268 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



Sept. 



or those who enter their machines for trial, it is 

 but a mockery and a cheat to make it otherwise. 

 By public trial is meant that all shall have a 

 proper opportunity to see for themselves, that 

 all the facts, as the trial progress, shall be at 

 once announced to the people, in fact there can 

 be no secrets withheld, and so soon as the 

 awarding committee have come to any conclus- 

 ion the facts are to be given to the public. On 

 the other hand, in a private trial or trial ly a 

 committee to examine, and report by themselves 

 all can properly be withheld for the final repert. 

 On the one, the people and the press are not to 

 be snubbed with impunity, while in the other, 

 they have no business to be present. The place 

 of exhibition of agricultural implements is very 

 properly at the various fairs, while trials in the 

 grain or other fields, should be held private and 

 only by the examining committee. 



We shall now proceed to speak of the exhibi- 

 tion as it progressed from day to day. 



FIRST DAY. 



July 22nd. — The ground for the trial of mow- 

 ers is about a mile frnm the centre of the city, 

 and on the farm of Mr. Chas. Dement. The 

 grass is timothy, mixed slightly with red down; 

 the land slightly rolling, the bottom smooth, the 

 grass standing well and will turn about one and 

 a half tons to the acre. It is a most excellent 

 place for an exhibition of mowers, but not well 

 calculated to give them anything like a test, for 

 it is not probable that the worst possible mower 

 in the state if jut in fair cutting order should 

 fail. In fact, no mower should fail to do good 

 work in such a field, yet the sequel did show 

 just such a result. 



THE LOTS. 



Fourteen mowers had been entered for the 

 trial, and a lot of an acre each had been staked 



off by the surveyor, Mr. . The manner in 



which these lots were laid off and designated, re- 

 flects no small credit on the good taste of .the 

 surveyor, and should be taken as a pattern on 

 all similar occasions. 



At all plowing matches and similar trials, 

 there is more or less of delays, but in this case 

 the'grounds were always ready, plainly marked 

 and numbered. The mowers had not all arrived, 

 and but four or five of them were put to work 

 until the morning of the 23d. 



SECOND DAT. 



A strip of some rods in width had been cut 

 along the margin of the field on which the spec- 



tators were allowed to stand, but not permitted 

 to enter the cut stubble, but treated like child- 

 ren attending a fancy show. To-day the com-, 

 bined machines came on the grounds and drew 

 lots as foilows: 



No. 1, Walter A. Wood, Hoosoe Fars, N. Y. 



No. 2, Seymour, Morgan & Allen, Brockport, 

 New York. 



No. 3, D. M. Osborn & Co., (Kirby) Auburn, 

 New York. 



No. 4, Sheldon & Co., (Coyuga Chief) Auburn, 

 New York. 



No. 5, George S. Curtis, (Com.) Chicago, 

 Illinois. 



No. 6, John P. Manny, Rockford Illinois. 



No. 7, H. H. Taylor, Freeport, Illinois- 

 No. 8, E. Ball, Canton Ohio. 



No. 9, Cline, Seiboling & Hower, (Excelsior) 

 Doylston, Ohio. 



No. 10, Geo. Estery, Whitewater, Wisconsin. 



No. 11, Thos. E. Medill, Ottawa, Illinois. 



No. 12, W. A. Woods, (Self-Raker.) 



No. 13, C. H. MoCormick, Chicago, Illinois. 



No. 14, G. H. Bugg, Ottawa, Illinois. 



Nos. 6 and 7 had not arrived. All of the 

 forenoon was occupied in cutting a double 

 swarth with each maschine, and in testing the 

 draft. Nothing was left to do now but to cut 

 the several lots. The machines cut from four 

 feet eight inches to six feet and a half, and the 

 acre lots were less, just two of these swarths of 

 forty rods in length, the lots having been laid off 

 four by forty rods. At about three o'clock p. M., 

 Col. Capron, the suptrintendant, gave the signal 

 for a start, when — 



THE RACK 



commenced in good earnest. Each one drove to 

 suit himself, and was under no further control 

 than if stopped from any cause, that he could 

 not start again without permission from some 

 member of the board. No. 5 was the first ma- 

 chine out, not having stopped, and cutting the 

 lot in 26^ minutes. No. 14 cut his lot in 25 min- 

 utes running time, but occupied sone 33 of time. 

 No. 13 cut in 26, occupying in all 34^ minutes. 

 The general average was thirty minutes. In 

 nearly every case, the more haste the worst 

 speed, as the frequent stoppages showed. No. 5 

 taking a fine average walk on the start, without 

 any disposition to run, met with no mishaps, 

 came out ahead, and done the work in a very 

 superior manner. So much for common sense 

 and careful driving. The wisdom of the Board 



