1851. 



THE GENESEE FARMER. 



277 



•will also admit the exhibitor alone upon the 15th, to the cer- 

 emoii}' of receiving the report of the jurors, and other busi- 

 ness connected with the proceedings of the day. This 

 decision on the part of the Commissioners, will, we have no 

 doubt, be duly appreciated by those for whose benefit it is 

 intended. — Gardeners^ and Farmers' Journal. 

 EEAPING MACHINES, 

 Thanks j tlie officers of the Carlisle Farmers' Club, the 

 ogriculturi 8 of the district around Carlisle had an opportu- 

 nity of se mg tlie celebrated American Reaping Machine 

 (McCormi k"s) at work on Wednes^Jay last. 



Tlie see ie of operation was Kingmoor House Farm (about 

 two miles from Carlisle) occupied by Rlr. Ellwood. Great 

 curiosity was excited. Crowds of people came far and near. 

 The first trial was made in a perfectly level and even eight- 

 acred field of oats, one-lialf of which had been previously 

 cat wiili the scythe — and cut. too, in a workmanlike man- 

 ner. The crop was light. The machine, having been put 

 toretheron ihf ground, was set agoing at eleven o'clock, and 

 with about three-quarters of an hour's interval between 

 twelve and two, continued till half-past four. In the latter 

 part of the day the machine was vtorked in a .second field, 

 having a considerable declivity, and a very rough surface. 

 eau.scd by recently made drains and deep furrows, the soil 

 having shrunk, and. in fact, causing a second furrow. This 

 ground was purposely selected in order to subject the imple- 

 ment to a severe practical test. In the first field the cutting 

 was rapid, regular, and closer to the ground than we had 

 been led to expect ; in the second field, though the crop was 

 heavier, and, so far favorable, there was less perfection, but 

 equal rapidity ; yet, under the circumstances, the work was 

 saiisf i^tory, and well done. 



On tli^ whole, though there might be shades of opinion, 

 the result was a general acknowledgement that success had 

 been achieved — that the expectations raised by the inventor 

 had been realized. 



Mr. Burgess, of the firm of Burgess & Key, of London, 

 who liave purchased of i^Ir. MeCormick the right of patent- 

 ing the invention in the United Kingdom, followed the ma- 

 chine and directed its movements ; while an American 

 Bttendant, Mr. Blackenzie, a Virginian agriculturist, took his 

 station on the board behind the horses, and right manfully 

 and dexterously applied the rake in throwing off the grain, 

 in quantities about the size of a sheaf, as it was laid upon the 

 platform by the revolving action of the fans. Order was 

 preserved by Mr. Sabbage and seven policemen, one of 

 whom, besides himself, was mounted. Though there was 

 occasionally some pressure arising from over anxiety, there 

 was nothing to complain of on the part of the million. 



There can be no doubt that essential improvements will be 

 speedily introduced, and that the work of the man and rake 

 will be better done by machinery and the same power which 

 effects the operation of cutting. 



On tlie whole, all the practical men were well pleased with 

 what they saw on Wednesday. Most of them pronounced 

 the experiment successful, and more than one gave orders on 

 the spot. A single machine might be made to do the work 

 of an entire parish ; so that we shall probably not only see 

 joint stock machines, but machines let out at so much per 

 day, or .so much per acre. — Carlisle Pal riot. 



Rut there are rivals already starting up. An implement 

 called '' riussey's American Reaping Machine," was last 

 week tried at Hadham Hall, near Bishop's vStortford, Herts, 

 and its elirct upon barley, clover, and wheat, are described 

 ns astonishing as well as satisfactory. It is made by Dray 

 &- Co.. London ; but nothing is said of its price or the amount 

 of work done per hour. It appears, too, that there is an 

 "Australian Reaping Machine," which is worked vsith two 

 teams of bullocks, eight each, one man to steer, and a boy 

 to drive. " We can reap and thresh," says the writer of a 

 letter professing to give an account of it, 'eight or nine 

 acres per day in good hot weather. We paid £70 for it. 

