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the intelligent thinking man he has ever been, nor has his 

 thinking failed to ripen into practical effort for the improvement 

 of his condition. 



The inventive English farmer, Mr. Trull, has been followed 

 by many among ourselves who, feeling the want of some im- 

 plement of better construction than could be found, have suc- 

 ceeded in producing it. Mr. Nourse, of the old firm of Ruggles, 

 Nourse & Mason, modelled his famous plow in potatoes. Feel- 

 ing sure some better plow could be made than he had, he set to 

 work to make a pattern. A basket of large potatoes and his 

 jack-knife were the means b} r which he secured the model of the 

 plow that the older men among us often speak of as the stan- 

 dard by which all other plows came to be judged. 



Scientific experiments have given some curious results. For 

 instance, the exhibition by Prof. Mapes at the fair of the 

 American Institute in 1834 of samples of sugar made from the 

 juice of the corn stalk, starch, linen rags and wood fibre. 



Looking for the great inventions which in recent years have 

 improved the condition of the farmer by increasing his power 

 to do work by animal strength, instead of human muscle, the 

 mowing machine stands first in our local agriculture with its as- 

 sociates the tedder and rake. The sulky plow, the various disk 

 and smoothing harrows which the operator rides, give a rest 

 from some of the severer labor which formerly was required in 

 the several lines of farm work. 



The great increase in the milk business within the last twenty 

 years confers a much appreciated blessing upon us by giving a 

 constant source of ready money. Though the profits are small, 

 yet were the sale of milk stopped or reduced to the amount of 

 twenty-five years ago, many men would be unable to continue 

 their business. Creameries afford the same advantage to those 

 too far from market to sell milk with certainty. To the country 

 at large, the development of the grain trade with Europe has 

 been of immense advantage. While the foreign trade in cattle 

 and dressed meats have contributed greatly to the prosperity 



