FARM IMPLEMENTS. 133 



Various machines, in the charge of other individuals, were 

 in use upon the "meadows," but the work done by these gen- 

 tlemen was not of so good character as that of Mr. Parsons. 



An exception, however, sliould be made in favor of a lot of 

 land mowed by a young lad named Henry Graves, to the very 

 great excellence of whose work I am glad to have opportunity 

 of bearing testimony. 



Mr. John A. Morton, of Hadley, upon being visited, announced 

 his determination to withdraw from the competition. 



Mr. Levi Stockbridge was found on his farm, in North Had- 

 ley. Possessed of the requisite determination, he gratified the 

 undersigned by complying with his request to attach his horses 

 to his machine and exhibit its powers in working, in the midst 

 of a soaking rain. The ground chosen for trial was slightly 

 rolling, with a smooth surftice, bearing a burden of fine grass, 

 thick set, but of short growth. Notwithstanding the grass was 

 perfectly saturated with water, Mr. Stockbridge cut his lot of 

 one-half of an acre- well and smoothly in twenty-five miuntes. 

 The machine was stopped but once during tlie trial, and that 

 in consequence of having cut through a mound of loose earth. 

 This trial was harder than any other competitor had been or 

 was subsequently subjected to, and tends, in a great degree, to 

 disprove the oft-repeated assertion that mowhig machines can 

 run only in perfectly dry grass. 



Mr. Stockbridge's horses weighed about 1,800 lbs., and drew 

 his machine, cutting four feet, with apparent ease. 



About forty acres of land had been mowed, some bearing the 

 coarse, tall, stiff rye, and others finer grasses, natural to the 

 Connecticut bottom, and other parts covered with the clover 

 and herds-grass incident to land subject to the plough. Upon 

 a second visit, upon the 23d of August, an examination was 

 made of otlicr lands mowed by Mr. Stockbridge. 



One field, containuig, in the judgment of Mr. Strockbridge, 

 some twenty-five acres, about eighteen of which, as was thoiight, 

 had been mowed by the machine, gave evidence of tlie power of 

 the machine, and of the skill, and patience, and perseverance 

 of this competitor. The surface of the land was very broken, 

 and dotted, in some places closely, w^ith stumps. The swaths 

 ran from the gravelly knolls to the spongy meadow, covered 

 with water, and the limber yet wiry, fine grass, of half-swarded 



