PR0CEEDIN03 OF THE FARMER^ ClUB. 179 



TEIAL OF FEED CUTTERS. 



The trial of feed cutters, under the auspices of the American 

 Institute, came off at the residence of Josiah H. Macy, Eye, West- 

 chester county, N. Y., April 18. The entries of machines were as 

 follows: Three feed cutters, by George Hovey, New York city; 

 eight cutters, by " Peekskill Plow Works; " one Hunt's Hoosier 

 cutter, by J. D. Burdick, New Haven, Conn., to operate both by 

 hand power and horse power; one Telegraph feed cutter from 

 Griffing & Co., New York city; one Daniel's feed cutter, by Johu 

 Vanderbilt, New York city. 



The committee, consisting of N. C. Ely, W. S. Carpenter, Wm. 

 H. Smith, Josiah H. Macy, W. P. Peck, and S. Edwards Todd, 

 chose the following points of merit as a common standard for 

 judging of the quality of the different machines: First, the capa- 

 bility of the cutter to chaff' both hay and com stalks; second, the 

 capability of the machine to cut fodder long or short; third, the 

 durability of the machine; fourth, the price of machine; fifth, 

 the capability of the cutter to be operated by either horse or hand 

 power. 



Hovey's No. 5 hand power cutter, turned by one man and fed by 

 two men, cut twelve pounds of hay in sixty-five seconds. The 

 man who turned the machine exerted all his strength. This 

 machine has eight knives, the edges of which cut against a hide 

 roller, and the cut is about one and three-eighths of an inch long. 

 On a second trial, this machine cut eighteen pounds of hay in one 

 minute. This cutter cut, also in one minute, twelve and a half 

 pounds of corn stalks, about one and a half inches long. One of 

 the smallest machines of this kind cut nine pounds of stalks in one 

 minute, when turned by one man and fed by two men. 



The next machine tested was Gale's feed cutter, No. A, with one 

 knife, cutting against a copper plate. In one minute, with one man 

 to turn and another to feed, this machine cut eight pounds of corn 

 stalks, about one and three-quarter inches in length. 



The next was Gale's No. 1 hand cutter, turned by one man and 

 fed by another. This cutter has three knives, cutting against 

 copper, and it cut six and a half pounds of corn stalks in one 

 minute, and seven and a half pounds of hay in one minute. 



Hovey's No. 1 six-knife cutter was then tried, with one man to 

 turn and one to feed, and it cut eleven pounds of hay in one 

 minute. The knives of this cutter work against a rawhide roller. 



Hovey's No. 3 cutter was tested next. One man fed and one 



