310 BUYING CHEAPLY-MADE TOOLS. 



the community, to show that, whatever defects some 

 of them may have, they may be made to accomplish 

 the work for which they were intended. 



The manufacturer is not alone to blame, as a general 

 thing, for the defects of an implement to be used on the 

 farm. The farmer too often prefers a machine which 

 is least expensive, and no matter how well it is made, 

 he will insist upon having it at the lowest possible 

 price at which it can be afforded. Manufacturers are 

 therefore compelled to slight the work in order to meet 

 the wants of the people, and cheaply-made articles 

 alone can be sold cheap enough to suit the wishes of 

 the buyer. In this way both the manufacturer and the 

 farmer suffer. It is poor economy, as a general rule, to 

 buy cheap articles. 



As to the comparative economy of the use of the 

 machine and hand labor on small farms, it seems to me 

 the experiments of the past season throughout the 

 country have fully decided the question in favor of the 

 former. On this point, however, the opinions of prac- 

 tical men will be found to differ, to some extent, though 

 the weight of the testimony of those who have had any 

 actual experience with the machine will be found to be 

 strongly in its favor. And this is especially the case of 

 those who have been fortunate in obtaining a machine 

 properly constructed and put together. 



In answer to the circular sent out to obtain the opin- 

 ions of practical farmers as to the result of their experi- 

 ence with the use of the machine, one writes me, 

 saying: "As to the economy of its use in our vicinity, 

 we have no hesitation in saying that one-half of the 

 expense is saved in using the machine to cut and spread 

 grass, when compared with the common scythe, to say 

 nothing of having it done when the weather is good 

 and the grass in its proper state, whether in blossom 



