AND HORTICULTURAL REGISTER. 



PUlSiJSHED BY JOSEPH BKECK & CO., NO. 52 NORTH MARKET STREET, (AoBicuLtDRAL Warehouse.) 

 BOSTON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 0, 1839. 



two. 18. 



AGRICULTURAL. 



ORCESTER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



■port of the Committee on Tools, Agricultural Im- 

 plements, and .Machinery. 

 Jolii! Davis, Worcester, Chairman; Silaa Allen, 

 rewsbury ; John C. Whitin, Nortlibridge; Moses 

 :iipton, Soiithbridge ; Joel Nourse, VVorcestei'. 

 The committee on Tools, Agricultural Imple- 

 !n*s, and Machinery, beg leave to submit the fol- 

 .'■'.ng as their report. 



The committee have examined the tools, imple- 

 ;nt3 and machinery, submitted to their inspection, 

 th as much care as the time and circumstances 

 mid allow, and in some instances, witnessed sat- 

 actory tests of their usefulness. 

 The exhibition was, in many respects, full and 

 cellent ; but in others less attention has been de- 

 ted to it by the makers of agricultural tools than 

 desirable. The great object is to obtain tools 

 at will perform the most and best work at the 

 ast expense of labor and power. It is, in truth, 

 bstituting mechanical skill for physical strength, 

 id thus husbanding with good economy the re- 

 urces of man and beast, and making theiu accom- 

 ish more and more by every useful improvement, 

 his is often done by diminishing the size and 

 eight of tools : often by modifying their form ; 

 id often by the union of both. The ordinary tools 

 " the husbandman have, within the last twenty 

 Jars, been so much improved by the skill of inge- 

 ous mechanics, that a farmer would almost excite 

 le ridicule of his neighbors, who should attempt to 

 itain those of the old model in his fields. 



The attention of the connnittee was early arres.'^- 

 d by a large exhibition of ploughs from the manu- 

 ictory of Messrs. Ruggles, Naurso & Mason, of 

 Vorcester, who are well and favorably known to 

 jirmers in most parts of the United Stites. These 

 I entlemen have, during the past year, improved 

 heir ploughs by adopting the leading characteris- 

 ic of Jethro Wood's mould board, which gives a 

 traight line from the share to the other end, and 

 ly lengthening the mould board and the land side. 

 The advantages which result from these changes 

 ■vill be apparent, when the plough is viewed as a 

 ■^edge which is first to separate, and then to turn 

 )ver the soil. This it does by a combined opera- 

 ion, and it is obviously better that the friction of 

 ;he furrow slice upon the mould board should be 

 equal, than that it should be encountered at two 

 points, as in the concave mould boards. The ef- 

 fect of lengthening the irons, the committee is per- 

 suaded, will be lokeep the plough more steady in 

 ita work and lay over more smoothly the furrow 

 slice. 



These gentlemen exhibited nine sizes of this im- 

 proved plough, ranging from a heavy strong plough, 

 capable of the severest service, to a plough for the 

 gardener. They also exhibited four sizes of the 

 side-hill or swivel plough, which has passed through 

 the same improvements, and is rapidly recommend- 

 ing itselfto farmers for all kinds of work, as itleaves 



no banks nor gutters. They also exhibited two 

 sizes of the cultivator, in an improved form; one 

 for the field and one for the garden. Their exten- 

 sive sales of this implement, as well as of the 

 ploughs, is the best test of their usefulness, and of 

 the just estimation in which they are held by the 

 public. The also exhibited a plough for paring 

 low grounds, covered with moss, bog or other veg'- 

 etahle substances which it is desirable to destri^ ; 

 and the committee are of opinion that it will be a 

 valuable acquisition to the farmer. They also ex- 

 hibited a drill barrow for sowing turnips and onions, 

 which answers a useful purpose. 



These, as well as all the tools made by these 

 gentlemen which have fallen under the observation 

 of the committee, are distinguished for neat and 

 tasteful workmanship, as well as for strength and 

 durability. They renounced all claim to any pre- 

 mium or gratuity from the society, being willing to 

 enrich the exhibition, and trust to their own great 

 merits as mechanics for that public patronage to 

 wliich the committee think they have justly entitled 

 themselves. a 



There were two Exceedingly good straw cutters 

 presented for exhibition, one by Mr Boynton, and 

 the other by William Hovey, of Worcester. Mr 

 Boynton's has, we understsnd, been in use for a 

 considerable period of time, and does its work well 

 and with great despatch, though they had no oppor- 

 tunity of seeing it operate. They saw Mr Hovey's 

 perform, and were much pleased with the simplicity 

 of the arrangement and the rapidity with which it 

 cut hay, straw, corrt stalks, &c., and were satisfied 

 that it will prove a most useful machine to the far- 

 mer, being easily adjusted and kept in order, while 

 a man can conveniently keep it in motion and feed 

 it. 'i"he committee had no doubt that the food of 

 a stock of cattle, such as is kept by most farmers, 

 could be cut with very little, additional loss of time 

 beyond the usual labor of feeding without cutting, 

 and recommend it to farmers as worthy of their no- 

 tice. 



