No. 151.] 175 



of a machine; take for instance, a plow furnished with a dynamometer 

 to measure the draft, a regulating clevis to guage the width and depth 

 of the furrow, and a changeable with a right hand, and left hand 

 mould board, and you have what would be called thirty years ago, a 

 machine plow. 



In the numerous varieti^es of plows in use, we now find one adapted 

 to every variety of work to be done by it; we have the side hill, the 

 plain, the subsoil, the sward land, and the cross plow. Forty years ago 

 we had but two general kinds, distinguished and known as the coulter 

 and the bull plow. 



At the present time we have in the aggregate of all that are in 

 use, a convenient plow for all purposes to which the varied quali- 

 ties of our soil, or the diversified surface of the ground may require, 

 and to these we might add if we had time, a long list of other improve- 

 ments in agricultural and farming implements, which have under- 

 gone a corresponding advance, but these do not strictly belong to our 

 subject and we pass them. 



Before leaving this branch of our subject, we will notice one oth- 

 er machine onlv. The water ram has of late years been applied to 

 farming and rural purposes, and should be noticed as among the use- 

 ful machines of the age. In situations where a small stream of wa- 

 ter passes through a farm, the advantages of this hydraulic device 

 may be secured at no great expense, for elevating and conveying a 

 supply of water to the houses, barns, stables and gardens of such 

 farms, and become to them in the fullest extent, what the Croton is 

 to New- York city. 



These water rams act upon the percussion principle, by which a 

 very low head of water in the stream may be elevated several hun- 

 dred feet, and distributed upon the table lands above for the purpose 

 of irrigation, as well as for a supply for the purposes stated; the 

 subject is well worth the attention of agriculturists and persons own- 

 ing country seats.- 



Such has been the progress in improvements in machines as ap- 

 plied to one of the great wants of man — food, — alluded to at our 

 commencement. 



We now pass to notice the improvements in machinery for archi- 

 tectural construction, embraced under the third general head of our 

 subject, " shcUer." 



