422 BOARD OP AGRICULTURE. 



Agricultural Implements. 



During the past year two new mowing- machines have been 

 placed upon the farm, chiefl3'' at the expense of the manufacturers, 

 vizr'the Ch"pper and the Young Warrior. These were quite care- 

 fully compared with our No. 1 Buckeye, purchased four years ago. 

 We had no means of determining the exact amount of draft re- 

 quired by each machine, and as the Young Warrior cut only four 

 feet two inches, its draft could not be well compared with our 

 larger machines. These machines were all used by three men of 

 experience and good judgment, who had used almost all the mow- 

 ing machines in the market. These men preferred the Clipper to 

 our Buckeye. They thought that the Clipper, with a cutter-bar 

 five feet long, was easier for the team than the four feet eight inch 

 Buckeye. The cutter-bar of the Clipper, sliding upon a shoe, 

 moved over the inequalities of the surface much more steadily than 

 those of the Buckeye and Young Warrior resting upon a small 

 wheel. Whether in very thick and tangled grass the shoe would 

 clog worse than a wheel we cannot tell, as we had but little such 

 grass to try them in. Where there was a yield of a ton and a half 

 to the acre the Clipper worked finely. A special advantage that 

 the Clipper has over the other two, is in the attachment by which 

 the driver can at will, while the machine is in motion, raise or lower 

 the guards of the cutter-bar. lie may let them drop down to a 

 horizontal position, or bring them up to quite an angle with the 

 surface, and enable the cutter-bar to slide easily over any sods or 

 other similar obstructions. This advantage was very apparent 

 while mowing a piece of ground top-dressed last spring with 

 manure poorly pulverized. 



In the Young Warrior the guards are only 2| inches apart, and 

 the sections are the same width, while the guards of the Buckeye 

 are 3| inches apart. . 



The Young Warrior cuts more evenly than it is possible from 

 their very construction for either of the other machines to cut. 

 Greater simplicity and strength, and lighter draft are claimed for 

 it. Each machine, however, did its work well, and that macliine is 

 sure to be liked best in the end which is most durable and has the 

 lightest draft. Our mowers all went into the fi9ld prejudiced in 

 favor of tlic Clipper and against the Young Warrior. After a 

 thorough trial the answer of one of them in reply to the question 

 which he liked best, was, "I like both best." The largo light- 



