34 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. 



tive advance, but still most of the reapers, as well as the 

 mowers, did very inferior work. The draught in them all 

 was very heavy, while some of the best of them had a side- 

 drausfht that was destructive to the team. 



BEFORE THE WORLD. 



The inventive genius of the country was stimulated by 

 these trials to an extraordinary degree of activity. Patents 

 began to multiply rapidly. Local trials took place every 

 year in various parts of the country to test the merits of the 

 several machines. The great Liternational Exposition at 

 Paris in 1855 was an occasion not to be overlooked by an en- 

 terprising inventor, and the American machines, imperfect as 

 they were at that time, were brought to trial there in compe- 

 tition with the world. The scene of this trial was on a field 

 of oats about forty miles from Paris, each machine having 

 about an acre to cut. Three machines were entered for the 

 first trial, one American, one English, and a third from Al- 

 giers, all at the same time raking as well as cutting. The 

 American machine did its work in twenty-two minutes, the 

 English in sixty-six, and the Algerian in seventy-two. 



At a subsequent trial on the same piece, three other ma- 

 chines were entered, of American, English, and French man- 

 ufacture, when the American machine did its work in twenty- 

 two minutes, while the two others failed. "The successful 

 competitor on this occasion," says a French journal, " did its 

 work in the most exquisite manner, not leaving a single stalk 

 ungathered, and it discharged the grain in the most perfect 

 shape, as if placed by hand for the binders. It finished its 

 piece most gloriously." The contest was finally narrowed 

 down to three machines, all American. Two machines were 

 afterwards converted from reapers into mowers, one making 

 the change in one minute, the other in twenty. Both per- 

 formed their task to the astonishment and satisfiiction of a 

 large concourse of spectators, and the judges could hardly re- 

 strain their enthusiasm, but cried out "Good, good!" 

 " Well done ! " while the excited people who looked on hur- 

 rahed for the American reaper, crying out, " That's the ma- 

 chine ! " " That's the machine ! " The report of a French 

 agricultural journal said: "All the laurels, wo are free to 



