136 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



surface was somewhat smoother than that of Mr. Barrett and 

 equal to that of Mr. Bigelow. 



The operation of Mr. Hovey's machine, cutting four feet 

 and eight inches, was witnessed from a distance, and the land 

 mowed suhsequently passed over and examined. The land 

 was not favorable to the operation of the machine, and the 

 work did not come up to the standard of the other mowing of 

 this competitor. The day was close, and the horses showed 

 marks of having been pressed beyond their natural walk. Mr. 

 Hovey wasnot subjected to a trial, because, in the knowledge of 

 the undersigned, he had already been subjected to an exhibition 

 of his skill by the county committee. 



As a whole, the work of Mr. Hovey was well done, though it 

 seemed to thQ undersigned as if, in places, there had been too 

 much attention given to the speed at which the work should 

 be accomplished. 



In a pouring rain, on the afternoon of this day, Mr. George 

 C. Davis, of Northboro', was visited. Like a good farmer, as he 

 is, Mr. Davis was found in person getting in his hay, Mr. 

 Davis had completed his mowing, and the undersigned had no 

 opportunity of seeing the machine at work under the manage- 

 ment of this gentleman. 



Such examination of the fields of Mr. Davis as a driving 

 rain of three hours would permit, was made. Most of the 

 land cut over was the smooth land of the plains, having a fair 

 burden of grass, and offering no obstacle to the uninterrupted 

 progress of a good mowing machine. As a whole, there was a 

 manifest superiority over hand work, yet, considering the advan- 

 tage Mv. Davis enjoyed in the smoother surface of his fields, 

 his work was not so good as that done by some other competi- 

 tors. 



On the 27th day of July, the farm of Mr. Buckley Moore, in 

 Framingham, was visited. Mr. Moore had cut, and well cut 

 about forty acres of his own land and that of his neighbors. 

 The land was light, slightly undulating, bearing a moderate 

 burden of what is called old field, where redtop is the grass 

 predominating. In the trial to which Mr. Moore was subjected, 

 the plat of one-half an acre of land, smooth surface, bearing a 

 light burden of fine grass, was well cut in twenty-six minutes. 

 Ths length of the knife to the machine of Mr. Moore was four 



