The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1908-03-15
INVENTION AND THE FARM.

as follows:
Through the developing and market
ing of modern farm machinery and Inn
PIGMENTS the occupation OF agrlcul
ture has been lifted from a round OF
drudgery to one full of rich posi-
bilities that call into constant requlsr
ton both Intelligence and reason. A
century ago agricultural machinery
was almost as primitive as 1t was
1000 years ago Now we have steam
blows, combined haryesters and
thrashers, auto-mowers, etc. And al
though they have come into compare
lively recent use they are changing all
our national life, commercial and in
dustrial, in addition to their direct eff
feet upon the farmer.
All the great crops are now planted,
and all except cotton are gathered, by
machinery The old-time ploWman
has given place to one who rides on
a comfortable spring seat, and VINO
has plows adapted to his various
needs; or the modern plowman may
even be one who plows by steam or
motor and guides 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. roma
toes, cabbage, lettuce, celery, etc.,
when ready for transplanting from the
cold frames, may be set out by the
plant setting machines, handling each
sprout tenderly, gathering earth
around it's roots and watering 1t we'll.
The potato planter picks up potatoes,
cuts them into desired number OF
parts, separates the eyes, removes
the seed ends, and plants the pota-
toes 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 ana
stacker, and the hay press. For Wneat
and corn harvesting there is the sell"
binder and header. And occasionally
we even see combined harvester
and thrasher 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 bind
ing it in bundles. 1t may even be
shocked. husked and thrashed by ma
chinery, and the stalks made available
for fodder. And then the steam shell
er will carry on the work by shelling
one bushel of corn per minute, tax
ing 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. Potato and other
bugs are now taken care Of by spray
ing machines, and shearing machines
take their product from the sheep.
Even the COW cannot escape from the
path of progress in farm machinery,
for she is now being MIXED by ma
chinery.
By means of water power many
farmers now generate electricity for
their use, and not only light their
houses and barns, but saw wood,
churn butter, cut up feed for cattle,
or drive thrashing machine by elec-
trio power. They may, if they will,
even use it to pillow their lands. Or,
if the farmer prefers to use steam
power he may do with it almost
equally marvellous things.
For practically every agricultural
purpose there is now a labor-saving
machine. Farming of the future Is
destined to be a very different thing
from that of the past. Much of what
the farmer has hitherto spent in hire
of labor he will give to the purchase
of machinery. He will farm with his