470 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



aid of an army of Frenchmen from Canada 

 to assist in securing it. Nearly every family 

 had half a dozen or more, and the effect upon 

 the subsistence department of the region was 

 something like that of the descent of the un- 

 told millions of grasshoppers upon it in 1860. 

 They swept everything eatable before them, 

 and tiie Frenchmen do pretty much the same. 



By the aid of labor-saving machines this 

 army is reduced to about one-tenth of its for- 

 mer number, and has altered the condition of 

 the work in- doors essentially, as well as out. 



To the valuable machines whiih I have 

 named, there has recentl}' been added another 

 which I have taken especial pains to see in 

 operation ; it is for loading the hay by horse- 

 power, after it is sufficiently dry and thrown 

 into winrow. I have seen it in use at three 

 different times, and on uneven as well as even 

 ground, and everywhere it did the work quickly 

 and well. At one of my visits to see it, the 

 first load was put on in eiglit minutes, the sei> 

 ond in seven and a half minutes and the third 

 in seven minutes. This was done by the 

 steady, usual working of the machine, and 

 without any effort to do the work in a short 

 time. The bystanders estimated the loads at 

 1500 pounds each ; the wagon, being a short 

 one, would not conveniently take any more. 

 The men using it stated that on a previous 

 occasion they loactd and unloaded eighteen 

 loads in six and a half hours, all the loads 

 but the last one being placed upon stacks in 

 the field. 



The loader is attached to the hind end of 

 the wagon ; stands perpendicularly ; is eight 

 feet long and four feet wide. It has eight 

 sole leather belts, each two inches wide, which 

 pass over rollers at the top and a oyhnder at 

 the bottom. There are fifteen small iron spurs 

 in each of these belts, which pick up the hay 

 as the team, straddling the winrow, passes 

 along, carrying it up and rolling it over upon 

 the wagon. The whole of this weighs but 175 

 pounds. It can be attached or removed in 

 less than five minutes, and can be applied to 

 any wagon. It makes no noise whde being 

 operated, adapts itself to uneven surfaces, 

 and is exceedingly simple in every part of its 

 construition. 



1 had always imagined the hay loaders that 

 I had read about as being heavy and cumber- 

 some contrivances, hanging on to one side of 



the wagon, and requiring some human power 

 to feed an endless apron that was to carry the 

 hay along to the cart. When I saw this small 

 and light contrivance, noiselessly picking up 

 the hay and conveying it to the wagon, I came 

 to the conclusion that a device had been 

 reached which would complete the circle of 

 machines to be used in securing the most 

 important of all our crops — the hay harvest. 



This machine was invented, and has been 

 mainly built by Mr. Nelson B. Douglas, of 

 Cornwall, Vt. He had it in operation last 

 year, and has had it in continual use the pres- 

 ent season, in order to make such alterations 

 — if needed — as would bring it as near per- 

 fection as possible. Only about a dozen have 

 been built, and those in use are in the hands 

 of farmers who are testing their merits. None 

 have been offered for sale. In the West, and 

 wherever a large amount of hay is to be se- 

 cured, this machine must take rank with the 

 mower, horse rake, tedder and horse pitchfork. 



There is a very singular looking mowing 

 machine in this region invented and built by 

 a Mr. Newell, of Shoreham. It has fewer 

 pieces than any other which I have seen It has 

 but two geared wheels, I think, each about eight 

 inches in diameter. These are enclosed in a 

 ca;:t iron cone, and just far enough apart to 

 meet gears attached to the shafc which gives 

 motion to the knives. I saw it in operation, 

 but not enough to form an opinion of its merits. 



Another article which I desired to see in 

 operation, was the Shear Pitchfork; but did 

 not find one among the farmers whom I was 

 visiting. It was spoken of highly. 



My notes are not exhausted, but the length 

 of my letter suggests that 1 had better defer 

 speaking of some other items of Vermont 

 firming until another time. So I am, very 

 truly, yours, Simon Brown. 



Messrs. 11. P. Eaton & Co., Boston. 



Building Hay-mows. — The 0/no Farmer says 

 that wtiere hay-lorks are not used, much bard la- 

 bor may be saved, and other advantages gained, by 

 building up either the right or lett end of the hay- 

 mow tirst. One half of the mow being higher than 

 the other, the top of the load may be thrown on 

 the highest part and the balance on the lower. Be- 

 ing carried up separately, there will be a seam be- 

 tween the two parts by which the heat, always the 

 greittesi in the centre of the mow, will escape, and 

 then in feeding out there will be no need of using 

 the hay-knife to make a division of the mow. 



