FARM IMPLEMENTS. 245 



merits. Ketchiim's I have given a fair trial, having used it for 

 the last three years ; after making an important alteration in 

 the fingers, substituting wrought for cast iron, I found it an 

 excellent machine, with two exceptions : that of being very 

 heavy, unnecessarily so, fatiguing and worrying the horses 

 much in draft ; and that of clogging often and badly, in thick 

 or wet grass. To free it of this last fault, requires a backward 

 motion of the machine to clear it of the grass, which is very 

 awkward for the driver and hard for the horses. This difficulty 

 does not occur in working Allen's machine, which gives it a 

 superiority over Ketchum's. When in proper order, it cuts 

 smoother, cleaner and closer than Allen's, more particularly in 

 second crop. 



" In consequence of breaking an important piece of machinery 

 in Ketchum's, and finding I should be delayed in cutting my 

 first crop if I attempted to repair it, I was induced to purchase 

 Allen's machine, and with it finished cutting my grass. This 

 gave me a fair opportunity of testing its ability for work, and I 

 must acknowledge it gave very general satisfaction ; so I did 

 not grudge the money it cost, as I found it lighter, and very 

 much easier for the horses in draft, than Ketchum's, and it will 

 accomplish much more work than the latter, in the same time ; 

 and I therefore give it decidedly the preference over the latter, 

 at the same cost. 



" Allen's, however, admits of some improvements. It does 

 not cut the grass as close as it should, on the score of economy, 

 and leaves too much uncut. This is a serious fault, in my 

 opinion, and should be remedied ; the knives should be lower 

 and nearer to the sod, and made to rise and fall as necessity 

 requires. 



" With a suggestion and hint to the manufacturer, I shall 

 close. Nearly all the implements now made for farming pur- 

 poses, I think, are made somewhat like ' Peter Pindar's razors,' 

 — to sell. To the farmer who has no money to throw away on 

 useless inventions, it is a serious matter for him to purchase a 

 mower, and at the moment when most needed have it fail him ; 

 for it is well known he must ' make hay while the sun shines,' 

 for but a few days in July can be depended on with certainty. 

 Therefore, the manufacturers of all implements should look 

 well to the material they use, and see that none but good, sound 



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