50 AfjricuUural Implements and Produce. 



favour of Manny ; and that Dray was next in the order of time 

 and the quantity of work done. 



Reducing- the whole work done to a standard of 2000 square 

 metres, the competing machines will stand thus : — 



M'Cormick's would cut 2,000 metres in 17*00 minutes. 

 Manny's „ „ 27-36 „ 



Atkins' „ „ 27-69 „ 



Dray's „ „ 31-11 „ 



If we are, therefore, to take the quantity of grain cut in the 

 least time, Mr. M'Cormick's machine will stand first on the list, 

 and the others according to their position in the above scale. 



In the investigation of this suljject we have hitherto confined 

 our observations to the machines. There is, however, another 

 element equally important and essential to the efficiency of the 

 process of reaping, and that is, tlie preparation of the land : and 

 in fact, before we can look forward to ultimate success, the sur- 

 face must be levelled, and the present injurious system of ridges 

 dispensed with. To a casual observer it is obvious that the pre- 

 sent state of culture, as pursued in most parts of Europe, is not 

 calculated to afford the necessary facilities for insuring a success- 

 ful progression to machinery. To apply machinery successfully 

 to the labours of a farm the land must be prepared, not for 

 hand, but machine labour ; and the successful introduction of 

 reaping machines will chiefly depend upon the preparations that 

 are made for their reception. The system of ridges may be 

 tolerated, and overcome by the sickle, but to give to the new 

 process of reaping by machinery its full effect, a totally different 

 plan of operations must be pursued, and the fields laid down 

 with a perfectly smooth surface. The larger description of stones 

 and other obstructions should be removed, and in place of the 

 superfluous water not required for the nourishment of the plants 

 being allowed to flow between the ridges on the surfaces of the 

 field, sweeping in heavy streams, as it now does, everything be- 

 fore it, the new system of drainage will require to be adopted," 

 and the water carried under in place of running over the surface. 



To make a machine, such as a reaping-machine, work well, 

 everything must not be left to the machine ; the agriculturist 

 must do his duty as well as the engineer, and that duty once 

 duly performed on both sides, a certainty of action will be 

 secured which will solve the problem and effect satisfactory re- 

 sults. Having arrived at these happy results, we may then, aiid 

 not till then, reasonably look forward to the crops being well and 

 quickly gathered by machinery, to the exclusion of a laborious 

 process, effected with difficulty, and often imperfectly, by the 

 human hand. 



W. FAiRBAm:N-. 



