56 



petltors. Surely, we have farmers in the courity who are 

 not ashamed to exhibit the tools they work with, but who 

 are perfectly willing to let it be known that it is good econ- 

 omy for them to buy only the best. But not to enlarge on 

 this point, we will proceed to give some account of the im- 

 plements that were on exhibition, with the award of premi- 

 ums therefor. 



The rhost novel implement presented for our inspection was 

 a Potato Digger, operated by two horses, in a rough piece of 

 ground where the potatoes were raised in drills. The machine 

 run on a pair of high wheels in the rear, so as to pass freely 

 over the vines. The Digger was simply a sort of shovel- 

 plough, which worked under the potatoes, bringing them up 

 over it and thence through a set of iron fingers behind, so as 

 to free them of the dirt. The driver rode on the machine, 

 but was sometimes obliged to jump off, owing to its sudden 

 tilting. This might, perhaps, be obviated by making the 

 body of the machine longer. Under the circumstances, it 

 operated well. Very few of the potatoes were cut or in- 

 jured. Some few were left in the ground, owing to its in- 

 equalities. But on level ground, such as some of the culti- 

 vated plains in Marblehead and Danvers — free from rocks 

 and seeded at a uniform depth — this machine would do good 

 service. We ihink its inventor deserves great credit for his 

 perseverance for many years in endeavors to perfect it. He 

 has devoted himself to it with that enthusiastic faith in its 

 possibility that will make it, if it has not already made it, an 

 accomplished fact. We award, therefore, the highest gratuity 

 lof $8 for this horse Potato-Digger, to S. S. Hicock, of Me- 

 thuen, its inventor. 



Next came a group of ploughs and other farm implements, 

 all of the latest and most approved patterns, and of the best 

 material and workmanship, from Joel Nourse, a citizen of 

 Lynn, in our own county, but having his agricultural ware- 

 house in Boston. To Mr. Nourse is awarded a gratuity of $5. 



A highly attractive feature in the Farm Implement depart- 