 There are some light machines made for horses ; but ours is 

 a strong substanti d article, and is drawn liy bullocks, and a 

 chain attached to the near side corner. There is a coinb in 

 fi-ont about four and a half feet wide, the teetli of which are 

 only wide enough to take in the straw below the ears ; a 

 drum works on the back end of the comb, tiireshes out the 

 wheat, and throws it into the machine. \Ve keep the win- 

 nowing machiuo going at the end of the field, and by this 

 means we have the wheat ready for the market at once. 

 The straw, of course, is left in the field, but that is not much 

 regarded in this country ; most people burn it, but when the 

 weather is very hot and dry it can easily be htirrowed olV." 

 Anothek iiKAi'iNG Machine. — Perhaps it may not be out 



of place to mention here, that it is expected before long 

 another competitor will be in the field — Mr. Hammood, of 

 Kipon, in this county, who has also invented a Reaping Bla- 

 chine, with which he threatens to eclipse both the Ameri- 

 cans. He proposes by his implement to cut and lay into 

 swathe tv\cnty-tvvo acres of corn or grass in ciglit hours 

 (supposing the horses walk three miles an hour) ; and it will 

 require only one man to manage the wrhole, which it is said 

 he can do with -the greatest ease imaginable, without even 

 leaving his seat. — Yorkshire Gazette. 



THE LAST APPENDIX TO -'YANKEE DOODLE." 

 Yankee Doodle sent to Town 



His goods for exhibition ; 

 Everybody ran him down, 



And laugh'd at his position : 

 They thought him all the \\orld behind ; 



A goney, muff, or noodle ; 

 Laugh on, good people — never mind — 



Says quiet Yankee Doodle. 



Chorus. — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



Yankee Doodle had a craft, 



A rather tidy clipper, 

 And he challenged, while they laughed, 



The Britishers to whip her. 

 Their whole yacht-squadron she outsped, 



And that on their own water ; 

 Of all the lot she went aliead, 



And they came nowhere arter. 



Chorus. — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



O'er Panama there was a scheme 



Long talked of, to pursue a 

 Short rsute — which many thought a dream — 



By Lake JNicaraugiia. 

 John Bull discussed the plan on foot, 



With slow irresolution, 

 While Yankee Doodle went and put 



It into execution. 



Chorus. — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



A steamer of the Collins line, 



A Yankee Doodle's notion, 

 Has also quickest cut the brine 



Across the Atlantic Ocean. 

 And British agents, noways slow 



Her merits to discover. 

 Have been and bought her — ^just to tow 



The Cunard packets over. 



Chorus. — Yankee Doodle, &c. 



Your gunsmiths of their skill may crack, 



But that again don't mention , 

 I guess that Colt's revolvers whack 



Their very first invention. 

 By Yankee Doodle, too. you're beat 



Downright in Agriculture, 

 With his machine for reaping wheat, 



Chavv'd up as by a vulture. 



Chorus. — Yankee Doodle, die. 



You also fancied, in your pride, 



Which truly is tarnation, 

 Them British locks of yourn defied 



The rogues of all creation ; 

 But Chubb's and Bramah's Hobbs has pick'd, 



And you must now be viow'd all 

 As having been completely licked 

 By glorious Yankee Doodle. 



Chorus. — Yankee Doodle, &c. 

 — Punch. 



STEAM PLOWING. 



An experiment was made last week, on the Grimsthorpi 

 estate, near Bourne, of the possibility of adopting the pow 

 cr of steam as an instrument in turning and plowing the soil 

 The engine was placed on a moveable tram-road, and bj 

 way of testing flie relative powers, the plow was drawn in 

 one direction by four powerful honses, and contrarily by 

 steam. The horses dragged the implement with much labor, 

 while the engine, of 26 horse power, hurried it back as fist 

 as a man could fairly walk to conduct the plow.- The rwsult 

 was exceedingly satisf ictory, and it appears that two engin^^s, 

 placed parallel at each end of tlie field, would, without diffi- 

 culty, with only a double plow, complete four acres of lan.l 

 in ten hours, and, if required, subsoil it also. Plowing by 

 steam, also posses the advantage of avoiding all indentatinns 

 or basins, as when plowing with horses. To give an idea 



