14 THE EQUIPMENT OF THE FAEM. 



extends back over the axle of the wheels with an expanded 

 mouth, so as to permit of the grass being thrown a little up- 

 wards behind the machine, the better to spread it over the 

 ground. This greatly prevents clogging ; but if the crop is ripe 

 the grass seed is liable to be threshed out against the hood. 



Horse Rakes are now made to load and discharge them- 

 selves, thus permitting the driver either to ride upon, or 

 walk behind the machine. There are several plans for 

 effecting this. A break may be put upon the wheels by a 

 foot tread, so as to prevent it rotating ; and then the pull 

 of the horse, the wheel acting as a lever, raises the tines, 

 the pitch of which is adjustable (Howard) ; or the tines 

 work in a rocking frame, and by a foot tread the driver 

 can rock this frame and thus unload his rake at pleasure. 



Drag rakes hauled by a strap over the shoulder, have 

 steel teeth the rake head, stay bars, and handle being 

 made of wood. Light hand rakes are made wholly of 

 wood. Gathering forks for windrowing rye-grass and 

 clover have three steel prongs for going under the swathe, 

 with a vertical one for pushing the swathe forward. Hand 

 pitchforks are of different sizes, the prongs being of the 

 best steel and handles of ash or some light tough wood. 



Horse pitchforks for unloading carts and waggons in the 

 stackyard are now provided after various designs. 



Hay-loaders have long been used in America. A traveller 

 band of rakes, like a straw elevator, raises the hay, dis- 

 charging it on to a cart or waggon behind, at the side, or 

 in front. They have not hitherto been adopted here. 



Harvesting Machines. The mowing machines of dif- 

 ferent makers, although differing in detail, have a close 



