the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. 
55 
pete, but as the general principles of construction are very 
similar, it is not easy to see how their record could have been 
very different. The interest in this section would have been 
greatly increased if some of the best English machinery had 
been present. It appears to me that progress has lagged, and 
though both steam and horse-power threshers were invented long 
before mowing and reaping machinery was even thought of, 
they have not in America attained to similar perfection. It is 
probable that the form of drum adopted universally, and which 
is a modification of the old Scotch peg-drum, allows of a larger 
bulk of short straw being passed through than would be possible 
with beaters, but the straw is very much broken, and clean 
threshing at the first operation is impossible ; consequently, an 
apparatus is attached in the form of a Jacob's ladder, by which 
the unthreshed or partially threshed heads, together with heads 
which, though threshed, have been broken off, short straws, and 
indeed every thing that passes over the tail of the caving-screen 
is brought back to the drum and re-threshed — a practical proof of 
the inefficiency of the drum. My readers will best understand 
the principal differences between the English and American 
machinery, by an illustration and description of one of the latter. 
I select " Tlie Farmers' Friend" a 10 horse-power threshing- 
machine capable of being driven either by horse-power or steam, 
made at the Pitts Agricultural Works, Buffalo, New York. 
Fig. 47. — Section of " The Farmers' Friend " TJireshing-Machine. 
A. Feed-board. 
B. Drum. 
C. Concave. 
' D. Grain-belt. 
c, d. End rollers supporting rollers. 
E. Beater. 
F. Picker. 
G. Straw-belt. 
H. Agitator. 
J. Fixed floor. 
N. Fan. 
0. Fan-case. 
P. Fine sieve. 
Q. Grain conveyor. 
E. Tailings conveyor. 
S. Guide-boards. 
T. Sieve. 
V. Concave raiser. 
m. Opening for straw. 
L. Eccentric, 
a;. Straw-elevator. 
The workman who acts as feeder stands upon the platform p, and spreads out 
the com upon the feed-board A, presenting the heads to the action of the pegs 
on the drum. The drum-axle is a solid shaft 1£ diameter. The drum is 
36 inches long with nine longitudinal bars, holding 104 teeth, which project 
