CHAPTER IX. 



NEW MACHINERY 



IN THE progress of Time's history there have been numer- 

 ous revolutions political, religious, economic. Some have 

 been peaceful, many have been violent, a few have been 

 mighty, but the investigator will search the records in vain for 

 any industrial movement of whatever nature which for reach 

 and depth and consequence surpasses that which has been and 

 is being wrought by American machinery in the realm of 

 agriculture. The change has been wholly pacific and benefi- 

 cent. Its progress has been marked only by the whirr of 

 industry. Its results have been prosperity and plenty. To- 

 gether with modern methods of transportation, it has not only 

 rendered secure the sustenance of 80,000,000 of people at 

 home, but it has practically driven forever from the face of 

 the earth the hideous terror of famine which in times past 

 was wont unhindered to drive its hundreds of thousands of 

 emaciated and staggering victims to the grave. With the 

 mechanical means now at the farmer's disposal, if his desires 

 and ambitions were limited to those of his predecessor of only 

 two generations ago, namely, to secure the bare necessities of 

 life for himself and his family, he would feel he had practically 

 nothing to do. 



Upon many of the great grain farms of the West the trac- 

 tion engine is used instead of horses as the motive power of 

 farming implements. Plows, harrows and seeders hitched 

 tandem are thus dragged across the field at one operation, 

 and every time the trip is made there is left behind a strip of 



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