328 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



The Secretary read extracts from the last agricultural papers 

 received by the ocean steamers. 



[Journal of Agriculture and the Transactions of tte Highland and Agricultural Society of 

 Scotland, July, 1855.] 



REAPING MACHINES. 



Extracts from Report. 



The patent of Mr. Johnson, (No. 726,) refers to the reaping 

 machine now attracting so much altention among farmers, and 

 known as " Atkins' Self- Raking Reaping Machine." It is cha- 

 racterised by an able authority in mechanical matters, as "a 

 very extraordinary piece of mechanism, rivalling even the ' cop- 

 ping motion' of the self-acting (cotton) mule in intricacy and 

 beauty of action." 



The inventor is Mr. Learned Atkins, of Cliicago, Illinois, for- 

 merly a mill-right, now a crippled and disabled man. The 

 knife-bar in this machine was invented by Brownson Murray, 

 Esq., of Salle county, Illinois. For several years this gentleman 

 had used reaping-machines, and was much annoyed in rainy 

 weather, or when the grass was wet with dew, by the choking of 

 the knife, and the time lost in picking it out with tlie lingers. 

 The thought occurred to him that by cutting out triangular pieces 

 at the back of the knife, and roughly toothing them, the difficulty 

 would be obviated. It proved so. It is now impossible to 

 choke it I 



The Secretary said he was much gratified in laying the follow- 

 ing before the Club : 



[London Farmers' Magazine, July, 1855.] 



It has ever been our custom to test any very attractive theory, 

 or wonderful achievement, in the pursuits of agriculture, by the 

 experience of the practical man. 



And what is, after all, a practical man? Simply, as we take it, 

 one who contrives to live by his business. 



Enthusiasts are, proverbially, a little wild, and as famed for 

 clothing their own fancies with the brightest colors. There is no 

 word in the English language, just now, so much abused or li- 

 belled, as this same " Progress.^'' It is the presto of every would 

 be conjuror. " Hey ! Progress !" 



" Progress," if you please. We are no opponents of progress. 

 Far from it we hope. But we are opponents of humbug. We 

 cannot shut our eyes and open our mouths, and swallow all that 

 is told us. We must have these things tested. 



