178 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



expense of mowing and spreading by hand, together with the 

 advantage derived from being able to cut all I wibh to after the 

 dew is oif, one dollar per ton." An experienced farmer of 

 Norfolk county says: "I have used Allen's patent, moved by 

 horse-power, with great advantage. Horses move slowly, as in 

 ploughing — are less fiitigued than by ploughing all day. I have 

 mowed twelve acres per day, and can mow easily and smoothly 

 any grass, even heavy and lodged clover, and on any surface 

 where a scythe can be used. I regard it as of great use, saving 

 much time and hard labor. It cuts clean and smooth, spreads 

 the grass evenly, and requires only the labor of one man in the 

 largest field, until the grass needs to be turned or raked up." 

 Another in Hampshire coiinty says : " We have used a mowing 

 machine for the four last seasons, of Ketchum's patent. There 

 are ten others of the same patent, and three of other kinds in town, 

 all of Avhich are in active use. They are all worked with horses, 

 two on each. As to the advantage gained by the use of the 

 mowing machine, I hardly know what to say or how to reckon 

 it. There are a number of points to be considered, some of 

 which would be called an advantage by some, which with others 

 might not be so considered. But, the gain in cutting the grass 

 must be apparent to all who have land smooth enough to work 

 a machine on ; and in this connection it may be best to speak 

 of the horse-rake with the mower, as one naturally follows the 

 other. Our way of getting hay when the weather is good, is 

 tliis : To cut and rake it into the windrow the first day. The 

 next, open and turn it, if necessary, then rake it and cart it. 



Now one man with a machine and horses, in the forenoon, 

 and one horse and rake three hours after dinner, can put five or 

 six acres of grass into the windrow every day if he cliooses, 

 which is as much as ordinary farmers in this vicinity wish to 

 do, as our hay has to be carted from one to two miles, and that 

 takes time. How many men will it take to do the same work ? 

 Any one can answer this to his own satisfaction, and as labor 

 differs in price in almost every section of the State, the actual 

 cost would vary somewhat. But here it would take from five 

 to ten men to do the same work, varying as the burden of grass 

 does per acre ; for in lodged grass ten would hardly do. 



"Then the advantage of having it done in good weather and 

 cutting the grass when he chooses, whether in blossom or after 