A corn planter and seed sower was exhibited by 

 George F. Lewis, of Boston, and the committee 

 were pleased with the apparent perfection of the 

 construction and its apparent capacity to answer 

 the great purpose for which it is designed. It 

 opens the furrow, aropsthe corn, and covers it, as 

 the horse moves on, and all this is done with as 

 much ease and despatch as you can furrow one 

 way. It therefore strongly recommends itself on 

 the score of economy, and the committee see no 

 reason why, in mellow soils, it will not do all that is 

 claimed for it, and prove a valuable labor-saving 

 tool. It plants the corn in hills, at any distance 

 from each other desired, and will sow the smaller 

 seeds in the same way or in rows. 



Messrs Ruggles, Nourse & Mason exhibited a 

 vegetable cutter, which has been some time in use, 

 and will cut about a bushel a minute. 



Another was also exhibited as the invention of 

 Mr E. G. Matthews, of Worcester, which is chea- 

 per and cuts with greater despatch, while it does 

 its work equally well. The committee saw neither 

 of them work, but judging from the information be- 



fore them, they came to the conclusion that both 

 were valuable inventions; but the latter recom- 

 mended itself most strongly to the farmer, as per- 

 forming best and costing least. 



Mr Walker, of Worcester, exhibited acornshel- 

 ler of ingenious construction ; but the committee 

 are not, from what they saw of it, prepared to re- 

 commend it as surpassing other inventions of the 

 kind. 



The committee t^ext met in the room an ox yoke 

 of Mr Dodge, of Sutton, whose good works in this 

 way have long since made him known to the public. 

 It is certainly a beautiful specimen of good work- 

 manship and good proportions throughout, and is a 

 new proof that Mr Dodge deserves to retain the fa- 

 vorable opinion of the public. The iron work ap- 

 pears to have been done by Mr Putnam, who has 

 no occasion lo shun a competition even with Mr 

 Dodge. 



Warren Hunt & Co. of Douglas, exhibited sev- 

 eral kinds of axes, and as specimens of good work- 

 manship they would do no discredit to any exhibi- 

 tion. 



Col. Abbott, of Holden, exhibited several chisels, 

 an axe, and' some moulding irons of most excellent 

 workmanship, suffering nothing by comparison with 

 those of Messrs. Hunt & Co. which lay beside them. 



Mr Francis Kinnicutt and Messrs Newcomb &, 

 Bowen, hard- ware merchants of Worcester, exhibi- 

 ted chisels, bits, bit stocks, a spoke auger, and va- 

 rious other articles manufactured by American me- 

 chanics, which attracted much attention for the 

 good workmanship displayed in them, and the com- 

 mittee were gratified to have the exhibition thus 

 enriched from the stores of these gentlemen. 



Messrs Green & White, of Graftcm, exhibited a 

 rich case of shoemakers' tools of their manufacture, 

 containing a great VBwety, and reflecting great 

 credit upon their skill and enterprise as mechanics. 

 These tools were much admired, and we doubt not 

 this public exhibition will bring the makers into ex- 

 tensive and favorable notice, which we believe they 

 justly deserve. 



Mr Goodwin, of Sterling, exhibited a boot crim- 

 per, which sppearod to the committee to be a valu- 

 able invention, performing its work with great ex- 

 actness, leaving the leather smooth and in good or- 

 der to work, ivhile it is believed there is little dan- 

 ger of tearing or otherwise injuring it. 



Mr Jonathan Whipple, of Grafton, exhibited a 

 machine for cutting out the sole leather of boots and 

 shoes. There were no shoemakers upon the com- 

 mittee, but as far as they were able to judge, the 

 machine performs its work with great despatch and 

 economy, and for these qualities recommends itself 

 to those who have occasion to use it. 



Mr Samuel McClintock, of Vermont, exhibited a 

 shingle machine, which the proprietor represented 

 as valuable ; but the committee did not see it under 

 circumstances which would enable them to speak 

 with confidence as to its usefulness. The timber is 

 steamed before it is subjected to the knife. 



Mr Albert Tolman, of Worcester, exhibited a 

 light family carriage, as he styles it upon his card, 

 weighing 5#3 lbs. The whole style and workman- 



