548 [Assembly 



in his day, that machine bearing off the ears of wheat by catching 

 them between knives placed at a small distance apart, projecting 

 from the front of a cart which was pushed forward by an ox or 

 oxen. 



The first patent granted in England for reaping machines was 

 to Joseph Boyce of London, in 1799. A series of knives project- 

 ing from the edge of a revolving disk. 



One to Robert Meares of Frome, in Essex, in 1800. One some- 

 what similar. 



One to Thomas James Plucknett of Deptford, August 23, 1805. 

 The cutter, or flat steel plate with keen edge, revolving by means 

 of the wheels of the machine. 



One to Donald Gumming, a farmer in Northumberland, July 

 26, 1811. 



One to Dobbs, an actor, in 1814. He cut wheat with it on the 

 stage of the theatre. 



One to Edwin Budding of Stroud, 1830, to shave lawns. 



One to John Duncan, of London, November 2, 1840. 



One to Charles Phillips of Chipping Norton, Engineer, May 20, 

 1841. 



One to do, 1843. 



One to Matthew Gibson of New Castle onTyne, Aug. 22, 1846. 



One steam mowing machine to Sir John Scott Lillie of Fulham, 

 Middlesex, Oct. 14, 1847. 



Dr. Waterbury : As I disclaim the views attributed to me, in 

 the dictatorial form in which they are reported, permit me to 

 make some brief corrections. The purport of that paper was to 

 the effect : 



That without the use of any foreign fertilizer, produce enough 

 may be sold off from a farm in most portions of the Union to pay 

 the expenses of conducting it j and yet, by judicious management, 

 the soil may be annually improving in condition ; 



That this can be effected easiest in those portions of the Union 

 where the value of land is least, and where, consequently, the 

 farms are largest, and the longest rotations of crops can be pro- 

 fitably resorted to ; 



