The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-19

VI pdtent-rlgnt litigation which wa
finally decided adverse TO them. TheI
came the chilled pillow with its reversi
Die and slip shares. TO be followed bl
the suky pillow, made in Chicago ii
1900. The disc harrow was patented
In lS47, and the spring.tooth harrow Il
1863, by David l. Carver, OF Michigan
Eliaklm Spooner received the frs
American patent on a seeder. and th(
modern grain-drill began To assumi
lts present form about lS4l. Sinc(
Spooners patent was issued, there
have been approximately ten THOUSAND
granted on seeders OF one kind and
another. Some $4,000 patents cd
plows, 5000 on harrows and diRgerj
$4,000 on harvesting machinery, and
5000 on threshing machinery tell Ihi
story OF American ingenuity as all
piled 10 the needs OF the farmer. II
Will be seen from this that the ploWl
the seeder and the harvester are th(
favorite themes of the inventor. With
the seeder far behind the pillow and
the harvester.
The modern binder was a long tim(
In coming The first patent ISSUED
for a reaping machine was granted ID
England in 1899, but II was an ind
practical affair. other patents fol
lowed, and In 1922. Henry Ogle, I'd
English schoolmaster brought out 1
reaper which had some of the charad
teristics OF the od-fashioned hand
rake dropper. II is generally conced
ed that the English are entitled TO thi
crdit for perfecting the self-raki
reaper. But the vital principle OF thi
modern harvester. the cutter-bar will
the reciprocating sickle. Is the prd
Duct OF American genius, and thi
partisans OF Mccormick and Obei
Hussey claim for each of them thi
honor OF the idea. The patent red
ords show that Hussey got the hrsI
patent on the principle, his patenI
having been issued in December. 1884
while McCormick's was issued sit
months later But the records of thi
time show that Mccormick had beet
using his machine ana perfecting Il
some two or three years before Hud
sey's patent was Issued.
The world generally has conceded
to Mccormick the honor Of inventinI
the modern harvester. and he seeml
to have a far better claim to II thai
Fulton has TO the invention of thu
steamboat With Jefferson mallinI
the first scientific mouldboard to
pillow. Rumsey pioneering with thu
steamboat, and Mccormick perfectin
the harvester, early Virginia was nj
well represented in the field OF inveIl
ton as II was in war and statecraf(
| Innumerable patents followed McCod
micks. and after 1850 the selfbindel
using Irvine for binding, became TIL
| principal aim OF the inventors. Thl
problem continued 10 grow one steI
nearer TO solution with each patent
until Appleby appeared with a devicI
which has since been adopted by nI
underwriters. w. H. Payne frs
! brought out the bundle carrier, AM
many a small boy on the farm wnI
used 10 gather sheaves" has offere'
mp his prayer OF thanksgiving q
Payne. Now the self-shocker is be
ing developed and it is probable tha
soon two men will be doing the worl
formerly done by five.
The story of the mower Is nearl!
as long a. that OF the binder. but likI
the binder, the American type o
mower is Acknowledged by the who'll
world TO be superior 10 that OF AM
other country. II is said that three
| fourths OF the worlds farming ma
chinery is modelled after the Ameri
can designs, and this includes th'
mower. The buggy rake, hay teddei
and the hay fork are all American in
ventions. The threshing machine Il
of Scotch origin. but it's principal i'm
provement is due 20 American in
ventors. Corn harvesters are, o
course, OF American origin. the frs
one being a sled with oblique knives
which was dragged between two corr
rows by a horse. Two men stood OF
the sled and gathered the corn as the.
passed.
No invention in American histor.
has affected the destinies OF the ma
ton so completely as the cotton gin
II probably holds the distinction o
being the only invention that eve
brought OF a great war. When Whit
ney invented the gin. he gave an in
creased value TO the labor of thI
Negro slave. The outcome was tina
the north and south split on the slav'
issue, and fought the greatest war o
modern times. II may be possible
that Il would have been all "irrep-es
sible conflict" If the cotton gin hat
not been Invented, but many STUDENT
of history think not
And what OF the future OF the Amer
lean farmer in the matter OF ipveu
tions? II is predicted by the big i'm
plement makers that there will b'
wonderful progress I'm the next scor
OF years II long has been rcalize'
that the gasoline engine, the petro
tractor, and like machinery, make 10
wonderful economy in farm affairs
But the farmer Is a conservative fel
low. He would much rather feed
horse a bushe OF corn than to spen,
the price OF that bushel OF corn TO
gasoline or other form OF power. Blu
the latest denatured alcohol is admir-
ably suited for the farm, and TIL
farmer now can raise his own motiv'
power as we'll as he can raise horses
Potatoes are about the easiest thinI
to raise, and they make large guam
titles of alcohol suited TO tractor pur
poses. A still has been introduce,
which will permit the farmer to max,
his own alcohol.
Will this presage the passing OF IN,
horse? II was said that the cabl
and the electric car sounded his death
knell, but there we're more horses II
the United States afterward than be
fore. Then IL was thought the auto
mobile spelled his doom. but he 4
today greater in number and valu