146 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



mowed, under this entry, upon the farms of Deacon Chapin 

 and H. Bancroft, of Auburn, Elias Hall, of Millbury, and Lewis 

 Bigelow, of Worcester, amounting, in the whole, to some 

 twenty-five acres. Second crop clover had only been cut upon 

 the farms of Messrs. Chapin and Bigelow. These lands were 

 slightly rolling, the surface generally smooth, and presented no 

 greater obstacles to the fair and uninterrupted operation of the 

 machine than had usually been found. As a whole, there was 

 a want of skill observable in the management of the team. 

 There was an evident want of " pointing out ;" otherwise no 

 fault was observable. 



The lands of Messrs. Bancroft and Hall were more hilly and 

 uneven, and the latter, especially, much obstructed by fixed 

 rocks. 



The land showed plainly that the operator had raised his 

 knife-bar over the rocks which were met in his swath, suffering 

 it to fall to the ground after the obstruction had been passed. 

 Of course, there were patches of greater or less extent, of un- 

 cut or partially cut grass, scattered over the fields, betraying 

 the number always, but not always the extent of the obstruc- 

 tions. 



The committee will at once see that where the knife-bar is 

 raised over a rock of small superficial extent, a portion of 

 grass, extending the whole width of the knife, from the point at 

 which it is raised to that at which it again touches the ground, 

 is uncut. Hence the field does not present so smooth and 

 agreeable an appearance to the eye as would otherwise be the 

 case. 



The question of the economy of such mowing, of course, 

 arises, in this particular case, when the condition of the ma- 

 diine is taken into account, not difficult of solution. 



It was unfortunate for this competitor that he entered at so 

 late a period into the trial ; as the fields most favorable to the 

 operation of a machine had already been cut over. 



In the opinion of the subscriber, the work of Mr. Emerson 

 gives evidence of more zeal than good judgment. No one 

 €Ould advise another to put into use machinery of any kind, 

 upon land so rough as was most of the land mowed by Mr. 

 Emerson on Mr. Hall's farm ; and the competitor deserves praise 



