TRIAL OF HORSE HAY FORKS. 27 



the liay was carried at pleasure to the first, second or third bay. 

 This fork unloaded 2,180 pounds at thirteen forkfuls, in twelve 

 minutes, when worked with one light horse. 



"Reynolds' Union Fork," entered by R. Reynolds, Stockport, 

 N. Y., was a three-tined grappling fork, having one tine on 

 one side and two on the other side. This was tried with one 

 horse, and pitched off 2,050 pounds of hay, at thirty-two forkfuls, 

 in twenty-one minutes. 



L. L. Johnson, North Chatham, N. J., commenced pitching with 

 a tAvo-tined grappling fork, and breaking some important part of 

 it, retired. 



"Brown's Improved Fork " was entered by J. S. Brown, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. This fork did not succeed in removing its load. 



" The Excelsior Palmer Fork," having only one head and sickle 

 tines, was entered by Palmer & Wackerhagen, Hudson, N. Y. 

 This is an independent fork, with a short handle, about two feet 

 long. The fork is tipped by having the rope attached to a knee- 

 joint, similar to the joint attached to a carriage-top. This pitched 

 1,830 pounds of hay, over the large beam of the barn, in eight 

 minutes and five seconds. It was worked by a 3"oke of oxen. 



"The Farmers' Friend," entered by C. N. Culver, Bowling 

 Green, Wood county, Ohio, was an iron grappliug-fork, with two 

 tines in each head. It pitched off its load in nine minutes. 



M. E. Plumm, Munson, Fairfield co., Conn., entered a one-sided 

 fork, the head of which was nearly six feet long, of wood three 

 inches square, and provided with six tines. 



" Buckman's Grappling Fork," entered by Abram Requa, New 

 York city, is a double-headed, three-tined, iron grappling fork, 

 which possesses points of superiority for certain purposes that are 

 not claimed by the proprietors of any other fork. There is a sys- 

 tem of levers by which the points of the tines, as the fork begins 

 to grapple its load, are elevated, for the purpose of holding the 

 forkful more securely, than if the tines stood at a more obtuse 

 angle with the bale. The proprietors claimed that they could 

 pitch more sheaves of grain, more loose straw, short rowen, seed 

 clover, or a larger number of bundles of straw, or corn-stalks, and 

 a larger heap of long manure, than could be done Avith any other 

 fork. In addition to all this, they remove the hay tines, and 

 attach a set of grappling hooks, with which barrels, boxes, and 

 any other heavy material can be handled, which other forks can 

 not move. The fork is all iron, and exceedingly strong. 



