126 



[Assembly 



These historical memoranda are alluded to, that a fact connec- 

 ted with this country may be preserved among our farmers, as 

 interesting, at least in connection with the advance of agricultu- 

 ral mechanics. 



In the year 1650 a volume was published in London purport- 

 ing to describe the machinery used by the planters and farmers of 

 Virginia. This work was compiled by Ed. ^Yilliams, w'ho states 

 that a saw-mill was in operation, which he describes, and which 

 could be easily converted " to thrashing wheat ^ breaking of hemp 

 or flax." 



iN'o pretentions are or need be founded on this curious agricul- 

 tural and historical fact, yet it shows that thrashing wheat by ma- 

 chinery was thought of~in this country at a very early period. 



It was hoped, and the endeavor of your committee has been, 

 to test the comparative merits and excellences of the thrashing 

 machines, with a close approximation to accuracy, by comparing 

 the quantity of wheat obtained by each, from a given quantity of 

 sheaves of grain. With this view, one hundred sheaves of wheat 

 were appropriated to each competitor ; each parcel was carefully 

 weighed ; and a weighed portion being submitted to the action of 

 each machine, the following results were obtained: 



EXHIBITORS. 



Character of machine. 



CO 



> 



o 



ui 



O 



O 



Woodbury, Separator and cleaner, ! 861 



Scovill, I do I 710 



Westinghouse, jSeparator, j 954 



Jeromej | do j 489 



Hall, Separator and cleaner, [1000 



Badger, Separator, | 850 



Eddy, iThrasher only, 1080 



Pitts, ISeparator and cleaner, I 934 



Emery, jSeparator, | 840 



CO 



t> 



c3 

 o 

 .a 



en 



Cm 



O 



U 

 S 



o 



a 





100 137 

 102161^ 

 103 200 

 50' 85 

 100:192 

 1011156 

 100174 

 100194 

 102169 



o 



o 



^'3 



.a 



■ «—( 





15.9 

 22.7, 

 20.9' 

 17.4! 



19.2 



18.4: 



16.1 



20.8 



20.11 



1300 

 1700 

 1450 

 1600 

 1650 

 1600 

 1500 

 1350 

 1550 





o 



10 



5i 

 134 



8" 



8 

 174 

 10| 



O2 



lOi 



o 

 o 



.£3 



■a 



B 



o 

 o 



Cm 

 O 



6 is.* 

 8 jS. 

 2 E. C. 



1 Ie. c. 



S 0} 



o o 



o 



Cw ^ 

 ^'cm 



o "IS 



j3 OQ 



8 

 2 

 2 



IE. C. 



IS. 



8 IS. 

 2 'E. C, 



6 

 6 

 5 

 4 

 6 

 5 

 5 

 7 

 5 



If the relation between the wheat and straw had been equal in 

 the several parcels, the fifth column would have determined the 

 comparative values of the machines so far as their ability to sepa- 



In the lOth column S. means sweep principle, E. C. endless chain power. 



