8163. 



THE ILLI^TQis FAE]\IEE. 



313 



the State. The manufacturers take this view of it. 

 Entries for the Fair are not charged for, exhibitors 

 purchasing a member ticket which is •worth the 

 dollar in admission. 



There can be no question that these outside 

 trials are of great value to the maiiufacture of 

 valuable, improvements, at the same time they, are 

 not less so to the farming public. 



Second Day of the Trial. 



Decatur, Sept. 23. 

 The weather is all tliat could be asked, clear and 

 cool. The committee came on the ground at 8 

 o'clock, giving exhibitors assurance that no pains 

 will be spared in the trial. 



FIELD EOLLEH. 



This was brought on the ground by Mr. C. 

 D. Roberts of JacksonA'ille, a large grower of 

 sorghum. This roller is of wood staves and bound, 

 made in two sections, is too light, and too large in 

 diameter. Wood must give place to cast iron. 

 Damp earth adheres to the surface of the wood, 

 and the surface being soft, fails to crush the clods, 

 while the smooth hard surface of the iron grinds 

 the lumps to dust. 



SHOCKING MACHINE. ;.• 



Conceive a plasterer's truss three feet high, with 

 a rod for the horizontal cross piece, and you have 

 it. The cost is about a dime. Mr. N. M. Mason 

 was the exhibitor. It is not patented, and is one 

 of those little conveniences that add to the pleas- 

 ure of farm labor. The committee passed a vote 

 of thanks to the exhibitor. 



. CORN AND HAT STACKER. 



We cannot well describe this machine without 

 drawings, but it consists in an improved derick, 

 which is easily raised, and rope, in place with guy 

 ropes, a boy a dozen years old, by the aid of a 

 horse, can take it to the field and raise it. It 

 must form a valuable implement where hay and 

 other fodder is stacked in the field, and hay pitcher 

 can be attached to it, though the one used is par- 

 ticulariy adaptedto handle corn stalks. The whole 

 cost is about thirty- five dollars, rope iacluded. 

 Most of the machine can be made on the farm. 

 A similar machine in a small way might be used 

 in loading on the wagon by having a drum attached 

 to one of the wheels. Mr. Mason, of Polo, is the 

 exhibitor. ~ ' :' ^ " 



■■ , CORN PLANTERS. .v ,., 



Cost. 



Armstrong's! $40 00 



Moore ' 45 00 



Silby & Elder 35 00 



Howorth 38 00 



McGaffiiy of Chicago, for check rows. . ... 35 00 



To which is added for an automoton for self 

 dropping in check row or drilling, ten dollars. 



All of these machines are good, but that of Sil- 

 bey & Elder, from its cheapness and substantial 

 make, attracted most attention, though the differ- 

 ence in price was the most essential as all did good 

 work. The McGaffy machine is from Chicago, .^ 

 and came upon the ground very late. It is one of 

 the best, but farmers are not quite ready to give up 

 the check rows, but they will soon do it, when the' 

 McGaffy planter will be of value for a drill planter.^ 



- , PLANTER AND CULTIVATOR. ■.,:;::,/; 



Maple's patent one horse planter, with three 

 shovels — cost fourteeen dollars; a very handy ma- 

 chine for gardeners and small farmers. The plant- 

 ing apparatus can be taken off when it is a three 

 shovel cultivator. .;'..: 



COULTER HARROW, .-., .■;.': ^. 



S&am patent, cost at shop twenty-five dollars. 

 This is of little value compared to the Stafford 

 cultivator, lor preparing land for seeding, or for 

 covering the seed. As a clod pulverizer it is 

 nowhere with a good roller. 



This was followed by the ^ ^ ': ; ' ' 



SEEI^AND DRILL ROLLER 



of W. B. Quarton of Carlinville. The drills are 

 preceded by rolling cutters to open the place for 

 the seed grain, and followed by corrugated rollers, 

 so as to leave the land iu ridges and drains, all 

 well enough, perhap?!, on low grounds, yet few 

 farmers will be willing to invest in a machine that 

 will sow four feet v,4de, at a cost of ninety dollars • 

 It pulverizes the soil very well, but is too heavy 

 draft and costs too much. Corrogated rollers have 

 never become popular, though often tried. Dril- 

 ling wheat is fast going out of date and we doubt 

 a return to it. . , . ., -■-. - . ^ ..-.;„■ ::::^ ■- 



GANG PLOWS. ■ ^,.".S' 



Those plowa had a further trial but no new fitcts 

 were elicited in their favor. 



TWO HORSE PLOWS. 



Deere, Demont, and Dickinson & Orahoud, axe 

 the competitors. 



Demoi^t's plow is all cast steel, double sheer? 

 cost sixit^n dollars at the shop, rolling cutter and 

 fixtures ' four dollars — cuts fourteen inches wide 

 and seven deep. The draft is three hundred and 

 fifty pounds. 



Deere's plow is cast steel, and known as the 

 steel clipper, cuts twelve and a half ineli holcf 

 remarkably easy, and turns a beautiful fu^^ow^ :'., 

 The shop price is eighteen dollars — it cut seyfai 

 inches deep aad drew 400 pounds. :. ,..--:j- " 



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