run A new ORDER
FARM MACHINERY OF LATE
BROUGHT THIS ABOUT
Wonderful Development Along
Agricultural Lines Brought
About by the Aid of
Inventive Genius

The story of the development of the
manufacture of agricultural machin-
cry and implements during the last
fifty years, and its effect upon agricul-
tural conditions is one which might
properly require volumes for its tell
ing. In a brief paper only the mer-
est outlines Of 1t can be indicated.
/ Increasing use of and acquaintance
with these implements and machines,
has brought to the farmer knowledge
by means Of which he has amelior-
ated his condition in almost every
way and increased not only his own
prosperity. but the general CONNER
cial prosperity of the nation and of
the world. Through the developing
and marketing Of modern farm ma
chinery and implements the occupa-
ton of agriculture has been lifted
from round Of drudgery to one full
Of rich possibilities that call into con-
stant requisition both intelligence and
reason. A century ago agricultural
machinery was almost as primitive as
1t was one thousand years ago. Now
we have steam plows. combined har-
vesters and threshers. auto-mowers.
etc. And although they have come
into comparatively recent use. they are
changing all our national life, COM
mercial and industrial, in addition to
their direct effect upon the farmer.
All the great crops are now planted,
and all except cotton are gathered.
by machinery. The old-time plough
man has given place TO one who rioes
en- comfortable spring sent. and
who has ploughs adapted to his var
ious needs; or the modern ploughman
may even be one who plows by
steam or motor and guides a many
horse power engine across his lands.
Fertilizers, instead of being spread by
hand, may now be machine-spread and
with greater evenness and economy.
Seeds are planted by machinery, from
grain and grass to corn and beans.
Tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, celery.
ETC.. when ready for transplanting
from the cold frames, may be set out
by the plant setting machines, hand
ling each sprout tenderly, gathering
earth around it's roots and watering
it we'll The potato planter picks up
potatoes, cuts them into the desired
number of parts, separates the eyes,
removes the seed ends, and plants the
potatoes at desired distances apart,
then covering and fertilizing them and
marking off the next row.
For harvesting there are still other
products of mechanical invention to
aid the farmer in his work. For hay
harvesting. there is the mower. the
horse rake, the hay gatherer and
stacker and the hay press For wheat
and corn harvesting there is the SELF
binder and header. And occasional
Iy we even see combined harvester
and thresher which cuts the grain on
the one side and on the other drops
sacks of grain. For corn. we have
the corn binder, cutting corn and
binding it in bundles. 1t may even
be shocked. husked and threshed by
machinery, and the stalks made avail
able for fodder And then the steam
shelter will carry on the work by
shellinc one bushel of corn per min
ute. taking only one one-hundredth
of the time needed for the work by
hand.
In doing the lesser work of the
farm. improved implements and ma
chinery play no smaller part. Skim
ming pans have given way to the
cream separator, and the incubator is
outdoing the hen. Potatoes and
other bugs are now taken care OF by
spraying machines, and shearing ma
chimes take their product from the
sheen. Even the COW cannot escape
from the path Of progress In farm
machinery. for she is now being
milked by machinery.
nv means Of water power, many
farmers now generate electricity for
their use. and not only light their
houses and barns, but saw wood, cut
I'm feed for cattle. churn butter or
drive n threshlng machine by electric
mower. They may, II they WILL even
use 1t to plow their lands. Or IL
the farmer prefers to use steam pow