390 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Aug 



tion of the Ketchum mower. The manufacturers 

 of the various machines will call this a sweeping 

 observation, and demand my reasons. 



The mowing lands of New England will always 

 present obstacles, more or less, to the mower, 

 such as apple trees, boulders, stumps, uneven 

 surfaces, &c. We are bound, nevertheless, to 

 have a machine which will work, notwithstanding 

 these obstacles. But under these circumstances, 

 the demand is imperative that we have a mower 

 in its construction simple, strong, compact,] 

 "handy ;" one into which we can readily insert 

 cutters of different length, from a three foot to a 

 six foot, according to the condition of the grass, 

 surface or obstacles. This idea of changing cut- 

 ters carries with it an importance which farmers 

 do not yet appreciate. My own experience ena- 

 bles me to say that it is a most happy arrange- 

 ment by which I accommodate my machine to 

 the grass to be cut, and the work to be done, to 

 the capacity of my team. I may be mistiken, but 

 I apprehend that I am correct in saying there is 

 now no machine capable of meeting the above 

 demands but the Ketchum patent. 



The labor of taking apart and of re-adjusting 

 is a consideration with me in favor of the small 

 iron machine. Last fall, a neighbor came to me 

 for my machine to cut his rowen ; said that he 

 had been to three owners of the Manny, and they 

 refused because their machines were taken apart, 

 and it was too much work to "rig up." The 

 Ketchum, occupying four square feet in the cor- 

 ner of my tool room, was ready for action in less 

 than ten minutes. 



When my first machine had more than paid 

 for itself, and when the manufacturers of both 

 kinds had made great improvements, I sent it 

 back with directions to send me their best mow 

 er, and give me what they could afford for the old 

 one. To this last, I have added the improve 

 ments as they have come out, and yesterday I 

 cut a piece of grass sixty rods long, and three 

 wide, (one and one-eighth acre) in less than an 

 hour, the town clock bearing testimony. And 

 yet my horses gave no evidence of the least extra 

 labor. Now, sir, if you do not consider this suf- 

 ficiently expeditious, come and see me, and to- 

 morrow I will slip in a six-footer, and cut an acre 

 by the side of it in thirty minutes, and yet my 

 horses will not labor harder than they did with 

 the old machine with a four foot cutter. 



I do not profess to have any scientific guage 

 by which I can discover the amount of power re- 

 quired to overcome a given amount of resistance, 

 but from careful observation, I have reached this 

 conclusion : That the two horse machine as now 

 manufactured by Nourse, Mason & Co., requires 

 no more power to work it with a six foot cutter, 

 than the machine did with a four foot cutter made 

 five years since. Also, that the one horse ma^ 

 chine, with a three and one-half foot cutter, is no 

 harder for one horse, than it would be for the 

 same horse by the side of another in the old ma- 

 chine with a four foot cutter. For this statement, 

 however, you have only my own judgment, based 

 upon the evidence I had at Boylston. 



Nearly all the interest manifested in mowing 

 machines in this part of the county, appears to 

 be in behalf of the one-horse machines. This is 

 to be expected, inasmuch as probably nine-tenths 

 of our farmers keep but one horse. These are 



just now being introduced, and remain to be 

 tested. At the trial at Boylston, their working 

 was very gratifying to me, and I think they come 

 within the ability of most farmers' horses to work 

 them. 



The manufacturers of these mowers need no 

 circulars from me, certifying that they are "hon- 

 orable men," and I will only say to those who 

 purchase of them that they seem anxious to sup- 

 ply all improvements as fast as discovered, and 

 I have no doubt that with the aid and patronage 

 of farmers, they will give us a machine of such 

 price and quality, that every man who has twelve 

 or fifteen aci-es to cut, will find it for his interest 

 to buy. Chas. Humphrey. 



Lancaster, July 1, 1859. 



MOWING MACHINES. 



A trial of two mowing machines took place on 

 the farm of Mr. Lynde, in Melrose, on Tuesday 

 of last week, which we had the pleasure of wit- 

 nessing. The machines used were the "Buckeye" 

 and the "New Englander," the first with two 

 horses, and the latter with one. The Buckeye 

 took a swath four and a half feet wide, and the 

 New Englander four feet. Each cut its acre 

 handsomely in forty-two minutes. The grass was 

 light, and the ground every way favorable, so 

 that the labor for the horses was not severe, — 

 that of drawing the one horse machine was not 

 a heavier draft than is required in the use of a 

 common cultivator in working corn. 



After this trial, each machine was put into 

 heavier grass, where there were some patches of 

 thick clover, and some of it lodged. The New 

 Englander led the way, cutting the grass finely 

 and turning a handsome double swath. The 

 Buckeye also cut a double swath, and did it well. 



Since this trial, we hare used Ketchum's and 

 Manny's one horse machines in a very heavy 

 growth of clover on our own farm. The field 

 was on a hill-side, was encumbered with apple 

 trees twenty-five feet apart, and the clover in 

 many places badly lodged, but both machines cut 

 it as well as could be reasonably expected. It 

 seems to us that the draft on the Manny was 

 the lightest, but that the Ketchum had more fa- 

 cility in turning, and could be moved over the 

 cut grass, to go from place to place, with greater 

 ease. Where a person cuts fifty tons of hay an- 

 nually, either machine will pay for itself in three 

 years. 



Many trials of machines are taking place, and 

 the public mind seems at last to be aroused to 

 something like a proper appreciation of their 

 merits. 



Oiling Harness — Leather, &c. — Oils when 

 applied to dry leather, invariably injure it, and 

 if to leather containing too much water, the oil 

 cannot enter. Wet the harness over night, cover 

 it M'ith a blanket, and in the morning, it will be 



