Report of the Judges. 203 



CHAPTER X. 



REPORT OF THE JUDGES 



APPOINTED BY THE STATE AGRICULTITRAL SOCIETY OP NEW VORIC TO EXAMINE 

 PLOWS, CULTIYATORS AND HARROWS. 



HISTORY OF THE TRIAL. 



The Society has for several years had it in contemplation to 

 make a thorough trial of the various agricultural implements 

 used for preparing the land for the growth of crops; for putting 

 in the seed; for the distribution of manures, and for severing the 

 crops from the soil, as well as preparing them for market. 



Much delay occurred in prosecuting this design from its 

 inability to procure instruments of sufficient accuracy for determ- 

 ining the actual results obtained in a satisfactory manner. These- 

 difficulties were finally overcome, and instruments were invented 

 and manufactured for the purpose, mainly by Mr. Henry Water- 

 man, of Hudson, the Consulting Engineer of the Society. 



It was at first proposed to make a trial of all the implements 

 in a single year, but it was soon found that this would involve so 

 large an amount of labor, and occupy so much time, that it would 

 be impossible to procure a board of judges who could spare the 

 time from their own private pursuits to do justice to the work 

 assigned to them. 



It was, therefore, resolved to hold a trial of the implements 

 for severiug the crops from the ground and for preparing them 

 for market in the year 1866, at Auburn, and the trial of plows, 

 harrows and cultivators was fixed for the mouth of May, 1867. 



Extensive correspondence was had with the leading manufac- 

 turers of these implements, after which the executive committee 

 prepared a programme, which is given below, and appointed the 

 following gentlemen to act as judges at the trial, viz: 



John Stanton Gould, of Hudson, N. Y., Chairman; Prof 

 Benjamin Pierce, Cambridge, JNIass.; Hon. Elisha R. Potter, 

 Kingston, R. L; Sanford Howard, Lansing, Michigan; Henry 

 Waterman, Hudson, N. Y.; Peter Crispell, Jr., Kingston, N. Y.; 

 George Geddes, Syracuse, N. Y.; Abraham B. Conger, Wald- 

 berg, Rockland county, N. Y.; Joseph McGraw, Jr., Dryden, 

 N. Y.; B. P. Johnson, Albany, X. Y. 



