OBJECTIONS. 115 



string only ploughed a single acre between them 

 per day, and two men, and sometimes a boy in 

 addition, were required. 



The advantage of the farmer having one or two 

 of these ploughs to fall back upon in a busy 

 time when the season is late, and he is likely to 

 lose it altogether, is even greater than the actual 

 saving of labour in less men and horses being 

 required. 



This is the reason of the steam cultivator 

 being invaluable when the farmer behind with 

 cropping is able to get it. 



Certainly there is the same great gain with the 

 self-binding reaper which did not exist in our 

 youth. Two horses driven with reins by a man 

 seated behind, who also manages the machine, 

 will cut and tie into sheaves as much corn as 

 twenty men could do by hand-reaping, according 

 to the slow process of effecting it in olden times. 

 The standing wheat then often got to be " goose- 

 necked," and the corns in the ears became very 

 horny before sufficient hands could be obtained 

 to deal with it, and there were also frequently 

 spoiling crops of grass awaiting the scythe. 



Our modern labour-saving implements, too, 

 cause farmers to harvest their crops in less time, 

 and thus perform invaluable service. For 

 instance, grass-cutting can be delayed in a stormy, 

 unsettled period with greater impunity under 

 the certainty that when the skies become more 

 cloudless the mowing machine can be set going 

 from early dawn until sunset with two relays of 



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