THE HAY-TEDDING MACHINE. 141 



wear of the implement. This is to adopt the simple 

 mode first described, and afterwards to strengthen it with 

 slight iron rods, fastened one on each side of the handle 

 a little above the head, and also screwed firmly to the 

 head itself, about midway between the centre and the 

 ends. These are the principal varieties of hand-rake ; 

 but on large farms a horse-rake is sometimes employed 

 as a saving of labour. This machine is drawn over 

 the field until it has collected as much hay as can be 

 contained within its teeth or tines, (perhaps twenty or 

 more in number,) and then the driver by lifting up 

 a pair of handles, raises the teeth from the ground, so 

 as to throw out the contents of the rake. The handles 

 are then lowered, and the work proceeds as before. 



With these implements, together with the common 

 hay-fork or prong, the whole process of hay-making is 

 generally carried on. But of late years another and 

 a very important machine has been introduced for the 

 purpose of further abridging the haymaker's toil. This 

 is the Hay-tedding machine, invented so early as the 

 year 1800, by Salmon of Wobum, and now beginning 

 to be used somewhat generally on large farms. It is 

 chiefly valuable for meadow hay, which requires more 

 repeated turnings and scatterings than hay from clover 

 and rye grass. This machine is drawn by one horse, 

 and does its work effectually, whirling and scattering 

 the grass about in such a fashion as must expose every 

 part to the influence of the sun and wind. It consists 

 of an axle and a pair of wheels, the axle forming the 

 shaft of an open cylindrical revolving frame. The bars of 

 this frame are set with iron prongs pointing outwards, 

 each prong being about six inches long and curved. 

 As this frame revolves, the hay is caught up by the 

 prongs, and thoroughly tedded or spread abroad. In 

 the neighbourhood of great cities, where large quantities 

 of meadow hay are made, the tedding-machine is of 

 great value, and saves much expense in labour. In 

 going to and from the field, or at any time when the 



