[18 HOW TO MAKE THE FAEM PAY. 



and must be regarded as second only in importance ii. tlie 

 economy of labor, taking the place of many men, and accom- 

 plishing a larger amount of work equally well, at a season when, 

 if ever, time is money. 



But there was still some new invention wanting. The faimer 

 could now cut his grass rapidly enough, and, after it was suffi- 

 ciently cured, he could gather it rapidly enough, but it was still 

 difficult to handle and cure what the mowing machine could 

 easily cut. Spreading hay by hand, though not so laborious as 

 some other processes of haymaking, is slow work, and, not- 

 withstanding the ease and rapidity with which the other work 

 could be done, a strong force was still required to cure the 

 grass. There was a want of balance in the new system, and 

 here the Tedder came in to complete and round it out as it were, 

 [n this respect it must be regarded as of nearly equal iraport- 

 ince with the mower and the horse rake. 



After one or two attempts, which met with partial success, 

 we have now the American Hay Tedder, as manufactured by 

 the Ames Plow Company, of Boston. The draught of this 

 machine is light and easy for the horse, the construction simple, 

 the work effective. {Fig. 55.) 



The forward action of the old English machine was too vio- 

 lent, and it handled the half made hay too roughly. Every 

 farmer knows that, after grass is partially dried in the process 

 of haymaking, a rough and violent action or handling is to be 

 avoided. It breaks off the tender leaves of the clover, shakes 

 out the seeds of such of the plants as have approached the 

 period of maturity, and wastes many of the finer leaves of the 

 natural grasses. The American Tedder has aimed to avoid this 

 objection, while, at the same time, it lightens up the grass to 

 the sun and air, and hastens the curing process without the 



