MECHANIC ARTS. 113 



square piece of iron, with a ferrule welded upon one side, into which 

 was fastened a handle ; an unwieldy, tiresome tool, heavily taxing 

 the muscles of the laborer. Now, a hoe is just what it should be ; a 

 well formed, polished steel plate, rightly proportioned and tempered, 

 lithe, light, and flexible ; with a well formed socket for the handle, 

 and, when finished, it is an ornament. About the same difference 

 may be observed between other agricultural implements of old and 

 modern times. The pitch-fork and manure-fork, formerly, were huge 

 misshapen things, of very clumsy construction, and resembling the 

 fork of " Old Nick," or the trident of Neptune in the picture books. 

 Now, a fork, whether for pitching hay or manure, is as light and pli- 

 able as a willow stem, yet strong and not easily broken. Formerly, 

 all kinds of grain were cut with the sickle and cradle. Now, the 

 I'eaping-machine does the work, in a twentieth part of the time. It 

 was threshed out with the flail, with a great deal of hard, dirty labor, 

 and winnowed with a hand fan, an implement resembling a coal-box 

 with one of its sides knocked out. Now, the threshing-machine and 

 winnowing-mill prepare the grain with much ease and nicety for the 

 granary, with much less cost and labor. By means of better scythes, 

 and the horse-rake, at least one-half the expense of making hay is 

 saved. The cultivator and seed-planter save a vast amount of labor 

 formerly done with the hoe. 



The whole number of specimens of mechanical skill, including im- 

 plements of husbandry, on exhibition, was twenty-seven. To each, 

 your committee awarded a gratuity in money or a copy of the U. S. 

 Patent Oflice Mechanical Report. We have space to notice only a 

 few of the articles. 



Mr. Porter Dickinson, of Amherst, exhibited a corn-sheller of 

 original design, patented by himself. We think it the best ever pre- 

 sented to the farmers of Massachusetts. Years ago, corn was shelled 

 by hand. With a basket of ears before him, an ear of corn in one 

 hand and a cob in the other, the fanner sat by his kitchen fire and 

 shelled corn the long winter evening, making a fire with the cobs. 

 Now, with a good corn-sheller, twenty bushels can be shelled as fast 

 as one by hand. Mr. Charles H. Bangs, of Amherst, entered a new 

 style of cheese-press, which we think very superior. Mr. Levi Ad- 

 ams, of Hadlcy, displayed an ingenious churn, with a double action 

 of centrifugal and centripetal forces, which w# think will do its work 

 with despatch. Mr. Daniel Ballard, of Wendell, entered an apple- 

 corer, which should be introduced into every family. Graves & 

 Hatch, of Leverett, a lot of elegant hoes ; Mr. David S. Cowles, of 



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