THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



399 



terior, whether of the Cape colony or Australia, in cost 

 much beyond tlic means of many a settler, who, 

 moreover, when he ^^cts them damaged or worn, may 

 have at command neither tlie means nor knowledge to 

 replace parts or put them together again. Hence it fol- 

 lows, th;it our American brethren, taking many an idea 

 from us, often simplify it, by turning out some rough 

 and ready, cheap, but strong contrivance, more adapted 

 to the wants of the poorer settlers, or the farmers who 

 cultivate rudely and readily on a large scale. An ex- 

 emplification of these remarks was afforded in a paper 

 recently read at the Society of Arts, by Dr. Eddy, giv- 

 ing an account of the American implements and econo- 

 mic contrivances which came under his notice in a 

 tour in the United States. While by no means agree- 

 ing in all that was advanced by Dr. Eddy, there was 

 much in his paper well deserving of notice, and of 

 more extended circulation than the limited audience to 

 which it was addressed. lie justly observed, at the 

 outset, that " the faculties of the Anglo-Saxon race 

 have been developed in each hemisphere, just as the 

 varying exiixencies of their situation have called them 

 forth. John Bull, having but a small estate for the 

 maintenance of his numerous family, which is crowded 

 in the ratio of 223 to the square mile, has applied all 

 his powers to renJering this little property as produc- 

 tive as possible. Hence the great improvemenis in ag- 

 riculture, in the rearing of stock, and increasing the 

 productiveness of land, as well as a majority of the 

 great inventions in the manufacture of raw materials 

 are his. The Yankee, on the other hand, having a 

 vast wilderness to subdue, to which his race even now 

 bears a proportion of only eight to the square mile, 

 lias directed his energies to the means whereby man's 

 feeble physical powers may be rendered equal to so 

 great a task, and herein has shown an originality of 

 conception, a fertility of invention, and a boldness of 

 enterprise truly surprising." 



There can be no doubt that most persons would be 

 struck by the ingenuity of many of the American im- 

 jilements, their simplicity of construction, and cheap- 

 ness, when compared with corresponding ones amongst 

 ourselves, and the ready and effective ways for overcom- 

 ing difficulties and aiming at results which we should 

 only suppose attainable by more elaborate and costly 

 methods. Dr. Eddy thinks that Englishmen, whether 

 agriculturists, mechanics, or engineers, are not as 

 familiar as they should be with the methods by which 

 labour may be saved and is saved elsewhere ; and this 

 is a species of knowledge which either of these classes, 

 or indeed any of us, may find very serviceable in case 

 we transfer our industry from the crowded arena of 

 England, where labourers are plentiful, and the divi- 

 sion of labour is carried to its utmost extent, to the 

 outlying and thinly-peopled j)arts of our vast em- 

 pire, the circumstances and conditions of which 

 closely resemble those of America; for it will be 

 acknowledged that many of those happy contrivances 

 and ways of meeting ordinary wants practised in 

 America, though they may be but little suited to the 

 highly artificial condition of England, would bo likely 



to bo found very useful in the untamed wilds of our 

 colonies. 



And now letus glance at some few of the instances cited 

 by Dr.Eddy. Tirstly he uicntious the backwoodsman's 

 felling axe, which costs in America but a dollar, whilst 

 "one certainly not better made, nor of better mate- 

 rials, would be charged here Oa." In reply to this, we 

 can but state that our edge-tools are pretty well known, 

 far and near, over the world ; and, although the ex- 

 port trade returns are so mixed up that it is difficult to 

 separate them, the shipments of hardwares and cutlery 

 have gone on increasing year by year, and the United 

 States, oven with oppressive tariffs, takes £150,000 on 

 the average annually. American edge-tools certainly 

 have not competed very successfully with British in 

 the markets of India and the East, the Cape and 

 Australia. Nor does our experience accord with the 

 statement put forth that an inferior and cheap kind of 

 tool is made here for the market, in which the essential 

 qualities arc apt to be sacrificed. The Bi'itish colo- 

 nists and farmers arc, in this respect, quite as shrewd as 

 the Yankee, in ascertaining the value of a tool or an im- 

 plement, andin finding out the difference between a good 

 and a bad one. British maimfacturers have established 

 for themselves a reputation, and like to sustain the 

 credit of their name and an extension of their business by 

 the sale of a good article; and the law recently passed 

 for the protection of trade marks will, we have no 

 doubt, further assist them, and prevent infringement 

 and fraud, which has been practised by the unprincipled 

 here and elsewhere. 



That the British plough-makers, of any repute, can- 

 not compote in price with tlio American article, may 

 bo quite true ; but the superior workmanship and 

 durability of British ploughs will more than compen- 

 sate for the difference in price. An instance was given 

 by !\Ir. \Y. Hawes, one of the speakers at the meeting, 

 who stated that a few years back Mr. Holmes (the Ame- 

 rican Consul at the Cape of Good Hope) introduced into 

 that colony the American plough, at prices varying 

 from 20s. to 30s. and 403. each. For a time they had 

 a groat run, but within the last few years the English 

 plough had been substituted. It was dearer, but 

 stronger and more useful, and, he believed, was found 

 to be more economical than the cheap, weak, imper- 

 fect American imj)lement. That the American plough 

 was got up very nicely indeed, for the price, he had no 

 doubt; but he had been told by an experienced farmer 

 that it was a great deal too weak for the woik it pro- 

 fessed to do, and was by no means an economical im- 

 plement. At the present moment the principal British 

 implement-makers have clepots or agencies in all the 

 leading colonics, and are doing a thriving trade. And 

 where cheap and rough ploughs, carts, «kc., are required 

 in tho interior, whether in Upper India, the free states 

 of Southern Africa, Queensland, or elsewhere, there are 

 means of making them. Where the difficulty and cost 

 of inland transport does not stand in the way, British- 

 made machinery and implements will usually be 

 adopted. 

 We have no fear of " English manufacturers being 



