530 INDIANA HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS 



A Visit to a Yankee Plow Factory. 



[New York American Agriculturist, 4:374-75; Dec, 1845] 



[October 23, 1845] 



While in Boston, the other day, I called in to take a 

 look at the extensive sales-rooms of Messrs Ruggles, 

 Nourse, and Mason, 1 which are kept in the great hall of 

 Boston Market House, where I found the greatest assort- 

 ment I ever saw of plows, harrows, hoes, shovels, spades, 

 forks, churns, cheese-presses, straw-cutters, and an im- 

 mense variety of agricultural implements and seeds, of 

 a quality worthy of all commendation. Not being per- 

 sonally acquainted with either of the partners of this 

 concern, and feeling at a loss to know where to look over 

 such a host of farming tools as I had never before seen 

 together, I inquired for one of the proprietors, when a 

 man in his shirt-sleeves, hard at work, was pointed out 

 to me as Mr. Nourse. 2 Not having the fear of meeting 

 a man above his business, I approached and made known 

 my name to him, and instantly received the welcome of 

 an old acquaintance, though known before only on paper. 



After spending the day examining this museum of 

 specimens of what mechanical skill has accomplished for 

 the benefit of farmers, I accepted an invitation from Mr. 

 Nourse to go out next day to Worcester, 44 miles by rail- 

 road, to see where and hoiv plows are made by machinery. 

 At Worcester I found the other two partners personally 

 superintending their extensive establishment. They are 

 all practical mechanics, as well as farmers, and Messrs. 

 Ruggles and Nourse, were born, if not plow-makers, of 

 plow-making fathers, and early bred to the business. But 

 in those days the plow was a very different implement 

 from what it now is. 



I found them occupying part of an immense four story- 

 building, using both water and steam power, and leas- 



1 Ruggles, Nourse, and Mason. Well-known manufacturers of 

 farm implements at Worcester, Massachusetts. Firm established 

 about 1835. Specialized in plows. 



'Joel Nourse, Boston, born 1803; died January 18, 1884. 



