SECRETARY'S REPORT. 199 



up thinly and the air should be allowed to circulate through it. 

 After being well dried it is taken down and stowed away in the 

 barn for use. This metliod avoids the trouble of stocking and 

 the liability to injury from rains and dews, which blacken 

 the stalks, though it requires considerable room, and is, of 

 course, attended with some additional labor. 



THE HORSERAKE. 



This implement has come into universal use, and no farmer 

 of any extent would be without one. It met with great oppo- 

 sition and encountered great ridicule on its first introduction, 

 but has survived it all and become indispensable in all thrifty 

 and economical farming. I shall do no more than give the 

 authority of practical farmers in answer to the thirteenth ques- 

 tion of the circular, " Have you used a horserake, if so, what 

 patent, and with what advantage ?" 



To this, an experienced farmer of Middlesex thus replies: "I 

 have used various horserakes for fifteen years. Much labor is 

 saved by the use of any kind of horserake that has been 

 introduced within that time. 



. " Horserakes are on a footing different from mowing machines. 

 Grass may be cut in the morning, in the evening, or in a cloudy 

 day. But hay must be raked at the very right time, or it may 

 be entirely spoiled. It is, therefore, quite important to do work 

 quick when the time for doing it comes. With a good rake a 

 man and horse will gather more hay in half an hour than a 

 laborer with a handrake usually gathers in a long afternoon 

 — that is, one acre ; this is considered a half day's raking by 

 handrake. 



" The independent rake operates quite well. The old revolv- 

 ing rake (Fig. 105) costs about the same. 



" The spring-tooth rake is patented, as I am informed. One 

 objection to this is, that the wire teeth scratch up too much 

 earth. This is seen in Fig. 106. 



" Buckminster's patent was obtained about sixteen years 

 ago. His rake is quite simple in form and will gather more hay 

 than either of the other kinds, in an hour. But the operator 

 must walk, and a boy is wanted on the horse. The price is 



