No. 11 2. J 97 



of resistance ; relieving us also from an excessive demand upon 

 the physical energies. 



THE TRIAL GROUNDS. 



The grounds ^elected for the trials, were favorably situated 

 about one mile from the beautiful village of Geneva, on the estate 

 of Mr. Horace L. Bennett. The meadow appropriated to the 

 several mowing machines, presented a gently sloping surface, the 

 most elevated portion having a gravelly surface soil with many 

 loose cobble stones ; the lower part of the field exhibited a loose 

 vegetable black mold, rough and uneven, as if poached bj fee&- 



ing herdcj. i^* 



« 

 The grass was thin and wiry, consisting of red top, fiorin,* 



and timothy, varying from eighteen inches to two feet in height j 



aquatic grasses occupied much of the lower ground. 



This field was accurately surveyed and laid out in pai'allelo- 

 grams, each containing an area of two acres ; each area was marked 

 by stakes numbered consecutively from 1 to 10. i 



A meadow on the farm of Mr. Sherman was also selected as ha- 

 ving a growth of heavy grass, on which to test the power of the 

 mowing machines^ this field was covered chiefly with timothy 

 grass, with a tliiek bottom herbage springing from a vegetable mold; 

 the lower portion of the meadow was naturally wet, sending up 

 a growth of water grasses from a bog siu'face ; the sedges were 

 about iijur feet long, the red top rose to three feet, the timothy 

 measured three feet six inches in length, and the water meadow 

 grass was as long as the timothy. Much of the grass on this 

 field was lodged and tangled. Both 'meadows would have se- 

 verely tasked the eilurts of the most experienced mowers, and 

 the temper of tlie most appoved scythe ; they afforded therefore 

 a good test for the power and capacity of machines for mowing. 



The wheat field, comprising about ^tiurty acres, presented an 

 undulating surface, with a water course or deep furrow through 

 portiuris of it ; a few trees and stumps, with here and there a 

 boulder otiered occasional inii^ediments, and the whole field pre- 



• Sometimc8 calkd foul meadov). 

 [Ag. Tr. '53 ] «. 



