The Detroit times., 1910-11-19

nnally decided adverse TO them. Thee
came the chilled pillow with its revers
BILE and slip shares. To- be followed b.
the suky pillow, made i'm Chicago
1900. The disc harrow WAS patenteA
In lS47, and the spring-tooth harrow n
1863, by David l. Carver, OF Mlchigad
Eliakim Spooner received the nrsI
American patent on seeder. and thl
modern grain-drill began TO assuml
its present form about iS41 Sinct
spooheTs patent vas issued, theri
nave been approximately ten thousand
granted on seeders OF one kind and
another Some $4,000 patents Cd
plows, 5000 on harrows and diggersI
$4,000 ON harvesting machinery, and
5000 on threshing machinery tell I'M
story or American ingenuity az arr
piled TO the needs OF the farmer. OIL
Will be seen from this that the plowI
the seeder and the harvester are thA
fayorite themes of the inventor. WITT
the seeder far behind the pillow and
the harvester.
The modern binder was a long time
In coming The first patent issued
for reaping machine was granted Id
England In 1899, but II was an inn
practical affair Other patents fc
lowed, and In 1922. Henry Ogle, aIl
English schoolmaster. brought out u
reaper which had some OF the chara,
teristics OF the oldfashioned hand
rake dropper. II Is generally concedI
ed that the. English are entitled TO tn.
crdit for perfecting the self-rakd
reaper But the vital principle OF thd
modern harvester. the cutter.b bar WITH
the reciprocating sickle, is the pfc|
duct of American genius, and thu
partisans OF Mccormick and Obsd
Husscy claim for each OF them thd
honor OF the idea. The patent re
ords show that Hussey got the frsI
patent on the principle. his patcnI
having been issued In December. 1881
while Mccormick was issued ST
months later But the records OF thd
time show that Mccormick had heed
using his machine ana perfecting Il
some two or three years before Hus|
sey's patent was Issued
The world generally has conceded
to Mccormick the honor OF inventlntl
the modern harvester. and he seemI
tn have far better claim to il thai|
Fulton has To the invention Of thd
steamboat With Jefferson makiud
the FIRST scientific mouldboard to 4
pillow. Rumsey pioneering with thd
steamboat, and Mccormick peTfeCtin; \
the harvester. early Virginia was I'D
we'll represented in the field OF invenl
ton as IL was in war and statecraftl
manageable patents followed McCorl
mick's and after 1850 the lf.binderl
using twine for binding, became thd
principal aim OF the inventors. The
problem continued 10 grow one steI
nearer to solution with each patent
until Appleby appeared with a device
which has since been adopted by ali
/ underwriters. W. II. Payne FIRST
brought out the bundle carrier, anc
many a small boy on the farm WIND
used 10 gather sheaves" has offered
up his prayer OF Thanksgiving II
Payne. Now the self-shocker is be
ing developed and IL is probable that
soon two men will be doing the work
formerly done by FIVE.
The story OF the mower Is nearIy
as long as that OF the binder. but likd
the binder, the American type OF
mower Is acknowledged by the whole
world TO be superior 20 that of ann
other country. 1t is said that th<eeI
fourths OF the worlds farming ma!
chinery is modelled after the AmeriI
can designs. and this includes thd
mower. The buggy rake, hay teddeI
and the hay fork are all American I'M
ventions. The threshlng machine Il
of Scotch origin. but it's principal Inn
proyement Is due 10 American inI
ventors. Corn harvesters are. OF
course. OF American origin, the first
one being a sled with oblique knivesl
which was dragged between two corn
rows by a horse. Two men stood on
the sled and gathered the corn as they
passed.
No invention in American history
has affected the destinies of the na.
tion so completely as the cotton gin
IL probably holds the distinction OF
being the only invention that ever
brought or great war. When Whit
ney invented the gin. he gave an in
creased value to the labor OF the
Negro slave. The outcome was thar
the north and south split on the slave
issue. and fought the greatest war OF
modern times. II may be possible
mat II would have been an "irrep-es.
sible conflict" IL the cotton gin had
not been invented, but many students
Vt history think not.
And what Of the future OF the Amer
lean farmer in the matter OF inven.
tons? II Is predicted by the big i'm.
pement makers that there will bc
wonderful progress in the next score
OF years. II long has been realized
that the gasoline engine, the petrol
tractor. and like machinery, make for
wonderful economy in farm Affairs
But the farmer is q conservative fell
low. He would much rather feed a
horse a bushel OF corn than 10 spend
the Price OF that bushel OF corn for
gasoline or other form OF power. But
the latest denatured alcohol Is admir-.
ably suited for the farm, and the
farmer now can raise his own motive
power as well as he can raise horses
Potatoes are about the easiest thing
10 raise. and they make large guam
titles of alcohol suited 10 tractor pur.
poses. 4 still has been introduced
which will permit the farmer TO make
his own alcohol.
VIII this presage the passing Of The
horse? II was said that the cable
AMI the electric car sounded his death.
knoll. but there were more horses in
the United States afterward than he.
fore. Then II was thought the auto.
mobile spelled his doom, but he IL
today greater I'm number and value
than i'm the day when the automobile