THE BUCKEYE MOWER. 291 



The Buckeye is manufactured by the Buckeye Mowing 

 Machine Company at West Fitchburg, under the practical and 

 skilful hand of A. B. Barnard, Esq., the works themselves being 

 a marvel of ingenuity. The Boston agents are Parker, Gannett 

 & Osgood. 



The hay tedder naturally follow^s the mower. This is a com- 

 paratively new machine in our hay fields, but the advantages of 

 its introduction have become so apparent that it has rapidly 

 gained favor, and the number of machines sold has been large, 

 and is increasing every year. 



The new system of hay-making which Was inaugurated by the 

 invention and use of the horse-rake and the mower, was not 

 complete without some other machine to enable the farmer to 

 cure the large amount of grass which the mowing-machine 

 could readily cut. There was still more or less dependence 

 upon hired men, notwithstanding the immense saving of labor 

 in cutting and raking. The hay tedder comes in to meet this 

 difficulty, and it has relieved many a household of the care and 

 labor and anxiety which always came with this busy season of 

 the year. Those who have used a tedder, so as to be able to 

 appreciate the immense saving of labor which it secures, and 

 the many incidental advantages which this saving has brought 

 with it, are unanimous in the opinion that it is of nearly equal 

 importance with the rake and the mower ; and I have heard 

 farmers declare that if they must dispense with either, it would 

 be with the mower rather than the tedder. 



The first machine of this kind used in this State, so far as I 

 am aware, was imported from England. But, like most English 

 machines, it was of heavy draught and unnecessarily cumber- 

 some. It was used sufficiently, however, to show the importance 

 of such an implement. Spreading swaths and turning hay, 

 though light, is slow work ; but it is precisely this kind of work 

 where animal power comes in to multiply the power of hand 

 labor many times. The tedder, for instance, will do the work 

 of from twelve to fifteen men in the same time, so that the 

 necessity of extra help is dispensed with, and the hay is cured 

 with greater rapidity and greater certainty, often, by this means, 

 avoiding exposure to showers or wet weather and the injury to 

 result from it. 



