108 THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



the surface of the ground, and is propelled by a horse. Three or four hours after mowing, 

 the teddy is run over the mown grass, and by its action every blade is thrown up into the 

 air and falls loosely in a reversed position, suffering free circulation of air, with new surfaces 

 exposed to the sun. Six acres may be thus tcddied in a single hour. Working Farmer. 



"1 



Grain and Grass-seed Headers and Harvesters, 



Steadman's Clover-seed Header. The above engraving illustrates a new and improved clover, 

 timothy, and other grass or grain-seed header and harvester, the invention of Mr. T. S. Stead- 

 man, Orleans county, New York. As will be seen by the cut, it is drawn by one horse, which 

 walks outside of the part of the field intended to be harvested. Turning continually to the 

 right, it cuts equally as well as when turning a corner, as when going straight ahead. The 

 seed-heads are gathered by the comb, cut off by the revolving knives, and by a self-raking 

 apparatus attached, thrown to the rear end of the box. By detaching the intermediate gear- 

 ing-wheel, it is immediately converted into a three-wheeled wagon, and can be driven 

 wherever wished. By pressing down one or both of the levers shown on the rear end of the 

 box, one or both sides of the comb and cutter may be lowered or elevated at pleasure. The 

 peculiarity of the machine is, that it cuts and saves only the heads of the grain or seed, and 

 by an extra pair of wheels it can be applied to the gathering and harvesting of any kind of 

 grain or grass-seed. It will cut from eight to twelve acres per day with ease. All the bolts 

 in the machine are in sight, with but one exception. 



Gage's Clover Gatherer. The peculiarities of a machine recently invented by J. S. Gage, 

 of Dowagiac, Michigan, consists of a cylinder provided with a series of toothed bars, so 

 arranged that as the cylinder rotates the teeth are projected forward in front, and the seed 

 is combed from the standing stalks and conveyed into the interior of the cylinder. This 

 machine is well adapted to secure the seed of clover-fields, which are intended to be plowed 

 in for fertilizing. 



Mowing Machines vs. Scythes, 



LET us compare, a little, the two modes of cutting grass. Day laborers hired at $1 per 

 day will probably mow in medium grass 1 acres to the hand; that is, it will cost $5 or $6 

 to mow 8 acres, and 25 cents each hand for boarding will be $1.50 more, which, added to 

 $5.50, makes $7 for mowing 8 acres. Now hire a man with a span of horses and a machine 

 to cut the 8 acres, at 50 cents per acre, and he will cut it in a day, $4.00, and $1.00 more 

 will pay their boarding, making in all $5.00, and the grass will be spread better for curing 

 than a man will spread it after the 5 hands, which, in the estimate, will make $3.00 advantage 

 to the mower. At that rate the machine will pay for itself in 40 days' mowing, besides 

 saving so much hard labor. Ohio farmer. 



Improvements in Reapers, Mowers, and Harvesters. 



Russets Mowing Machine. This machine, invented by Fisk Russel, of Boston, consists of a 

 square frame mounted on two wheels, one of them being a heavy cast-iron wheel, from 



