114 THE MASSACHUSETTS SOCIETY 







reference to the particular merits of the several kinds 

 then offered to the public." To these words the trustees 

 add that " they felt strong hopes, also, that so large a pre- 

 mium would incite many to try the experiment of mowing 

 with a machine, who would otherwise wait to see whether 

 it was successful or not; in this they were not disap- 

 pointed, the number of competitors having been large." 

 The phrases thus used, " a machine comparatively 

 new," and, "the number of competitors having been large,' 7 

 permit the date of the new order of things in haymaking, 

 in this State, to be fixed with tolerable precision ; for, 

 when the record is referred to, it appears that the number 

 competing was forty. If this, after the special incentive, 

 suggested in the words just quoted, had had time to take 

 effect, could be deemed a large number, the possessors of 

 mowing machines in the State prior to 1855, by fair infer- 

 ence, were but few. The condition of things is, in a cer- 

 tain way, indicated in the statistics given in the report 

 of the committee of award. A condition named was that 

 each competitor should mow a measured half-acre in the 

 presence of the society's representative, upon a day ap- 

 pointed by him. It was deemed to be the fairest method 

 that one member of the committee should see the work- 

 ing of all the machines, rather than that the supervision 

 should be shared ; and that the whole committee should 

 make the award upon his testimony, aided by information 

 derived from returns, the blanks for which were provided, 

 and were to be filled by the several competitors. The re- 

 turn of these filled blanks was made imperative, else the 

 party was not to be considered in making up the award. 

 In consequence, only sixteen competitors had to be taken 

 into account in making the award. The others, with one 

 exception, made no returns, not being well satisfied, prob- 

 ably, with their own performance. The exception was 

 George W. Lyman, the recording secretary of the society, 

 who did not desire the award, if entitled to it, but wished 

 the committee to have the benefit of any knowledge de- 



