90 
Report on the Agricultural Implements at 
therefore, to remark, that important interests are involved in the 
manufacture of articles such as ice-freezers, sausage-choppers, 
cabbage-cutters, &c, fruit and potato peelers, that most in- 
genious devices abound, and that, in every department, the 
important question of labour saving has been fully kept in view. 
It will probably have struck my readers with the same sur- 
prise that I experienced, to find that the manufacture of com- 
paratively insignificant articles, such as a milk-strainer, a pan, 
or a butter-tub, a meat-chopper, a vegetable-cutter, a potato- 
peeler, &c, have given rise to a trade expressly arranged to 
produce such articles, if not solely, at least as their main 
industry. This fact, and the enormous capabilities of many of 
these interests, enable one to realise the vastness of the country 
that has such requirements. There may be general makers, as 
we have, but judging from the exhibits at Philadelphia, I 
should say that the principal manufacturers have each their 
speciality, and endeavour to acquire perfection in that particular. 
The consequence is that the consuming public are excellently 
supplied ; and not only is the trade kept in a healthy condition 
by competition, but the farmers have an organisation amongst 
themselves known as " The Grange," which, probably origi- 
nally intended for political purposes, has found its chief utility in 
disseminating knowledge of a practical nature to its members, 
and in checking the profits of agents, as well as in endeavour- 
ing to counteract the tendency to excessive freights, which 
Railway Companies who enjoy a monopoly are too apt to 
try and enforce ; acting, in fact, on a large scale, the same 
part as the Agricultural Co-operative Association does to its 
members here. It is quite possible that, at an eventful crisis, 
the machinery of " The Grange " may be effectively worked 
for political purposes. At present, the agricultural classes 
are too much isolated, and their own opinions are too much 
divided to allow of such united action. I have no doubt that, 
when the time comes, which I believe is not distant, for an 
alteration of fiscal policy, the farmers will speak out through 
these Granges for free-trade. To return for a moment to the 
consideration of the agricultural machine trade. It is wonderful 
what prodigious strides have been made of late years, and espe- 
cially during the years of feverish prosperity which followed the 
war. Confining attention to the manufacture of mowing and 
reaping machinery alone, the annual production is almost in- 
credible. I visited the splendid manufactory of McCormick 
and Co., situate on the outskirts of Chicago. Though of vast 
dimensions, machinery is made to economise human labour to 
such an extent that the staff is only 500 hands, and most of 
these are conveyed to and from the city by a special train 
