244 Farming of Cumberland. 



most approved, and several of the kind have been made in that 

 vicinity, and found to answer well ; it is of the pitch-up kind, 

 and has less mortising-work in the body of the cart than the 

 common kind, the sides being of strong plank, and flush with , 

 the outside of the shafts ; it is therefore less liable to imbibe 

 moisture in those parts so especially liable to rot ; the axle- 

 tree ends are smaller, and occasion less friction in draught, but 

 the weight of the whole,* as hitherto constructed, renders it 

 only applicable to the level parts of the country ; the drawing - 

 chains are permanently attached to the shafts near the breech- 

 crooks, and have to be hooked to the hames on yoking, giving a 

 superior adjustment to the line of draught. The cost of this 

 cart, with hay-shelvings, is 11 guineas ; that of the usual cart 

 from 8Z. upwards ; and the tumble-car was charged about 5/. 



There can be no question as to the superiority of the single- 

 horse cart over every other for the farm-work of the uneven 

 surface of this county, and especially in the mountain valleys, 

 where a portion of the arable land of almost every farm is on 

 the steep hill-side, and there the waggon or two-horse cart 

 would be cumbersome and inexpeditious, as well as in constant 

 danger of upsetting. 



In anticipation of the American machines produced at the 

 Great Exhibition of 1851, an ingenious Cumberland farmer, 

 Mr. Mann, of Raby Cote, in Holme-Cultram, invented a reap- 

 ing-machine in the year 1832. This implement performed the 

 cutting work with considerable regularity and despatch, but 

 delivered the corn in a confused state in the sAvathe, and from 

 some cause was never entirely perfected. It was thus described : — 

 " The cutter is a disc of a regular polygon of twelve sides, and 

 the gatherer a revolving drum with rakes, from the teeth of 

 which a comb strips the straw, which then drops at one point of 

 the machine in a continuous swathe. It requires horse-power, 

 and a man to guide." 



Haymaking machines are but thin in the county, and this 

 may be imputed more to the cost than to any prejudice against 

 them. Many farmers are more inclined than able to keep pace 

 Avith the times by purchasing a new set of implements every 

 now and then, with the improvements which every successive 

 year is adding to them. 



Great as is the support given to the numerous agricultural 

 machine-makers, many a worthy and Avell-intentioned small 

 farmer is obliged to suppress his inclination to buy, because of 

 the inordinate amount of capital he must invest to give him the 

 facilities his wealthier neighbour enjoys ; and he Avho A^entures 

 on the inventions and improvements continually coming out. 



* About 7^ cwt. The common cart weighs a little over 6 cwt. 



