1852.] 



MACHINERY AND IMPLEMENTS. 



57 



great deal of judgment in adapting tlae forms of their mould 

 boards and other parts to the attainment of an easy draft and a 

 perfect performance of their dut}'. The best form for the attain- 

 ment of these points is not, we believe, very well defined, and is 

 one of those problems which has to be solved by the jn-actical 

 man without the aid of mathematical formulae. As a natural 

 consequence of this, a great many crotchets are advanced without 

 much reason. Among Wooden Ploughs we would point out 

 Mr. Hurlburt's of Presjott, Mr. Modland's of Etobicoke, and the 

 Messi's. McTavish of Darlington, othere were also well deserving 

 of notice. The Iron Ploughs by McSherry of St. Da\id's, and 

 Dunbar's of Pickering, were good examples. We could not 

 admire the armorial bearings ( ?) nor (loyal though we be) the 

 Union Jacks painted on the mould boards of some of the 2>loughs. 

 Painted ironwork, when exhioited as a sample of workmanship, 

 is an abomination, and to our mind only suggestive of concealed 

 flaws — we had rather bear with the rust 



We did not see any Subsoil Ploughs among the Canadian 

 implements; it is a blank which we trust will be filled next year; 

 there were several among the American articles, and denoting, 

 as their use does, a great improvement in agriculture, we shall 

 be pleased to see evidence of their manufjicture in Canada, as 

 indicative of a sufficient demand to render them worthy the 

 attention of our mechanics. We know that they are used on 

 some farms in Canada, — we wish to know that they are 

 manufactured here. 



The Cultivator, though an important implement, was not well 

 represented. A very good one of its class was exhibited by Mr. 

 Sampson of St. Catharines, another by Mr. Brown of Bowman- 

 ville was a fan- article. 



The same may be said of Harrows, we did not see any worth 

 refeiTing to. 



Drills are not yet so widely used in Canada as to warrant the 

 expectation of much variety in that class of implements; we 

 were therefore much pleased to see those exhibited, giving evidence 

 of a demand for them. Next to the Plough, they are the most 

 valuable of all the implements u^ed on the farm, though on half 

 cleared lands many obstacles exist to their being adopted, still, a 

 great extent of country is now advanced to that state of cultivation 

 which will warrant their introduction, and this should induce our 

 machinists to give them their attention. None of those on the 

 ground realized our idea of what a G-iain diill should be, but we 

 would point to one exhibited by Thomas Haggait of Chingua- 

 cousy as a fair sample. 



The Hoi-se Rakes made a poor show as to number. We think 

 they would have been found improved in quality if our best 

 makers had exhibited. 



The usual vai-iety of Horee-powers were on the ground, and 

 showed some improvements in the details of their construction, as 

 well as in workmanship ; for light work, and where compactness 

 is desirable, the railroad horse-power has our preference, as being 

 very portable, and easily adapted to a variety of purposes. 



The Field Roller by Mr. Becket, of Toronto, is a very good 

 example of what such an implement should be; it is made in 

 two lengths, an arrangement which very materially assists it in 

 turning. A further division might, we think, be profitably 

 copied from one exhibited by Rapelje, of Rochester. Mr. 

 Becket's Garden Rollers were very good. The manufacture of 

 these machines indicates that the advantages resulting from their 

 use is underetood by our farmers. 

 Vol. I, No. 3, Octobee, 1852. 



A Threshing Machine and Hoi-se-power by Medcalf of Toronto, 

 appeai-s to leave but little to desire in this chiss of implements ; 

 the arrangement and character of - workmanship is equal to 

 anything we have seen. We much regretted the bad taste 

 which induced the attempt at ornamental (daubing?) ijaintinir 

 displayed on this excellent piece of mechanism; the°eal wood or 

 plain white coloui-s always look appropriate, while the wretched 

 attempts which aie sometimes made at imitating a mahogany 

 panel on a Fanning Mill, with perhaps satinwood framing^and 

 rosewood mouldingTS, are truly distressing; in equally bad" taste 

 we noticed some Farm Waggons bedaubed with all the colours 

 of the rainbow. Commend to us the mechanic whose work will 

 bear inspection without such wretched aid. How well the 

 natural grain of tlie tough ash, hickory, and oak, of some of the 

 American machines contrasted with the gaudy colours of our own. 



The 1'hreshing Machine by Haggart Brother, of Brampton, is 

 a good article; and so is that exhibited by Sandei-son, of West 

 Flamborough. We think the very long contrivance for carryino- 

 off the straw is rather a far-fetched idea,' and must add very much 

 to the work of the horses, without giving any adequate advantao-e. 



Among the Straw Cutters, which appeared in great variety, 

 we would especially notice that exhibited by Butterfield, of 

 Oshawa, as combining the very essential points of simplicity', 

 .strength, _ and facility for using. A great deal of useless 

 complication is usually bestowed on these very useful machines, 

 and we are jdeased to see this successful attempt to simplify them. 

 It may be driven through a belt or by hand. There were several 

 others on the ground worthy of consideration, among them may 

 be mentioned Seawright's and Humphrey's, both of Toronto. 



The Farm Waggons displayed some good workmanshij), with 

 (as we have previously remarked) some very bad taste in the 

 way of painting (daubing would be the most appropriate term). 



A very ingenious machine was exhibited by a Mr. Wright, of 

 Port Hope, for cross-cutting timber, which could be applied to a 

 variety of purposes, as. cutting stave lengths, shingle bolts, (fee; it 

 was attached to a horse-power, and appeared to perform very 

 satisfactorily', though, in our opinion, it is susceptible of many 

 improvements in the details of its mechanical constmction, without 

 materially increasing its cost. 



A Cheese Press and Curd Breaker, by John Amos, of Ham- 

 ilton, though not distinguished for the mechanical skill displayed 

 in it, is noticed in order to call the attention of our mechanics to 

 this class of implements. With the same view we mention a 

 Portable Cider Press, by J. Fergusson, Eldon, and we trust that 

 next year we may ha\e to notice a decided improvement in both. 



A new opportunity for agricultural enterprize and a new article 

 of expoi-t for the Province was pointed out by the introduction by 

 the Canada Company of a Farmer's Flax Dressing and Scutchino- 

 Machine, imported for the occasion, and, although from an acci- 

 dent which happened to it in ite transit through the United States 

 it could only be seen in pariial operation, yet it was in sufficiently 

 good order to exhibit its value as a new article of domestic 

 industry. 



The importation of flax and hemp into Upper Canada alone, 

 during the year 1851, was, according to the official returns, of 

 the value of £15,987 15s. 7d., and when it is considered, that 

 for both these articles the climate and soil of Canada is peculiarly 

 suited, it cannot be doubterl that these articles ought to be those 

 of export and not of import. 



