AGRICULTURAL MECHANICS AND RURAL ECONOMY. Ill 



Forbush's machine, sold by Griffing & Brothers, New York City. 



Manny's mower, with Adriance's improvement, manufactured at Worcester, Massachusetts. 



Manny's mower, sold by L. C. Ball, of Hoosick Falls, New York. 



Hallenbeck's machine, manufactured at Albany, New York. 



Allen's machine, of New York City. 



Ketchum's machine, manufactured by T. and S. Hull, of Poughkeepsie, New York. 



Ketchum's one-horse mower, manufactured by Ruggles, Nourse & Mason, Massachusetts ; 

 sold by R. L. Allen, of New York City. 



The following is the official report of the judges. From the exhibition of the machines 

 enumerated, they confidently say that any one of them will give good satisfaction to the 

 farmers of the country ; but as each and all possess peculiar excellencies, we will specify 

 them under the following heads : — 



1. Operation of the machines on fair ground, driven at first by the same driver and team, 

 and afterwards by the exhibitors themselves or under their direction. 



On this point, your committee find that the machines of Ketchum, Hallenbeck, Manny, 

 and Allen are of equal excellence. 



2. The lowest and smoothest cut of each machine. 



Your committee are of opinion that upon this point there is no marked difference in the 

 four machines just mentioned. 



3. Trial on rough, uncleared bottom. 



Your committee, on this point, give the preference to Allen's and Russel's machines. 



4. Evenness of grass as left by the machine for curing. 



We find that the machines with the iron cutter bar have the preference in this respect. 



5. Freedom of knives from clogging. 



We are of opin^pn that the machines of Ketchum, Manny, Hallenbeck, and Russel, on 

 account of the finger-caps not reaching back to the finger-board, are least likely to clog. 



6. Amount of power required to perform a given amount of work. 



Your committee think there is but little difference in this respect between the machines 

 of Hallenbeck, Manny, and Allen. 



7. Facilities of transportation from one field to another, and for escaping obstructions in 

 the field. 



We believe that Manny's machine has advantages over any other in this respect. 



8. Durability and simplicity of construction. 



We believe Ketchum's and Allen's the most durable, and Hallenbeck's the most simply 

 constructed machines exhibited. 



9. Cost of machines : — 



Manny's, made by Adriance $120 



Manny's, made by Ball 115 



Russel's 125 



Allen's 120 



Ketchum's 120 



Your committee, in this report, have included, under the term of Ketchum's machine, 

 that of Hull and the one-horse mower manufactured by Ruggles, Nourse & Mason ; and 

 also where Manny's is spoken of, they mean to include the machine manufactured by 

 Adriance, of Worcester, Massachusetts, and by Ball, of Hoosick Falls, New York. 



The committee of the Munroe County (New York) Agricultural Society, appointed to re- 

 port on the trial of mowing machines, instituted at Rochester, June 27, were united in the 

 opinion that, of the eight machines exhibited, the Ketchum machine, and the Manny with 

 Wood's improvement, were the best on the ground, but were divided in opinion as to which 

 of these two was the best; but a majority finally decided in favor of the former, believing 

 that that machine cut the closest in the ground, while the latter was the easiest for the 

 team and for adjustment over uneven and stony surfaces. The side draught was also light, 

 while in the former machine it was quite heavy. 



The first premium the committee award to the Ketchum machine, and the second premium 

 to Manny's machine with Wood's improvement. 



The third premium is awarded to Wheeler's machine, of Cayuga county. This machine 



Ketchum's, made by Hull $120 



Hallenbeck's 106 



Forbush's 120 



Ketchum's one-horse machines 95 



