INTRODUCTION. xxi 



tcrcd previous to 1828, when Samuel Lane, of Hallowell, Maine, patented a machine for cutting, 

 gathering, and threshing grain all at one operation. It does not appear, however, to have been 

 successful. Only one other machine, that of William Manning, of Plainfield, New Jersey, registered 

 in 1831, and having several points of resemblance to some now in use, was patented previous to that 

 of Obed Ilusscy, of Cincinnati, Ohio, in December, 1833. The first public trial with this instrument 

 was made before the Hamilton County Agricultural Society, near Cartilage, July 2, of that year. 

 During the next it was introduced into Illinois and New York; in 1835 into Missouri; in 1837 into 

 Pennsylvania; and in 1838 the inventor established his manufactory at Baltimore. In June, 1834, 

 Cyrus II. McCormick, of Rockbridge county, Virginia, received his first patent for cutting grain of all 

 kinds, by machinery, which was worked in 1831, improved since, proving a source of large profit to the 

 proprietor, as well as a great boon to this country and foreign lands. From that time to the present 

 nearly every year has produced one or more modifications of harvesting-machinery, among which may 

 be mentioned that of Moore & Ilaskcll, of Michigan, patented in June, 1836, which cuts, threshes, and 

 winnows grain at the same time. From the date of this patent to the issue of McCormick s second 

 patent, in 1845, fifteen other machines were registered, including that of W. F. Ketchum, of New 

 York, in 1844, which has since obtained a high reputation. Since 1851, the new machines brought 

 forward have been numerous. In June, 1852, twelve different reaping-machines and several mowers 

 were entered for trial before the Ohio State Board as contestants for the premium, all of them 

 including McCormick s and Husscy s possessing nearly equal merits. 



The United States Agricultural Society, in 1857, instituted an elaborate trial of reapers, mowers, 

 and implements, which took place at Syracuse, New York, in July of that year, when fifteen mowing- 

 machines, nine reapers, and fourteen combined mowing and reaping machines were entered. Medals 

 and diplomas were awarded to several. Among those entered were Pell s, Manny s, Haines s (Illinois 

 Harvester,) W. A. Woods s, (J. II. Manny s improved,) Seymour & Morgan s, Bun-all s, Warder, Brokaw & 

 Childs s, Atkins s, (automaton self-raker,) Moore & Patch s, and C. H. McCormick s, for reaping alone. 

 Mowing-machines were entered by several of the same inventors, and also by Heath, Ketchum, Ball, 

 Aultman & Miller, Hallenbeck, Kirby, Ilov^ey, Allen, and Newcomb, and combined machines by some 

 of the same parties, and by A. H. Caryl, Obed Ilussey, J. II. Wright, and Dietz and Dunham. 



The whole number of harvesting-machines produced in England and the United States up to that 

 time amounted to 160 different kinds, about 100 of which were American; and in October, 1854, it 

 had reached about 200. 



The progress of ideas, or the different channels in which they have run in regard to the mode of 

 action of the cutters of reaping-machines, has been shown by Bennett Woodcraft, esq., of England, in 

 a patent office publication containing illustrations of sixty-nine examples of reapers, including nine 

 American machines. In thirty-one of the number the motion of the knives was rectilinear, and in 

 thirty-three it was circular, while in five the knives were moved by hand. Previous to the introduc 

 tion of American reapers, the tendency in England was toward a circular action of the cutters; since 

 that time reciprocating motion has been more employed. Although reciprocating and rectilineal- 

 motion was used by Salmon, in 1807, only two of the English machines introduced previous to 1862, 

 viz: Ogle s and Bell s, were examples of that kind of motion, and three American, namely, Manning s, 

 Ilussey s, and McCormick s, while there were twenty-one of the other kind. Of later examples there 

 were seventeen with reciprocating motion, to eleven \viih circular. 



Diversities have also existed as to the mode of gearing the horse. Pitt s, Boyce s, Plucknett s, 

 and Gladstone s machines were drawn behind the horses; Salmon s, Kerr s, Ilarke s, and other early 

 English machines, were pushed before the horses, after the manner of the Romans and Gauls. In 

 America both plans have been used, but since 1833 they have usually been placed behind the horses. 

 By recently proposed improvements, horse-power harvesting-machines with lour horses will cut twenty 

 acres of grain in a day, at a net cost including eight dollars tor the use of the machine-, a driver, two 

 binders, and two hands to shock up of ninety cents an acre, which harvested by hand would cost 



