276 The Agricultural Features of the Paris Exhibition. 
crank and connecting-rod, steadied by a sort of balanced weight, 
gives the necessary backward and forward motion to the knife. 
The motion is remarkably smooth, and friction appears reduced 
to the minimum. Messrs. C. Aultiman and Co., of Canton, Ohio, 
showed their ingenious and efficient table-rake reaper, also fully 
described by Mr. Coleman in his admirable report in this 
Journal " On the Agricultural Implements at the Philadelphia 
Centennial Exhibition" (second series, vol. xiii. part 1). In a good 
collection of reapers and mowers, shown by Messrs. Adriance, 
Piatt and Co., of Poughkeepsie, New York, was a well-con- 
structed new reaping machine, with simple gearing and control- 
lable rakes driven by chain-gear. The outside wheel is fixed on 
the side of the frame ; and by removing one rake-arm the platform 
can be turned up at right angles. Messrs. Osborne and Co., of 
Auburn, New York, had also an attractive stand, including one 
of their well-known binders. A large assortment of ploughs and 
similar implements, " nickelled " and silver-plated in no niggard 
fashion, gave brilliancy and effect to the American display. 
Canada. — Canada sent a small but interesting collection of 
substantial and well-finished implements, which must have very 
favourably impressed foreigners, alike with the genius and en- 
terprise of Canadian agricultural machinery manufacturers, and 
with the system of farming which prevails in the Dominion. 
There was little in the collection, however, that would greatly 
interest English agriculturists. 
France. — The system of equally dividing real estates among 
children, which has reduced French holdings to such small 
dimensions, has tended to retard the introduction of improved 
agricultural machinery into the country. During recent years, 
however, the demand, more particularly for harvesting and 
threshing machinery, has increased largely, and English and 
American makers have long been competing keenly in the French 
market. As already hinted, the American machines, owing 
to their lighter construction, have apparently earned the larger 
share of favour and latterly have found, perhaps, a more ex- 
tensive sale than English impleir;^ents. As might be expected, 
France is bestirring itself to promote the home manilfacture 
of improved machinery ; and it is the opinion of not a few that 
at no distant day it will be self-supporting in this as in so 
many other respects. An English visitor to the Exhibition 
has thus written regarding the French display of agricultural 
implements : — " We were astonished at the progress shown by 
some of the principal firms, especially in the way of threshing 
machinery. It is quite true that the finish, and probably also, 
tlie (lualily, of the materials are not yet equal either to the 
best English or American patterns ; but they are produced at 
