FARM IMPLEMENTS. 77 



horses, without breaking or injuring the machine, except sometimes 

 gapp'ng or dulling the cutters. 



Early in the season I concluded to compete for the State and 

 County premiums offered for mowing by horse power, and obtained 

 three different mowing machines, viz : Manny's, Ketchum's, and 

 Russell's. After mowing, at several different times, about six 

 acres with each machine, I concluded to use the Manny machine, 

 and return the two others. The Russell machine drew hard, and 

 did not cut the grass as well as either of the others, and appeared 

 to be more likely to get out of repair, as has since proved to be the 

 case. The Ketchum, in my opinion, requires at least one fourth 

 more power to cut the same grass than the Manny machine. In 

 lodged clover the Ketchum does the best work, owing to the iron 

 finger-bar, which allows the clover, when it is badly snarled and 

 twisted together, to free itself without stopping the horses, as is 

 sometimes necessary with the Manny. But in cutting red top and 

 herds grass, yielding from one to three tons per acre, whether it be 

 lodged or standing, the Manny does full as good work, and much 

 the best in all grass yielding less than one ton per acre. 



Taking into the account the power required to work the two 

 machines, and the fact that the Manny machine can be transported 

 on its own wheels as easily from field to field, or on the common 

 roads, as a horse waggon — which I have had occasion to do several 

 times the past season, from one to four miles a day, without injuring 

 it in the least — I think it a great improvement over any other ma- 

 chine which I have seen, especially if a man has to cut grass on 

 several farms, as I have done the past season. The work- 

 manship and materials of the Manny machine, at least the one 

 I used, are much the best of any I have seen ; the wear is hardly 

 perceptible, except in the scythes, in mowing more than one hun- 

 dred acres. I see nothing wanting in the Manny machine except 

 the iron finger-bar, which I understand is to be applied in future, 

 to make it all that is desired, except the price, which is much too 

 high. 



The time required to replace a blade or finger when broke, if 

 suitable tools are in a box attached to the machine as they should 

 be, is not more than ten minutes. The draft of the machine is so 

 easy, I think a pair of horses, weighing not more than nine or ten 



