No. 1. 



Hussei/^s Mowiyis^ and Reaping Machine. 



25 



to fiad employment for tjoiir women at odd 

 times — the oddest thing I ever heard of — for 

 the industrious wives of farmers never have 

 any odd times, and lam sure the indolent are 

 not those who will take it up as an employ- 

 ment at odd times. Besides, I am much mis- 

 taken if any good can come of an employment 

 which requires the incessant and all-enduring 

 patience of a whole life, proverbial for wearing 

 out the energies of both body and mind, if it 

 is to be taken up only at odd limes .' You say 

 it is particularly adapted to the family of a 

 farmer occupying a few acres of land ! Now 

 in the name of common sense, and in the 

 name of every industrious female in the coun- 

 try, what is meant by tiiis] in a country too 

 which is spreading far and wide her arms, 

 entreating those industrious families, who are 

 willing to take up so unhealthy and debasing 

 an employment at oc/rf^i7nes, to come west, and 

 cultivate the land and walk upright in the glory 

 of nature ! No, no, Mr. , before I sub- 

 mit to fill up my odd times in this way, I will 

 carry my husband where he may be able by 

 his industry to enable me and my children to 

 employ our odd times in a far more agreeable 

 way, in the improvement of our minds and 

 bodies, leaving the silk business to those coun- 

 tries whose wretched inhabitants (notoriously 

 deformed in body and imbecile in mind, fit 

 subjects tor a tyrannical and monarchial go- 

 vernment) are compelled to toil for fifteen 

 hours for about half as many cents; and with 

 all this misery and starvation, you see they 

 cannot afford to sell the articles, which they 

 fabricate at such a sacrifice of body and mind, 

 for less than the price which they command 

 in the market at the present time. You seem, 

 too, to have alighted upon bad times, for 3'^ou 

 see the import duty on silk is taken off". [ 

 know that you all rely upon the enormous 

 bounty which the states are giving for the 

 production of these articles of doubtful good, 

 but I can only say I am mistaken if these en- 

 couragements to speculation will remain in 

 operation for six months longer ; and when the 

 excitement has passed away, these states will 

 view this piece of legislation as about the 

 height of the morus folly."* 



* Our fair correspondent is justly indignant at the ar- 

 ranfiement made for the filling up of her odd times; and 

 she hut expresses the sentiment of allhisjh-mindRdand 

 iiitelliffeut females throughout the country. The re- 

 buke, though severe, was Well merited ; and none hut 

 tlie [fuilty will wince under its application. There is 

 no design, we are assured, to refli-ct in the least, upon 

 the modest, discreet young men who officiate as clerk,'! 

 in this city; far from it. Many of them are persons 

 of untarnished reputation, sound judgment, and gen- 

 tlemanly demeanor, who treat all with wliom they 

 have intercourse with common civility at least. — 

 These constitute the intelligent class, and will ever 

 command respect and esteem. There is another class, 

 admirably described by Mrs. J. We presume its num- 

 bei-s are not numerous. At any rate, after the well 

 merited castigation given above, we think they must 

 decline. We hope Mrs. J. will become a regular cor- 



After the young man had taken his leave, 

 which he scarcely waited to do, I learnt that he 

 was a stripling from one of the wholesale dry 

 goods' stores in Market street, endeavoring to 

 form "A Joint Stock Trading Morus MuM- 

 caulis Company, with a capital of about five 

 hundred thousand dollars," the directors of 

 which were to have the "privilege of buy in af 

 and selling their stock, of both kinds I pre- 

 sume, at whatever prices they might deem 

 most advantageous to the good of the company. 

 The president and other officers had all been 

 chosen, to whom liberal salaries had been ap- 

 propriated, and this young worthy, so anxious 

 to find employment for Ms women at odd 

 times, is to figure as treasurer ! 



Janet Jenkinson. 



Bucks Co., July 4th, 183P. 



Hussey's Mowing antl Heaping Macliine* 



We have repeatedly called the attention of 

 farmers — large grain growers — and there are 

 thousands in Pennsylvania and the adjoining 

 states — to the great advantages of this ma- 

 chine. It is probably the best of the kind in 

 the United States; and we have no hesitation 

 in pronouncing it vastly superior to any simi- 

 lar article. It has been tried repeatedly, and 

 in no instance has it failed ; and it invariably 

 exceeded the expectation of those who were 

 called together to witness its operations. The 

 machine is described at page 198 of the sec- 

 ond volume of the Farmers' Cabinet. A wood 

 cut is also given, which, with the account of 

 the inventor, will enable almost any person to 

 form a pretty accurate idea of its mode of opera- 

 tion. The Philadelphia Agricultural Society 

 appointed a committee some time in the latter 

 part of the summer of 183S, to superintend 

 the operations of the machine. The report, 

 which is of the most gratifying character, 

 may be found in the third volume of the Farm- 

 ers' Cabinet, page 282. The committee say 

 that it operates well when the grain is so 

 much fallen or lodged as to be entirely beyond 

 the reach of the cradle — lays it in heaps ready 

 for binding — not a stalk is left standing, while 

 the stubble is all of an uniform height — about 

 seven inches. They further say " the loss by 

 this mode of harvesting is greatly reduced," 

 that the performance was at the rate of ten to 



respondent. There are many subjects on which she 

 might employ her pen, and fill up her odd limes to the 

 advantage of her fair country women. 



