158 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



The lots of grass enumerated in the above schedule, varied 

 from one-half ton to three tons per acre, — average one and a 

 quarter tons or more. 



The horses weighed, August 23d, 2,594 lbs. They had at no 

 time, while mowing the above, more than six quarts of grain 

 per day, which was Indian meal. They performed more other 

 labor on the farm, such as ploughing, carting manure, rocks, 

 &c., than that of mowing the above. All breakages and acci- 

 dents were caused by rocks that could not be seen ; and it is 

 surprising there were no more, as on several fields I ran the 

 machine against from ten to twenty heaps of small stones or fast 

 rocks, in size sufficient to stop the horses, without breaking or 

 injuring the machine, except sometimes gaping or dulling the 

 cutters. 



Early in the season I concluded to compete for the State and 

 county premiums offered for mowing by horse power, and ob- 

 tained three different mowing machines, viz : Manny's, Ketch- 

 urn's and Russell's. After mowing, at several different times, 

 about six acres with each machine, I concluded to use the 

 Manny machine, and return the two others. The Russell ma- 

 chine drew hard, and did not cut the grass as well as either of 

 the others, and appeared to be more likely to get out of repair, 

 as has since proved to be the case. The Ketchum, in my opin- 

 ion, requires at least one-fourth more power to cut the same 

 grass than the Manny machine. In lodged clover the Ketchum 

 does the best work, owing to the iron finger-bar, which allows 

 the clover, when it is badly snarled and twisted together, to 

 free itself without stopping the horses, as is sometimes neces- 

 sary with the Manny. But in cutting redtop and herds-grass, 

 yielding from one to three tons per acre, whether it be lodged 

 or standing, the Manny does full as good work, and much the 

 best in all grass yielding less than one ton per acre. 



Taking into the account the power required to work the two 

 machines, and the fact that the Manny machine can be trans- 

 ported on its own wheels as easily from field to field, or on the 

 common roads, as a horse wagon — which I have had occasion 

 to do several times the past season, from one to four miles a 

 day, without injuring it in the Icast-^I think it a great improve- 

 ment over any machine which I have seen, especially if a man 

 has to cut grass on several farms, as I have done the past sea- 



