118 



THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



Remarks rroxTnE Mowing Scale. — After the full remarks upon the reaping scale, it is 

 unnecessary to add much here. The plan i9 easily understood. The first four points are 

 unaltered. The 5th in reaping is divided, making the 5th and 6th, and increasing the ag- 

 gregate ten. The 7th is largely increased, because of the difficulty and importance of get- 

 ting machines that will cut without choking. The 8th is not altered, though it might, per- 

 haps, be reduced. The 9th is reduced six, because of reduction in expenses of working the 

 mower as compared with the reaper. The 10th is also reduced, for though an important 

 point, there is not the difference in mowers in the manner of leaving the grass, to make a 

 higher amount necessary to fairly compare them. Nearly all leave the grass spread per- 

 fectly. 



Scale for combined Reapers and Movers. 



300 The reaper scale. 

 212 The mower scale. 

 38 Ease of convertibility. 



"550 



Were all machines alike easily converted from reaper into mower, and vice vers&, the best 



combined machine would be that which reaches the highest aggregate in the two scales ; 



but, in consequence of varying in this respect, this other point must be added, making the 



points in a perfect combined machine reach five hundred and fifty. 



Bowen's Thrasher and Grain-Separator. 



Tqe annexed figure represents a longitudinal section of a grain-separator, for which a 

 patent was recently granted to Archibald Bowen, of Wadesville, Clark county. Virginia. The 

 nature of this improvement consists in combining two reciprocating beds — the upper perfo- 

 rated and inclined towards the foot of the machine, and the lower inclined in an opposite 

 direction, so that the grain and straw shall be received from the thrashing cylinder upon the 

 upper bed, which, while it causes it to traverse its entire length and leave the machine at it- 

 foot, permits the grain to fall through its perforations upon the lower bed, which by its incli- 

 nation and reciprocating motion, carries the grain to the chaff-separating portion of the ma- 

 chine, where by blast and screens the grain is thoroughly cleaned. 



In the engraving, A is the thrashing cylinder, rotating as shown by arrow 1, and acting on 

 the over-thrashing principle, the grain and straw entering as indicated by arrow 2; but this 

 separator is equally well adapted to the ordinary under-thra-hing machine. B is the upper 

 bed, composed of sheet metal, having the perforations a punched in it from the top; thc-e 

 perforations dimini.-h in size from b to b' '. The upper extremity of this bed is supported by 

 the bar c, which by r OM OB of twn cranks d, or eccentric-, one at each end of the l>ar. rc\ol\c- 

 ■lOU&d the shaft r, cau-ing the end of the l,ed to ri-e and fall, and reciprocate longitudinally, 

 two strap- j keeping tae bed apon the bar e as the bar revolves. This bed is jointed at g, and 

 is supported seat that joint by the long arms h of two bent levers C, placed one on each side 

 of the bed. The extremity >■' [fl Supported l>v the arni-t k of two bent lever- l». The lower 

 bed E, which i- | plain sheet of metal, inclines towards the head of the machine, and is sup- 

 ported by the arm- k of lever- [l, ., r ,iis b of levers (', and at the head by two lever- 6, one on 

 each ride 'l the bad. The arms F of the bed B are Jointed with the rods Q connecting the 

 bed E with the levers I), and through which motion is communicated to the bed i; from the 

 bed B. The levers 6, besides sustaining the head of the bed E, also support one extremity 



