FARM IMPLEMENTS. 237 



is safe to estimate, that one-half of the labor may be saved, in 

 the cutting, spreading, and raking of hay, by the use of machinery 

 best fitted for this purpose, moved by horse-power. 



To encourage the introduction of such machines, the trus- 

 tees have for several years offered liberal premiums, from the 

 fund created for this purpose by the discriminating generosity 

 of the president of the society. And when it was fully ex- 

 pended, so strongly were they impressed with the importance 

 of these offers, that to a certain extent they kept the door 

 open for further experiments. Fully impressed with the trust 

 committed to our charge, we have spared no pains in calling 

 attention to the subject ; and on several occasions, the present 

 season, have witnessed highly interesting experiments ; the 

 premiums having been offered for experiments only — statements 

 in writing of which to be furnished to the committee. Of these, 

 we have been favored only with three, all of which are ap- 

 pended to this report, and will be examined with an interest 

 proportioned to their minuteness of detail. 



J. W. Proctor, Chairman. 



Statement of Samuel A. Merrill. 



Allen's Mower. — I present for the premium offered by your 

 society, AUen''s Mower iviih latest improvements., the same that 

 I have used the past season on my own and my neighbors' lands. 

 I have used it with a span of horses that I have owned for 

 several years, weighing about 1,000 pounds each. 



During the past hay season I have cut about 300 acres ; all 

 but 75 acres of which were cut with this machine, the remain- 

 der with the old Allen machine. I have used the same horses 

 throughout the season, and they remained in as good condition 

 as when they commenced. I have averaged when at work 

 from ten to twelve acres per day, and this without over-working 

 the team. The average yield of the grass was about a ton and 

 a half to the acre. 



Although my average time to the acre has been about fifty 

 minutes, yet I have several times cut an acre yielding a ton, in 

 thirty minutes. 



I had to grind the knives once a day, occupying about half 

 an hour, and sharpen them with a whet-stone occasionally, as 

 they needed it. 



