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THE GENESEE FARMER. 



ADVANTAGES OF MOWING MACHINES-ONCE MOKE- 



Editors Genesee Faemer: — It appears that the 

 difficulty of answering some statements of facts 

 made by me in a late number of the Farmer^ wliile 

 revising the calculations of Mi*. Street, of Ohio, on 

 the subject of mowing by machinery, has been 

 shifted "from that place to the half-rural, lialf-citi- 

 Sed district near Geneva, and Mr. John Johnston, 

 'jf that place — the highly respectable and at many 

 times influential contributor to the Genesee Farmer 

 — has been encouraged by his friends and neighbors 

 to write out an article, in reply to mine correcting 

 the machine calculations of his friend in Ohio. I 

 think that Mr. J. is usually a very good correspond- 

 ent for any paper, and we have all known him to 

 write cleverly at times on the subject of Agricul- 

 ture, and can hardly account for the variation so 

 noticeable in his communication that is now receiv- 

 ing a little attention. But said an old lady once, 

 Tv'hen she was asked how in the world it happened 

 that she would sometimes take up and argue the 

 case for those she knew were so clearly out of the 

 way, '' Why, bless you all, don't you know that I 

 once in a while say and do silly things myself^ and 

 then I want somebody to take my part!" 



"Were it necessary to adduce any further argu- 

 ment to show the impropriety of bringing into 

 general use the mowing machine as a saver of labor 

 or money, in the State of New York, I should be 

 scarcely willing to again trespass upon your time 

 and space, and since Mr. J. rests their side so easily, 

 we will — as the lawyers sometimes say — submit 

 ours without any argument also. AVe are right glad 

 that the good cause of temperance has prospei-ed 

 s»D well out "near Geneva," and just as soon as that 

 has worked out a sufficient reformation, we are 

 greatly in hopes that the right means will be used to 

 bring Mr. J. and his kind neighbors entirely " out 

 of the woods" in regard to the way in which they 

 should labor with their hands, and not, as soon as 

 they have been saved from the practice of squan- 

 dering their money for one useless thing, go to 



" "-ing it away for another — getting a mowing 



machine, and then go about talking " long and loud" 

 again, while their poor horses stay at home, doing 

 all the work. 



And finally, if our much esteemed friend from 

 near the smooth waters of Seneca Lake does not 

 ^t better in his mind soon, in regard to the educa- 

 tional privileges and general advantages enjoyed by 

 tlie farmers of Chenango county, let him come ou't 

 tliis way with his Ohio friend, when he comes along 

 to admire the way we make the hay in Old Che- 

 nango. Yes, come on, gentlemen, and take a little 

 benefit in the society of those who are content to 

 get along in the somewhat slow but sure way, and 

 you will find that we are not far behind the times, 

 especially if it should be yom- good fortune to drop 

 into one of our snug farm-houses at the end of the 

 season, when the hay and harvest are gathered in, 

 with all useful farming implements generally — ex- 

 cepting here and there a mowing machine, as usual, 

 left out and sticking up through the top of some 

 snow-drift. But within our gates you will find 

 much of contentment and prosperity, where we 

 have an abundance of fine sleek animals and gene- 

 ral plenty without, and — most of us — tolerable 

 comely wives, with quite a sprinkling of fat babies, 

 within doors. And for the pai-t that makes us talk 



"long and loud," — if we do so at all — we usually 

 keep in our cellars, for winter use, a few barrels ot 

 our excellent cider, — good enough to make our 

 friends wish their necks almost as long again when 

 they have the good luck to drink a little of it. 



And lastly, we are confident that the man who 

 lives nearest to, and best complies with the golden 

 rule, drawn from the high decree of an all-wise 

 Providence, " In the sweat of thy face shalt thou 

 cat thy bread," — the mandate that has transformed 

 our roUiug sphere into a world of industry and dil- 

 igence — is on the safest side, and will succeed the 

 best through life, though our friend Jojinston may 

 write ever so much against him and his industrious 

 habits, even if he is put up to it by every soul in 

 his whole neighborhood — no matter how much 

 they may have been benefitted by the machine 

 reformation, and no matter how great the necessity 

 for such a reformation may have been. 



0:rford, Clienango Co., N. Y. E. A. BUNDT. 



Editors Genesee Farmer : — I had quite a long 

 letter penned in reply to Mr. Bundy's remarks on 

 labor-saving machines, " mowing machines in par- 

 ticular," when the May No. of the Genesee Farmer 

 came to liand. Mr. Johnston very properly han- 

 dles those remarks and their author without gloves, 

 since which very little more appears necessary. — 

 That any farmer should, at present, entertain opin- 

 ions so much opposed to the interests of the agri- 

 cultural community, is truly surprising. Mr. B. 

 asserts, indirectly, that labor-saving machines exert 

 a demoralizing influence. His sj'stera of reasoning 

 would set us back on a level with the red man who 

 once hunted in our forests for his sustenance. It 

 would obliterate at a stroke all the improvements 

 of the present age. It would hush forever tlie hiss- 

 ing of that mighty agent, steam, and leave dormant 

 and undeveloped all the inventive genius which 

 God has given to man, for the purpose of amelior- 

 ating his condition. But does labor-saving ma- 

 chinery exert a demoralizing influence? Should 

 some person, by the aid of his pen, make an im- 

 proper use of a neighbor's name, would Mr. B. 

 conclude that his knowledge of penmanship was 

 the cause of his committing forgery? Certainly 

 not. It would be more rational to conclude thait 

 his principles were already corrupt, and developed 

 themselves through his knowledge of penmanship. 

 Hence, if Mr. B.'s neighbors are prone to idleness 

 and given to drink, let him improve their condition 

 by enlightening them, — after which an agency for 

 the sale of mowing machines in his district will b6 

 profitable. m. gahnsey. 



Middleburgh, K. T., May, 1858. 



Remaeks. — "We are sorry our esteemed corres 

 pondents, in this discussion, have wandered from 

 the point. The temperance question has nothing 

 to do with the mowing machine question. If it is 

 cheaper to cut grass or grain by machinety than by 

 hand — as we believe it is — let us have the/acis ; 

 and if it is not — as Mr. Bundt contends — let him 

 "ive the reason for the faith that is in him. Eds. 



How TO sow Grass Seed. — We wet our grain, 

 and then stir the grass seed into it. Sow Avhile 

 wet. It Avill sow more even in this way than iti 

 any other that we ever tried, h. 



