AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. 255 



and in the succeeding ones derided and ridiculed as book- 

 learning and fancy farming, have now become a part of our 

 common education, and are taught to the children in the 

 schools and applied by the fathers on the farms. 



While the acquirement of this scientific knowledge has 

 tended to elevate and expand the ideas of the farmers, im- 

 proved machinery as an adjunct has enabled them to employ 

 more brain work in the management of their farms, at the 

 same time reducing the amount of the severest physical 

 labor, while increasing their productiveness. 



For of what avail would be the largest accumulation of 

 scientific theories without the means of carrying them into 

 practical operation and making them available for our necessi- 

 ties ? They would be like those beautiful visions which some- 

 times appear to the exhausted traveller on a desert plain, 

 when famished with thirst, tempting him with a delusive 

 view of " water in a dry and thirsty land where no water is," 

 as unapproachable and unattainable as the fair fields of the 

 " promised land " were to the prophet, sage and warrior, who 

 from Nebo's lonely mountain longingly gazed at them with 

 the melancholy consciousness that they could never be with- 

 in his occupation nor under his control. 



While agricultural chemistry has shown us the possibilities 

 of improvement and success in our farming, agricultural 

 machinery and implements have given us opportunities which 

 we have so largely and successfully used in combination with 

 our scientific knowledge, as to have placed ourselves and our 

 Commonwealth in the foremost rank of scientific agriculture 

 in the United States. 



The Chairman. If any gentleman has any questions to 

 ask Mr. Grinnoll, he will be glad to answer them, or if 

 any one has any remarks to make in regard to agricultural 

 implements, now is a good time to make them. 



Mr. HiLLMAN. I would like to ask Mr. Giinnell if he 

 knows a good corn-planter, that will plant corn well and drop 

 the fertilizer at the same time. 



Mr. GuiNNELL. We had one in the valley here, and it is 

 usc'd somewhat now. It is the Woodward or Blaney ma- 

 chine. One was an improvement on the other. It would 

 drop fine fertilizers, like ashes, reasonably well. I under- 



