ON AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS. 59 



exhibited to one of the committee for a premium, a 

 wheel hand rake, of which he claims to be the in- 

 ventor, and which appears, by the certificates annex- 

 ed, to have been used and approved by practical 

 farmers. 



This rake is altogether different from the horse 

 rake, but like that, is a great labor-saving machine. 

 It is propelled by hand, by means of a pair of long 

 handles or shafts, by which it is pushed along. The 

 wheels are two feet in diameter, and support an 

 axle-tree from eight to ten feet in length. To this 

 axle-tree the teeth, thirty four in number and of 

 steel, are attached; they are about eighteen inches 

 long, slightly curved upwards where they meet the 

 ground, and at their junction with the axle-tree 

 have a slight play up and down, so as to pass stones 

 and other obstructions without injury or impediment. 

 A number of upright iron rods, say a foot long, are 

 also inserted in the axle-tree, to receive the hay as 

 it is taken up by the teeth. The only operation 

 necessary for dropping the hay after the rake is filled, 

 is to draw the rake towards you ; by depressing the 

 handles or shafts, the teeth, on the opposite side, 

 are elevated, and you pass on without any material 

 delay. In this particular, the wheels perform an 

 important part, facilitating the passage of the rake 

 over the hay thus deposited. Indeed, by means of 

 the wheels, the rake glides along easily and rapidly, 

 requiring not so much labor as the common hand 

 rake to use it, while the work it performs is three or 

 four times greater in amount. 



It is, therefore, recommended that the premium 

 of ten dollars be awarded Moses N. Adams, of 

 Newbury, for his wheel hand rake. Whether or not 

 it shall accomplish, on longer trial, the objects it 

 designs and come into general use, it certainly evin- 

 ces so much ingenuity in its plan and construction, 

 as to merit the encouragement of this society. 



It was with surprise, not to say regret, that no 

 other agricultural implements, the new fruits of do- 



