180 transactions of the american institute. 



An Improvement of Threshing Machines. 



Cummings & Post, of Vienna, N. Y., exhibited a model of machine to 

 reduce the power applied to threshing machines. Ordinarily the power is 

 applied by a band to drive the threshing cylinder, and thence by another 

 iDand to the shaker. The improvement in this machine consists in applying 

 the power to the shaker by a short crank-motion, directly from the center 

 of the driving wheel of the horse-power, which greatly reduces the amount , 

 of force required to perform the whole operation, as they have proved that 

 the shaker can be easily driven by this mode by a boy weighing only sixty 

 pounds instead of a power seven hundred pounds by the old method. 



On motion, the improvement was referred to a committee consisting of 

 Messrs. J. P. Veeder, John O. Bergen and J. H. Nash, to examine and 

 report. 



New Jersey Agriculture. 



Dr. Trimble. — I have had an opportunity of seeing the agriculture of 

 New Jersey, as shown by the various county fairs. As thus tested, I can 

 not speak of it as I could wish to. With the exception of Burlington 

 county, these fairs have not shown such a spirit amongst the farmers as 

 woiild lead to that rapid development of this great art, that is now going 

 on in many parts of the world. The State fair in Sussex county was unfor- 

 tunate in the weather — a succession of wet, dismal days; such weather as 

 will render any enterprise unsuccessful. The cattle, the sheep, and even 

 the pigs, looked uncomfortable. The tents leaked — the tables were wet— 

 the machinery, the fruits, flowers and vegetables were wet; and, worse 

 than all to many who were there, the track was heavy. But the fair was 

 prolonged, and the last day was bright, and then came the people. Some 

 think an agricultural exhibition is successful just in proportion as it brings 

 people together to see the trials of speed of fast trotting horses. When 

 that becomes the only object, these fairs may as well be ended, as to any 

 good they will do for agriculture. Let all the breeds of horses be improved 

 to better fit them for usefulness, as we improve all other kinds of stock, 

 but let us discourage this growing passif)n that values a horse only in pro- 

 portion as he " can do it low down in the thirties." At this fair I saw a 

 noble specimen of the Normandy horse, not for the track, but heavy and 

 immensely strong, and white as snow. Those who have seen Rosa Bon- 

 heur's great painting of horses would think she had copied the prominent 

 figure in her picture from this Jersey horse, the likeness is so exact. Many 

 of the cattle at the State fair were very fine — Durhams, Devons, Alderneys. 

 In some pens were specimens that would do credit to the herds of the best 

 breeders in any country. Some Alderney cows were very attractive, they 

 were such gentle creatures. The eyes of the gazelle could hardly convey 

 a more tender expression. Tom Moore could have made poetry about those 

 eyes, but I only thought of " strawberries smothered in cream." When I 

 get a lot suitable for a cow pasture, that cow shall be an Alderney. The 

 potatoes at Sussex were large to coarseness, looking inferior in quality to 

 those at Monmouth or Burlington! The show of fruits did not indicate a 

 general attention to that branch of agriculture in that section of the State. 



The apple orchards everywhere were loaded almost to breaking down 



