222 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



and owns up that in " shearing corn " the United States are 

 still ahead. It even went so far as to say, that " after the 

 models and gigantic engines in the western annex, the very 

 ingenious, small, hand-labor saving- machines in the American 

 court are the most looked after. * * This is worthy of a more 

 extended notice than it has yet received from the mass of 

 visitors." Alluding to a large number of American machines, 

 such as sewing machines, cork cutters, rope makers, washing 

 machines, &c., the same paper speaks of them as " almost 

 approaching the inspirations of genius in the simple means by 

 which their great results are effected.^' 



American rotating harrows were also on exhibition, and steel 

 ploughs ; but though the American ploughs fully and fairly 

 beat the English on their own ground in 1851, it is not probable 

 that on this important implement they will acknowledge them-. 

 selves surpassed. But the hoes, forks and rakes are so mani- 

 festly superior, that even the old fogy English farmer, who 

 thought at first that they would do to hang up in the Exhibi- 

 tion, and were not fit for practical work on the field, has begun 

 to give in, and no doubt the demand will increase as they 

 become better known. I venture the assertion that no good 

 New England farmer would use the English implements of this 

 class if he could have them furnished for nothing. 



The Douglas Axe Company made a highly creditable show of 

 American axes and cutlery, of various sorts. I do not know 

 how they compare with the English implements of the same 

 kind, but they are infinitely ahead of any thing and every thing 

 of the kind I saw on the continent. 



•" "Where's that Yankee milking machine ? " got to be a very 

 common question, and the exhibitor always had a crowd about 

 him. He rented a cow over opposite tiie establishment, and 

 practiced pumping her every day at eleven o'clock, to show olT 

 the practicability of the machiiie. It is a tin bucket covered 

 tight, half the cover moving upon hinges, and four pliant India 

 rubber bags, into which the teats are placed, when the tubes 

 and valves are worked by two lever handles projecting perpen- 

 dicularly towards the milker, who sits down in the usual iH)sture, 

 with the macliine between his knees, puts the teats in their 

 places, and [)unips away. 



