234 [Assembly 



leaves the straw upon the land and the heads require less labor 

 to thresh. 



Judge Meigs read a letter upon the subject of manures. The 

 writer thinks highly of all concentrated fertilizers, but thinks 

 they will always prove far more valuable when used in connec- 

 tion with farm yard manures. He also spoke highly of the use 

 for grass of unleached ashes, by wdiich he doubled the crop. 



Paul Stillman, of the Novelty Works, observed that rotary cut- 

 ters would be preferable to those of Wagoner's harvester. He 

 compared the action of the vibrating cutters formerly used to 

 shear cloths to those. They were so severe in action as to shake 

 the building where they were employed. An ancestor of mine 

 invented vibrating shears for cloth, and took out a patent. 



The Chairman said that it might be well to have a lighter har- 

 vester and mower, one that could be propelled by one horse. 

 The machines are much wanted, for good mowers are scarce and 

 charge high, and large quantities of hay are either injured or 

 wholly lost for want of being mowed at the proper time. I think 

 it would be a good plan for two or three farmers to join in the 

 purchase of a first machine for their common use. 



Mr. Solon Robinson said that one of his friends at Bedford had 

 one which readily accommodated itself to uneven surfaces. Why 

 cannot a machine be made to cut grass, while mowing, into short 

 pieces ? Ketchum's machine creeps over stones as large as my 

 head with ease ; it acts like a sled in that. 



The Chairman called up the subject of the day, viz : " The re- 

 lation which an increase of crops bears to national prosperity." 



Upon this subject Mr. Geo. E. Waring, Jr., of New Jersey, a 

 late student of Prof. Mapes, and author of a new elementary 

 work upon agricultural education, made the following remarks : 



Mr. Chairman, the subject of the day is one of more general 

 importance than any which has for a long period engaged the at- 

 tention of this club. Combining, as it does, a review of past ex- 



