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[Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, by the Kurd Publishing Company, in the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.! 
patrons, printed in former numbers of tho Ru¬ 
ral, attest their appreciation of these facts and 
of the machines offered by builders. 
The windmill is of great antiquity. An organ 
was blown by this agency nearly two centuries 
B. C. It was the invention of one Ctkhibiuh, of 
Alexandria in Egypt, who used it to work the 
piston of tbo air-pump which supplied wind to 
the pipes. A little before the time of Augustus, 
windmills are said to have boon introduced from 
Greece into Romo for grinding grain. More 
modern Europe is indebted to the Saracens for it, 
the Knights of St. Johti, (Hiring the Crusades, 
having taken the hint from them. They were 
first known in Spain, Franco and Germany dur¬ 
ing the Twelfth century. Tn Holland, where 
pumping is such a universal necessity, and where 
windmills at present, most abound, they woro 
first generally accepted. 
The necessity of contriving moans to present 
tho sails always to tbo wind, and to equalize the 
pressure of the wind on the sails, was early re¬ 
cognized, and many crude efforts in either di- 
dangerons to life or property in any respect, as 
is too frequently and sadly the case with tho 
latter. If does not require food, or attention 
and caru in sickness and health, as do our horses, 
cattle, and mules. But , notwithstanding all thin, 
it is only Within a comparatively rocent period 
that engines for tho utilization of wind-power 
have been so perfected as to make them rivals of 
the water-wheel and steam-engine. 
At present, t here are offered to the public sev¬ 
eral mills, which aro adapted to all tho purposes 
of agriculturists for which power is wanted. 
Wo will not undertake to enumerate them. They 
overcome more or lass perfectly the objections 
we have stated, and some are really admirable, 
II may as well be acknowledged that a great por¬ 
tion of the farming area of this country is apt to 
ho dry during tho growing Reason, and that a 
general system of irrigation must sooner or later 
ho adopted. For this purpose alone tho wind¬ 
mill Is invaluable, leaving out of consideration 
the numerous other uses to which it may bo ap¬ 
plied. But very many communications from our 
WINDMILLS IN AGRICULTURE 
Twenty-five years ago, a writer on farm ness, warn, m hireugui 10 resist mgn wrnus, ami 
appliances saw fit to remarkHappilv, the no adequate provision for equalizing tho prcesnvo 
windmill as an agricultural convenience, is fast f,f thfi wind, the variation of which is sometimes 
becoming obsolete, its use for grinding, thresh- \ su '« lf ‘ n an(1 extreme. The inconstancy of tho 
ing, and pumping is almost entirely suporscd*'d [ wind, is, of course, an objection which applies to 
by that of steam or water power.” “ Happily ” ( a11 windmills. 
is a good word, hut, however true this statement It is a great wonder that a power so pre-etni- 
may still be with regard to England, “ happily " ncntly economical, and capable of application in 
in this country we behold the dawn of anew era. i so many ways, has not long since received ex- 
Here tho whirligig of the windmill hath brought hanstivo treatment at the hands of engineers, 
about its revenge, and that hitherto maligned ! It is the most universally distributed power, and 
and slighted force—the wind—is beginning to can bo made available anywhere both night and 
secure tho attention its modest merit so richly day. It costs absolutely nothing. It requires 
deserves. no “privileges,” no dams or raceways, to give 
It is true, in the Netherlands and some other it direction and force, and is not dependent 
countries it has held sway for centuries as a [ on the amount of rainfall, as is often the case 
cheap and convenient motive power, hut the with water power. Tt, needs no costly fuel or 
mechanism of the mills is often of the most boilers to develop it, as does steam, and is not 
jirf 
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