1857. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



555 



this purpose, have been so thoroughly proved, and 

 their merits so well established, that they have 

 even broken through the walls of English preju- 

 dice, and are now ordered to the estates of the no- 

 blemen in the mother country. The gang cultiva- 

 tor is a series of small plows, standing behind and a 

 little to the right of each other, and is an imple- 

 ment which we have found to supply a want which 

 no other would. In the collection of Nourse, Ma- 

 son & Co., we also saw the Universal Plow, de- 

 vised by Mr. Holbrook, of Brattleboro', Vt.; it has 

 but one beam and twelve mould- boards, calculated 

 to suit all soils and places. This plow contains a 

 combination of happy thoughts, and we think will 

 be generally adopted. Some further experiments 

 are about to be made with it, the results of which 

 we shall lay before the reader. 



In the collection of Messrs. Blake, Barnard Sf 

 Co., were plows of various construction and excel- 

 lence of finish, and among them one for ridging 

 which seemed well calculated for use in root crops, 

 where a ridge is wanted upon either side. There 

 was also an implement, constructed after the man- 

 ner of the horse hoe, but containing three small 

 plows, one in front and one at the right and left, 

 behind, which struck us as well adapted to work 

 among our potato and corn crops. Here also we 

 saw Dodge's Suction and Force Pump, combining 

 both the suction and force principles. This pump 

 would throw the water through a hose some fifty 

 or sixty feet, with the applicauon of very trifling 

 power. It also possesses some advantages with re- 

 gard to freezing in the winter. 



The collection of Messrs. A'bwrse o,' Co. was 

 made up of the choicest articles, and arranged with 

 that nice discrimination and skill which is sure to 

 attract attention. In the group we found nothing 

 of a mediocre character ; there was evidence every- 

 where that they knew their business well. The first 

 article we noticed was a newyan viill, Johnson's, 

 made of chestnut ; simple in its construction, and 

 effective in its results ; there were others about it, 

 and it may be of equal merit, but this suited more 

 nearly our idea of a good fan mill. The Eagle 

 Corn Stalk Cutler stood by, and we understand 

 has been widely extended since we spoke of it some 

 year or two since. It carries its own certificate, 

 and will not disappoint those who use it. Then 

 there was a Horse Corn Planter, Billings' patent, 

 with which we, every year, plant an acre an hour, 

 and plant it well. Every neighborhood, at least, 

 should have one, for it will answer the wants of 

 several farms. In this collection there were, also, 

 hay and straw cutters, corn shellers, scythes and 

 snaths, grain-cradles, churns, a portable saw-mil!, 

 plows, thresher and separator, and many articles of 

 great merit. 



In the collection of Parker, Jfhite Sf Gannett, 

 Boston, T?^ w«>r«» especially ilfased m lont-i^f r^* ■> 



Thresher, Separator and Cleaner, Whitman's pa- 

 tent, which seemed to combine everything that can 

 be thought of in the way of threshing and clean- 

 ing grain. Where grain is raised in large quanti- 

 ties it must be an invaluable article. Here, also, 

 was the Fyler Churn, pronounced by two or three 

 gentlemen standing by, who had used it, as the best 

 churn yet constructed. The Self-Sharpening Hay- 

 Cutter was tested, and thought to be a machine to 

 do rapid and excellent execution. Here were also, 

 vegetable cutters, double and single horse-powers, 

 churns, axes, corn and cob crushers, garden-rollers, 

 and a great variety of other important implements, 

 for the farm. 



Besides the articles we have particularly men- 

 tioned, there was an indefinite number, for all man- 

 ner of purposes, but not one among the whole but 

 was intended to facilitate labor — many of them 

 to perform the kbor better than it could be done 

 by the hands, and in all cases to save human mus- 

 cles from an ., otherwise inevitable toil, or else de- 

 prive us of many things which have come to be 

 considered as articles of necessity. We cannot 

 enumerate, but there was every conceivable thing 

 from an apple-pearer of a span's breadth, to a huge 

 machine like that for pressing hay. 



Among the minor articles which shone like gems, 

 and were gems, in all the large collections, were the 

 shovels and spades of Oliver Ames, of Easton, 

 and the forks, potato-diggers, &c., of Henry Par- 

 tridge & Son, of Medfield. Their finish is almost 

 equal to watch-work, while their temper would vie 

 with a Damascus blade. They have already saved 

 to the world more human toil than has been avert- 

 ed by the wisdom of the most distinguished states- 

 man that ever lived ! In all our rural homes the 

 names of Ames and Partridge are familiar house- 

 hold words. We cannot now stop to enter into a 

 mathematical calculation of the saving in a year, be- 

 tween the use of one of their bright, light, sym- 

 metrical and convenient shovels or forks,, over one 

 of the wooden or shod shovels, or primitive forks, 

 such as were exhibited on the westerly side of the 

 great tent at the late show. That they have been 

 the means of averting consumptions, lumbagos, 

 rheumatisms and other dire diseases, in thousands 

 of instances, we have no doubt whatever. We look 

 upon these men as public benefactors, as much as 

 Cobden, or Buel, or Colman. 



There were hoes, too, and field and garden rakes» 

 trowels, weeders, scufflers, border-knives, hay- 

 knives, pitch-forks, pruning tools, saws and other 

 articles which the farmer and gardener must have 

 if he means to prosecute his labors with profit and 

 success. There were all of the most convenient 

 construction and admirable finish. 



Just before the exhibition closed a new imple- 

 ment was introduced in the shape of a Potato 

 Phvter. It is to be operated bv horseS; pnd is con. 



