1S62. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEH. 



269 



now ehone out in full splendor, and their owl 

 like modesty was in the acendant. The owners 

 all ignoraut of what tests would be applied, 

 could only guess from the preporation making, 

 and the most stupid could not fail to see that 

 these were for a race, and which, as a matter of 

 course, was accepted, or rather could not be 

 avoided. The result was not a trial of the mow- 

 ers, but of horse flesh, and in this light, we were 

 pleased at the speed and endurance of the sev- 

 eral teams, while the visitors threw up their hats 

 and hurrahed, not at the manner in which the 

 work was done, for that as a general thing was a 

 disgrace to the mowers, but at the endurance and 

 speed of the«e pet nags. A horse race, whether 

 for speed or bottom, is always exciting to a 

 crowd, and this treat so unexpected, not having 

 been put down in the bills, was received with 

 pleasure by most persons in attendance. To 

 those who had come for the purpose of compar- 

 ing the merits of the several mowers, turned 

 away in disgust. 



We had no disposition to look over the work 

 and to compare its quality, one glance being suf- 

 ficient to show that fringes and breaks marked 

 the surface more or less. It may be charged 

 that all this was the fault of the drivers, and to 

 some extent it was, but the great share of blame 

 must fall where it belongs. Several of the con- 

 testants begged for another trial in the same 

 field, which was granted, while most of them 

 done more or less voluntary work, to show^that 

 they could do good work. 



At the subsequent trial on Saturday, in the 

 worst field of grass we ever saw cut, all acquitted 

 themselves nobly, with the exception of Nos. 10, 

 11 and 14, which, for some unexplained reason, 

 were not present. To our mind, the machines, 

 as grass cutters, take all things into considera- 

 tion, were, first, the Cayuga Chief, and second, 

 the combined machine of John P. Manny. The 

 mower made by the same party fell far below the 

 combined machine. There can be no question 

 that a combined machine will answer all purpo- 

 ses of reaper and mower. The Cayuga Chief 

 has an improvement that we esteem very highly 

 in a mower, atid that is a false cutter plate, 

 called a ledger plate. This in fitted in a recess 

 of the cutting guard, and can at any time be 

 taken out and its cutting edges ground sharp, 

 when the cutters are in all respects as good as 

 new. All farmers know that when the edges of 

 the guard become slightly rounded that the 

 machine not only runs hard, but does poor work, 

 and is liable to clog. With this ledger plate all 



of these difficulties are overcome. The Ch'ef is 

 all iron and steel, yet weighs only 1,100 pounds. 

 The Manny machine is, on the other hand, com- 

 posed of a wooden frame, is but little if any 

 lighter, but can be made much cheaper. How far 

 the element of cheapness by the use tf wood can 

 be profitable we do not at this time propose to 

 discuss. Nos. 1 and 2 pleased us highly as 

 grass cutters, falling but little behind the two 

 named, cutting wide swaths with comparative 

 ease. No. 5, the combined machine is a noisy 

 afifaii, but it runs apparently easy and did excel- 

 lent work. Thiskindof gearing will need further 

 trial before it can confidently be recommended, 

 though thus far it gives promise of success. In 

 this kind of power with a rapid motion there is 

 usually a large strain on the gearing, which is 

 not the case in a slow motion. Should it succeed 

 it will simplify and cheapen the reaper gearing 

 to a large extent. No. 14 is a square draft ma- 

 chine, well known in this State ; it runs easy and 

 does good work, yet it has not become popular, 

 probably from the fact that few people like to 

 manage it. For heading timothy for seed and 

 then cutting the bottom it is very valuable. Mr. 

 Rugg claims one advantage over others, and that 

 is a double motion for grass over that for grain. 

 It is well known that to cut grass the motion 

 must be very rapid, while for grain a slower 

 motion is equally valuable, and thus saving the 

 wear of the machine. There is no doubt much 

 truth in this and the cost 's so trifling that we 

 are surprised that it has not been used before, 

 Mr. Rugg, so far as we know, being the only one 

 adopting it. 



THIRD DAY EEAPING. 



The reaping was done in a field of some 200 

 acres of spring wheat that would turn twelve 

 to fifteen bushels per acre. The most of it stood 

 well, with a smooth bottom and slightly rolling 

 surface. It was not such a field as would very 

 severely test the machines, yet one very well 

 calculated to make a fair comparison, and prob- 

 ably as good as could be obtained under ordinary 

 circumstance. Here as in the case of the mead- 

 ows the divisions of lands were most excellent, 

 and the President, Mr. Van Epps is entitled to 

 no small amount of credit for the manner in 

 which he managed this part of the field opera- 

 tions. Had the same system been carried out in 

 the examinations we should have felt proud of 

 the State Board. The lots in this case contained 

 1 84-lOOths of an acre, and were drawn as fol- 

 lows: 



