271 



and plugged up, to grease the latches and hinges. 

 Want of grease, if often observed, but from not 

 having it at hand, it is generally never applied. 



Selected. 



REAPING MACHINES. 

 We have received a long communication from 

 Mr. McCormick, who has just returned from 

 the north-west in answer to Mr. Hussey's article 

 published in the October number of the Planter. 

 Our limits compel us to razee this communica- 

 tion, and we sincerely hope that in doing so we 

 may omit nothing that Mr. McCormick w T ould 

 deem very pertinent to the merits of his ma- 

 chine. The original paper will be retained for 

 the inspection of those who desire to inform 

 themselves more particularly of the merits of 

 this controversy. We make the following ex- 

 tract : 



I, like Mr. Hussey at one time, have been dis- 

 posed to let my Reaper manifest its superiority 

 by its operations, and — Mr. Hussey's opinion to 

 the contrary notwithstanding — think there is 

 the strongest proof of its having done so. I 

 had supposed the world grown wise enough to 

 know that the only certain test of the value of 

 all such agricultural implements as those offered 

 to the public by Mr. Hussey and myself, is ex- 

 perience. Hence they very wisely and properly 

 require, before they stamp with their approbation 

 any thing of the sort, a series of experiments, 

 confirming beyond doubt their practical utility 

 and efficiency. And this is the touchstone by 

 which I wish my machine tested. And I can- 

 not think that any thing calculated to entertain 

 or enlighten your readers — that any useful re- 

 sult will grow out of a controversy of this sort— 

 a warfare of words between my adversary and 

 myself. And feeling no apprehension from Mr. 

 Hussey's competition, I. have no time to spare 

 from making machines to meet the public de- 

 mand for the next harvest — to be wasted in this 

 idle tournament. But as he has again attempted 

 to show that injustice has been done him ; that 

 he has been cheated out of the favorable stand- 

 ing which my machine occupies before the pub- 

 lic : and has informed the public of the failure 

 of one of them, it may be thought necessary 

 very briefly to advert to some of the facts in the 

 case. 



As Mr. Sampson's was one of the first ma- 

 chines that I sold — sold on his application be- 

 fore I was prepared to guarantee its perform- 

 ance — and the only one that has failed, I will 

 commence by saying for Mr. Hussey's comfort 

 that Mr. John R. Sampson (who purchased the 

 first) stated to me at the close of the last har- 

 vest that lie expected to want one 'and his bro- \ 



ther-in-law (Dr. Wood) another, for the next 

 harvest. It is probable that after the failure of 

 one, (I had proposed correcting a defect in it, 

 which was, however, not done,) he would take 

 care to be well advised before purchasing an- 

 other. Can Hussey say this of all or any of 

 the machines built by him and disused in Vir- 

 ginia, Maryland, and elsewhere? 



As to the several trials that took place be- 

 tween the two machines during the harvest of 

 1843, it would be a useless repetition and waste 

 of time, to go into a particular examination of 

 them. Hussey's views of them, in his " Self- 

 Defence," No. 2, were given to the public 

 through the columns of the Richmond Enquirer 

 of 8th July, 1843, and in other papers, together 

 with Mr. Watkins' opinion of his machine. Mr. 

 Roane's preference and purchase, after signing 

 the report at Hutchison's, &c, were also pub- 

 lished before in the Planter, which I was dis- 

 posed to let go for what they were worth. He 

 stated that he thought Hussey's the strongest 

 and probably best machine for heavy w 7 heat ; 

 and I think it probable that his sympathies may 

 have been a little excited. Tn the Enquirer of 

 July 14th, (1843) — which paper, like yours, 

 was kindly thrown open for the discussion — at 

 a time too when it was probably not without 

 some interest. I replied to Mr. Hussey at some 

 length, showing his discourteous challenge, my 

 published acceptance of it — and appointment se- 

 veral days previously at Mr. Hutchison's, by the 

 arrangements of Rev. J. H. Turner and others — ■ 

 with my proposition that it should be made a 

 full test of speed by the day, &c. — that he did 

 not appear on the ground until ten or eleven 

 o'clock, and cut but an acre or two, (while I cut 

 seventeen acres in less than a day,) and only 

 asked allowance to be made by the committee 

 in making their report for the small size of his 

 machine — that some of the committee remarked 

 after making their report, that they considered 

 it sufficient to give the preference to my ma- 

 chine, while they were of opinion that it had 

 several important advantages over his, viz : cut- 

 ting damp wheat ; depositing it at the side, so 

 that it is not necessary to bind it when cut ; (often 

 it does not suit to do so ;) saving it cleaner, hav- 

 ing canvass behind to prevent it from dropping 

 off the platform into the stubble; two, instead 

 of four horse (or mule) power, and about two- 

 thirds the price, &c. — that two or three days 

 previous to this trial, and without my know- 

 ledge, Hussey had given notice in the neigh- 

 borhood of Mr. E. L. Wight, of " Tuckahoe," 

 that one of my machines would be put in opera- 

 tion there, and that his would also; that a con- 

 siderable number of gentlemen attended, (Messrs. 

 Sampson of the number,) and that in conse- 

 quence of a litlle shower of rain Hussey was 

 compelled to admit that his machine did not 

 suit well to cut damp wheat, having at last to 



