FARM IMPLEMENTS. 131 



To the Committee on Blowing' and Moiving Machines of the 

 Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agriculture. 



The iindersigncd, one of said committee, presents this report 

 of an examination made by him of the machines used, and the 

 land mowed over, by the various individuals, competitors for 

 the society's premium. 



Proceeding to the Tvcstcrn counties, the subscriber first vis- 

 ited the farm of Mr. Noble, in Pittsfield. This farm was in the 

 valley of the Housatonic, and was composed in part of hill, and 

 in part of " bottom" land. 



About twenty-five acres of land had been cut over, covered 

 with clover and the English grasses. The clover field was not 

 examined, as Mr. Noble had been compelled to substitute scythe 

 for machine mowing, owing, in part, to the loose character of 

 tlie soil, and partly to the grass being badly lodged. 



The work upon the land covered with the English grass, was 

 not well done. Long, and in some spots, not narrow ridges of 

 uncut grass indicated where the driver had failed to make his 

 machine point out ; and the whole appearance of the field was 

 any thing but satisfactory. 



Mr. Noble was subjected to a trial of mowing, by the under- 

 signed, upon a piece of bottom land, of four rods by twenty, 

 where the grass was that which is natural to such lands, stand- 

 ing thick and short and being fine and somewhat difficult to 

 cut. 



The result was unsatisfactory. The machine had been stop- 

 ped a number of times, to remove the mown grass from the 

 knife-bar, upon which it had accumulated, and upon an exam- 

 ination of the land, after portions of it had been raked, it was 

 found not to have been well or closely cut. 



Li justice to Mr. Noble, it should be stated that he had never, 

 till the present season, seen a mowing machine, nor, in the 

 opinion of the undersigned, was his driver at all acquainted 

 with its proper management. The machine, although having 

 done but little work, was not in good condition, the knives, espe- 

 cially, showing hard usage, there being some broken ones upon 

 each bar. 



