32 



material feature in their claims. The horses which drew Hussey's ma- 

 chine was driven by a man riding on the near horse, and were kept at 

 a fast walk, which we estimated at nearly four miles per hour certain- 

 ly at a speed far exceeding the ordinary walk of regular cart horses, 

 and this speed appeared necessary to insure efficient working; a re- 

 quirement which must be very distressing to heavy horses. McCor- 

 mick's, on the contrary, was driven by a man seated on a machine at 

 the ordinary pace of cart horses (say, 2% miles per hour), a rate at 

 which a pair of horses might work for a whole day as at the plow, and 

 with as little distress." 



Another great trial was held in 1852, at Driffield, England, and the 

 committee reported: 



" Your committee are further of opinion, that from the violent 

 reverbatory motion imparted to every part of Hussey's machine, dura- 

 bility is not to be expected, and th at the form of the serrated cutters 

 in McCormick's machine is far preferable to the deeply indented, 

 smooth edged cutters in Hussey's, and that they will not nearly so often 

 need renewing." 



In the account of the annual exhibition of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society in 1853, published in the Farmers' Magazine, it is stated: 



" Mr. Hussey, the American, also made some excellent work with 

 his improved machine, which is completely altered (by its English 

 maker) since the great exhibition- . . . The speed of the cutting 

 knives is increased so that the horses may go one-fourth slower. The 

 knife used in America, where the climate is very dry, and the crops light, 

 was formed to cut an angle of 20 degrees. It is now made to cut at an 

 angle of 45 degrees, and with sickled edges to suit the moist condition 

 of the heavier crops and humid climate of Great Britain. This form 

 of knife or cutter is not only better adapted for greenish crops in wet 

 or dry weather, but it greatly reduces the liability to clog." 



In the Mechanics' Magazine of May 22, 1858, there is a long dis- 

 cussion on reaping machines. In speaking of Hussey the article states: 



" The knife of the McCormick consists of a series of very short,, 

 obtuse, angular blades, so as to form a cutting edge, which does not 

 depart very considerably from a straight line. The whole of the cutting 

 edges are finely serrated after the m anner of the sickle edge. The cut 

 is what is known as a 'draw cut' in opposition to the chopping action 

 of the Hussey knife. . . . In cutting, MlcCormick's reaper has this 

 great advantage, that the knife would never clog in damp, foul crops, 

 while the Hussey machines would only cut when the crop was dry." 



The same article says of the Bell machine : 



*' This machine had lain dormant for many years. That it was 



