FAKM IMPLEMENTS. 73 



circumstances more favorable. In view of all these considerations 

 the committee cannot for a moment doubt, when machines are made 

 as complete as they may be, with a reasonable degree of care in the 

 makers and a disinterestedness that shall not demand too large a prof- 

 it, that they will come into general use, in all grass growing districts. 

 The committee are satisfied that it has been unequivocally demon- 

 strated, that one man with a good pair of horses or oxen, suitably 

 trained to the work, can cut one acre of grass an hour, yielding 

 from one to two tons to the acre,— or from 8 to 12 acres per day, 

 under favorable circumstances — at a cost of labor not exceeding 

 fifty cents per acre. 



Suppose the lot to be cut to measure 16 rods by 10 rods — con- 

 taining just one acre — and suppose the machine to cut swarths 

 varying from 3 to 6 feet, then the number of swarths required in 

 the cutting of an acre, will be as follows, according to the width : 



55 swarths, each 3 feet in width. 



50 minutes time being allowed for the cutting of an acre (which is 

 the average time derived from the statements herein noticed) it is 

 apparent that each swarth can be cut in less than one minute. Al- 

 low for turning at the end one-quarter part the time taken in 

 cutting, and it will be matter of demonstration, that with the or- 

 dinary speed of a team at work — say between two and three miles 

 to the hour — an acre of grass can be cut within the time mentioned. 



For the reasons herein before stated, the committee thought it 

 inexpedient to presume to make any award of the premium of $25 

 for the best mowing machine presented at the show. This could 

 not be done without giving a preference, in some respects, to one 

 machine over another. And as the committee are unanimous in 

 the opinion that all the machines are less complete than they should 

 be, they forbear to specify their deficiencies, leaving them to be 

 discovered by mechanics, more expert than themselves. While got 



