No 112.] 125 



In the construction of Cultivators, a defect was observable in 

 several, which doubtless was noticed by agricultural mechanics ; 

 we allude to portions of surface soil in the track of^the imple- 

 roents not stirred ; the edges of the cutting tooth made a concave 

 excavation, leaving ridges between the concaves, reaching nearly 

 to the surface. This defect was confined to a tew only of the Cul- 

 tivators presented for trial. 



THRASHING MACHINES. 



The early history of Agricutural Mechanics as applicable to 

 the separation of the grain from the straw, has even now become 

 a matter of speculative doubt and inquiry. Looking to southern 

 Europe, it seems strange that science has not more decisively 

 overthrown the system of thrashing by treading out the grain 

 from the ear by the feet of cattle ; this seems more strange when 

 we know- that, before or at the Christian era, thrashing was done 

 not only by treading, or by the flail ; it was also performed by 

 subjecting the sheaves of grain to -' a sharp threshing instrument 

 having teeth^^^* which was something resembling a cart drawn over 

 the grain by horses or oxen. - 



In northern Europe, where the arts and sciences have made 

 great advances, we find even at this day, the early systems of 

 thrashing, as practiced by the ancient Arabs, Syrians and Egyp- 

 tians. 



In this country, the feet of cattle and the flail gave way to well 

 constructed and effective machines about twenty years ago. Since 

 their introduction they have been steadily and quietly superce- 

 ding the use of the flail, expelling its musical notes or exchanging 

 them fur the hum of the rapid-moving and toothed cylinder. 



We see from the quotation above given that a toothed instru- 

 ment was used for thra>hing, two thousand years ago ; and it is 

 claimed that the first thrashing machine of Great Britain wag 

 patented by Michael Menzies of East Lothian in 1732. This 

 seems to have been tlie germ of modern thrashing machines, for 

 it was not until the year 1780 that a successfbil thrishing machine 

 was invented. 



•Isaiah, 41; 15. 



