296 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



attached, weighing only about 460 lbs. The price of the ma- 

 chine has also been reduced from $100 or upwards, to $75. 

 We think that in this they have made no mistake, but that the 

 reduction in weight is a great mistake. TJie difference in the 

 amount of draught required to operate a machine of 400 lbs. 

 weight and another of 700 lbs. weight, other things being equal, 

 would probably be almost imperceptible, except by very accurate 

 dynamical tests, and may it not be that the difference would 

 then be found to be in favor of the heavier machine ? Without 

 entering into any speculation upon the matter, we think that it 

 was a fact apparent to every careful observer, that this light 

 Ketchum machine actually required more power of draught, 

 when in operation, than either of the four, and that the one 

 which required the least power of draught was almost twice as 

 heavy. So light indeed was it, that with the weight of the 

 driver superadded, and driven at a rate of speed sufficient to 

 cut the grass well, — which, by the way, is a little higher than 

 that required by the other machines, — inequalities in the sur- 

 face, even slight ones, caused it to bound in such a manner as 

 to throw up the extreme end of the finger-bar several inches 

 above its true cutting level, leaving the stubble uneven and 

 wavy. 



Allen's machine required less power of draught than the 

 Ketchum machine. Its weight, with pole and whippletrees, is 

 about 600 lbs. No machine that we have seen is so readily 

 thrown in and out of gear as is this. It has a wooden, instead 

 of an iron finger-bar. In our opinion an iron finger-bar is 

 preferable. The weather cannot affect it, as of necessity it must 

 a wooden one, and the grass which falls upon it leaves it a little 

 more readily. Outside of the driving wheel is a light wheel 

 which runs on a spring axle, and is claimed to be advantageous 

 in turning and in working the machine upon a side hill. 



The Manny machine also requires less power of draught than 

 did the Ketchum machine. In this respect, the difierence 

 between it and the Allen machine was almost imperceptible. 

 It has a wheel at the end of the knife-bar, which greatly assists 

 in turning and backing, and makes it much more comfortable 

 to transport from one field to another. We think that, other 

 things being equal, a machine with a wheel at the end of the 

 finger-bar has an advantage over a machine without it. Although 



