1854. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



225 





KETCHUM'3 MOWmG MACHINE. 



The accompanying cut, which we copy from 

 Messrs. Riggles, Noukse, Mason & Co.'s cata- 

 logue, represents Ketchum's ^Mowing Macliine, 

 which is considered a thoi'onghly successful ma- 

 chine, for the purpose of cutting grass, and the 

 only one that has cut all kinds of grass, heavy or 

 light, wet or dry, lodged or standing, in the best 

 manner, without clogging or interruption. 



It lias taken six first premiums the past season 

 (1853.) 



We annex the following testimonials, which are 

 the more valuable from the fact that they are ex- 

 • tracts from business letters : — 



TESTIMONIALS. 



at Howard Co., Buffalo: — I am better pleased 

 A\.ith the Machine, the morel use it; I doubt not 

 tt will beat the world. I am surprised to find it 

 requires no more power ; my two horses don't 

 worry at all ; the speed required is just right ; in 

 short it works to a charm. I think the Machine 

 will probably be worth sixty dollars, or from that 

 to one hundi'ed and twenty dollars, to me, this 

 season. David Lyman. 



Durham, Conn., July oth, 1853. 



Messrs. Ruggles, Nourse, Mason & Co.: 

 Gentlemen — You ask me to state to you my opin- 

 ion of K'/ chum's Mowing Machine. I bouglitone 

 of you last s[)ring and used it on my farm, wliicli 

 is level huul and I'ree of stone, during the last sum- 

 mer. 



Its operation was viewed l>y many practical 

 farmers in my vicinity, and every c^ne exi)res8ed 

 the liiglu'st degree of satisfaction and approbation 

 of its work. I requ(>sted my Imad farmer, Samuel 

 I. Pickrring, a man well known and of ap- 

 proved knowledge in farming, to give me his opin- 

 ion of tli(! instrument. Ills reply was, "I think it 

 one of the best machines I evm- knew — with two 

 horses I can mow one acre of g)-ass in forty min- 



utes, the surface being smooth and three tons of 

 hay to the acre, and with two first rate horses, 

 twelve acres might be mowed in a day, working 

 twelve hours for the day. In the single operation 

 of grinding and whetting scythes, it will save a 

 large farm, twenty dollars in one year, as wages 

 were last year. As to spreading grass, no man in 

 the world can spread grass, as it is left Viy this 

 machine !" Such is the reply of my farmer, and 

 from my own observation, I concur in the truth 

 of this statement. 



Yours, respectfully, Josiah Quincy. 

 Boston, Feb. 26ih, 1854. 



Howard & Co. — My Machine (one of your im- 

 proved make) has cut two hundred acres of grass, 

 and all is right yet, except I have broken out one 

 cutting tooth ; it is not injured onetlollar l)y using ; 

 it cut nineteen acres in thirteen hours, that would 

 average two and a half tons to the acre, with a 

 team not as heavy as my sorrel horses, on the 

 22d day of July, which Avas the hottest day I 

 think we have had here this summer. It is de- 

 cidedly the best blowing Machine ever known in 

 Ontario County. * * There has been 

 a perfect rush from different parts of this county 

 and Cayuga county, to see my Premium Machine, 

 as 1 style it. * * * J sold it, after 

 cutting two hundred acres, to Mr. AVatekmam, for 

 one hundred and twenty dollars. lie would have 

 given one hundred and fifty dollars for it, had I 

 asked it. A. C. Loomis. 



Geneva, July 2'^d, 1853. 



I send you two dollars for knives for 3-our Mow- 

 er. You will bo able to sell from twenty-fivo to 

 thirty Machines hero next season. I go round 

 mowing ; there has not l)etui a day since I com- 

 menced mowing i)ut I have iiad from five to ten 

 persons after me to mow. I have m6wed in four 

 towns ; I average from ten to sixteen acres per 

 day ; I have mowed nine acres in one aft(Tnoon. 



D. W. SCHOONMAKER. 



Waterloo, Seneca Co., July 7th, 1853. 



