ECONOMY OF LABOR. 297 



continually having the results of the most scientific and practi- 

 cal agriculturists collected from various sources and scattered 

 broadcast over the land. We have our Board of Agriculture, 

 our agricultural societies and farmers' clubs, which are dis- 

 cussing the different branches of agriculture. 



Heretofore this has received little or no attention, while the 

 professions and other branches of business have held their con- 

 ventions, discussed their several interests, collected and diffused 

 information, invented, sought out and introduced the improve- 

 ments in machinery by which they were enabled to be more 

 successful in their different branches of business. At length 

 the farmer began to awake to the greater importance of his 

 calling, and to see that to carry on his business successfully he 

 must seek better implements and all the machinery that can 

 be used successfully and economically in all the farm interests. 



The great crop of Massachusetts, and the one that exceeds all 

 others in value and importance, is the grass crop, so that the 

 attention of the farmer is turned to the improvement of his 

 mowing and pasture lands. He seeks to increase the quantity, 

 improve the quality, and economize in securing it. Until re- 

 cently the grass was all cut by hand labor, tended by hand labor, 

 raked by hand labor and handled by hand labor, which involved 

 an amount of hard work which was really objectionable, and at 

 a season of the year when the heat of summer invited to the 

 cooling shade and less active exertions. 



The introduction of machinery and horse instead of man 

 power has greatly reduced the labor of man. The mowing- 

 machine, the tedder, the rake and fork, all of which are oper- 

 ated by horse-power, decreasing manual labor, and rendering 

 the hay season a much more delightful part of the year. Then 

 come the cows, from hillsides and valleys, inviting the dairyman 

 with his pails, and a preparation in-doors for the reception of 

 the milk, and its manufacture into butter or cheese. This 

 formerly was attended with great care and almost constant 

 labor ; and sometimes, while bending over the cheese-tub, the 

 remarks would escape the lips of the dairywoman : " Too much 

 hard work about cheese-making." 



But within a few years this difficulty has been obviated. 

 Cheese-factories have arisen in various sections, where machinery 

 is brought into use, and where the art of cheese-making is 



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