304 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 



Exhibition of 1851. Various other inventors have assisted in 

 improving this implement, and in 1873 the first wire binder 

 was exhibited in Europe by the American, W. A. Wood, wire 

 soon giving place to string owing to the outcry of farmers and 

 millers. The self-binding reaper is the most ingenious of 

 agricultural machines, and has been of enormous benefit to 

 farmers in saving labour. Though the hay-tedding machine 

 was invented in 1814 it is only during the last thirty years 

 that its use has become common, the spread of the mowing 

 machine making it a necessity, cutting the grass so fast that 

 only a very large number of men with the old forks could 

 keep up with it. The tedder also rendered raking by hand 

 too slow, and the horse-rake, patented first in 1841, has im- 

 mensely improved in the last thirty years. 



Another enormous labour saver is the hay and straw elevator, 

 having endless chains furnished with carrying forks at intervals 

 of a few feet, driven by horse gear. The steam cultivator 

 invented by John Fowler is much used, but cannot be said to 

 have superseded the ordinary working stock of the farm, 

 though for deep ploughing on large farms of heavy land it is 

 invaluable. Improvements in dairying appliances have also 

 been great, but the English farmer has generally fought shy 

 of factories or creameries, so that his butter still lacks the 

 uniform quality of his foreign rivals. 



In manures the most important innovation in the last gen- 

 eration has been the constantly growing use of basic slag, 

 formerly left neglected at the pit mouth and now generally 

 recognized as a wonderful producer of clover. 



Most of the suggestions of the Commission of 1879 were 

 carried into effect. Rents were largely reduced, so that 

 between 1880 and 1884 the annual value of agricultural land 

 in England sank ;^5,75o,ooo.^ Grants were made by the 

 Government in aid of local burdens, cottages were improved 

 although the landowners' capital was constantly dwindling, 

 * R. A. S. E. Journal (1901), p. 33. Cf. infra, p. 310. 



