FARM IMPLEMENTS. 129 



mansliip. A nut should never get unscrewed or a finger, pin, 

 or pole break, unless some great violence is done to the ma- 

 chine by the unskilfulness of the operator. Yet all these acci- 

 dents have occurred without any apparent good reason, in too 

 many cases. The remarks of the competitors upon this point 

 are well worthy the attention of the makers of mowing ma- 

 chines. 



There is another gratifying fact which has come under the 

 observation of the committee, and which they deem worthy of 

 mention, and it is this, that the better and stouter the grass, the 

 more perfect has been the working of the machine, in all re- 

 spects. This is another inducement to better cultivation, which, 

 it is to be hoped, will not be lost upon farmers. 



We come now to the delicate and difficult question, To which 

 competitor or competitors shall the prize be awarded? In 

 order to arrive at a conclusion, satisfactory to ourselves, we have 

 made an abstract of the returus, and have given to each com- 

 petitor credit for what he has done, taking time, quantity, qual- 

 ity, and economy of work into each account. We have also 

 had tlie beiiefit of Mr. Lincoln's report upon the performances 

 of each competitor, and have deduced from it, as well as we 

 could, the comparative excellence of the work done. We have 

 also been aided by the reports and the observations of county 

 societies and comnnttees. It will be borne in mind that the 

 trustees in offerjiig the prize, reserved to themselves " the right 

 of dividing it among equal claimants." This, fortunately, re- 

 lieves die committee from a very great embarrassment ; for it is 

 im}x)ssible for them to determine which, of two competitors, 

 stands the first. All other things being equal, the highest 

 number of acres cut would have settled the question, but this 

 is not the case, no two things being equal — each having a supe- 

 riority, in some points, over the otliers. They recommend, 

 therefore, that the premium of six hundred dollars be divided, 

 in equal sums, and paid to the following competitors : Marcus 

 Barrett, of Auburn ; Samuel Parsons & Sons, of Northamp- 

 ton. Accompanying the return, there have been several letters 

 and communications addressed to the committee, by competi- 

 tors and others, portions of which are annexed to this report, 

 as bearing upon points about which it was the design of the 

 trustees to procure information. 

 17* 



