FAKMING IMrLEMENTS. 49 



FARMING IMPLEMENTS. 



DAYID DEXTER' S REPORT. 



This department of the Mechanic Arts presents claims of para- 

 mount importance As a part of the exhibition, it may well excite 

 admiration, improve the taste, gratify the pride and promote the ma- 

 terial interests of an industrious people. Improved farm implements 

 measure the progress of civilization. The scale of social elevation 

 of nations, attained in England, France, the United States and in In- 

 dia or Turkey, is indicated by ths farm tools, used in those countries. 

 With the rude plow of half-civilized nations, the most skilful would 

 fail to turn the furrow as we have seen it turned to-day, and all the 

 noble oxen from Leverett could not stir the subsoil. In the construc- 

 tion of agricultural implements, inventive genius and enterprise have 

 been tasked. What was once made by any one, who could use a 

 saw or strike an anvil, is now made in large manufacturing establish- 

 ments, with expensive machinery. The rapid succession of improve- 

 ments has been truly astonishing. If the old patterns of hoes, 

 shovels, manure and hay forks, fanning mills, ploughs and wagons, 

 spinning wheels and looms — used a quarter of a century since, could 

 be collected and shown at our annual fair, beside our improved im- 

 plements, the exhibition would be amusing, as well as useful. Shall 

 it be done at the next exhibition of the Hampshire Society? Some 

 articles have beeni mproved, and others entirely superseded by new 

 intentions. The hand cards, hand looms and spinning wheels have 

 been safely stowed in the garret, unless perchance the rim of the latter 

 be used to expand garments it once helped to fabricata. The 

 sickle and flail give place to the reaper and the threshing machine. 

 Mr. Stetson's mowing machine indicates that even the scythe may be 

 numbered among the things which were. Mr. Stetson has an im- 

 portant improvement. It has not been thoroughly tested, but a trial 

 of it during exhibition showed its decided superiority over a Ketch- 

 urn's machine, which competed with it. It may have been in view of 

 some such machine, that the Irishman asserted that the easiest work 

 he ever did, was to see a Yankee mow. 



