8 American Economic Association [806 



very recent years that agricultural implement dealers 

 have ventured to send out any reaping machine without 

 sending also an expert operator to instruct the purchaser 

 in its use. 1 



The two-horse corn cultivator began to come into use 

 in 1 86 1. 2 There are evidences, too, that other farm 

 machines were coming into use at that time. 3 But dur- 

 ing the Civil War from 1861 to 1864 the minds of in- 

 ventors as well as of the working classes were given to 

 other matters. 4 



From 1866 onward progress in the invention and use 

 of agricultural machinery has been by more rapid 

 strides, yet even so late as the year 1870 the editor of 

 the " New American Farm Book " 5 questioned the advis- 

 ability of using the large threshing machines because of 

 the "great loss of grain and enormous waste of straw >J 

 which were apt to result, and cautioned his readers 

 particularly against " employing itinerate threshers, who 

 go about the country to do work." For the " moderate 

 farmer " he advised the use of " a small single or double 

 horse machine or hand thresher " as the more economical 

 and as permitting the work to be done " in winter, where 

 there is more leisure for it." 



To-day the American farmer who does not use a 

 machine of some sort is indeed far behind the times. 

 The farmers of the far West have profited most of all. 



1 Report of the Industrial Commission, Vol. XI, p. 78. 



2 "Illinois Farmer" for 1 86 1, p. 178. 



3 Eighth Census, Preliminary Report, p. 99. 



4 The Patent Office records through the period of the Civil War 

 show a marked decrease in the number of patents issued for agricul- 

 tural implements and machines and a very great increase in the num- 

 ber of patents issued for firearms and other weapons of warfare. 



5 R. A. Allen's " New American Farm Book" (published in 1870), 

 p. 150. 



