164 American Ploughs* Sithe and Cradle. 



ploughs have since been made ; and they far exceed (for 

 our use) any English plough I have seen.* In England, 

 the complexity of their ploughs is much out of date ; and 

 they find the advantage of simplicity of construction. 

 Many now do their work with fewer horses ; and use 

 lines, as we do ; without unnecessary drivers, or the in- 

 cumbrances of wheels, &c. 



I sent to Mr. Barclay an American sithe and cradle, 

 which, with his usual zeal and liberal attention, he caus- 

 ed to be fairly tested in his harvest field. It was worked 

 by an American cradler, against an Hainault sithe in an 

 expert hand. It proved far superior in every respect, but 

 that the Hainault sithe cut quite as clean, yet in no de- 

 gree with equal celerity. I am in hopes this implement 

 will become fashionable ; but it meets with the fate of all 

 new instruments, especially in a country wherein labour- 

 ers must be humoured under present circumstances : for 

 Mr. Barclay writes to me, (after eulogizing the sithe and 

 cradle with merited approbation,) u I find our men all 

 averse to its use ; as a new article ever meets with oppo- 

 sition from that class ; and though employ is become 

 more general, yet I found any machine tending to lessen 

 the wonted employ of harvest men, to be unpopular in 

 the present crisis." 



R. Peters. 



* See my remarks on the trial of the ploughs sent to Mr. Bar- 

 clay, in my letter, on the subject, to the society • ante. I have 

 made these remarks for the encouragement of our farmers,* and 

 with no view to invidious comparisons. R. P. 



