1852. 
313 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
factorily only by the dynamometer, which the committee 
carefully applied to each machine, and the results of 
which will be embodied in their report. This mower 
possessed the decided advantage of admitting a quick 
and easy elevation of the cutting blades, (situated mid¬ 
way between the forward and hind wheels,) on approach¬ 
ing any obstruction. 
We could not but observe the different form of the 
blades of each of these three mowers. In Ketchum’s, 
A A A A they were acute-angular, as 
shown in Fig. 1, so that, al¬ 
though they had but a simple 
cutting edge, (and not a sic¬ 
kle or sawing edge, as the o- 
thers,) they did their work 
completely, not .a stalk of 
grass could escape them as 
they quickly vibrate^ between the steel fingers. Even 
rig.! 
\ A 
A 
Fuji 
EZjS 
when a part of the cutters had accidentally become bad¬ 
ly dulled against a hidden stone, we observed that none 
of the grass wajs left—it was pinched off if not cut off, 
and a smoothly shorn surface left. This appears to be a 
decided advantage, an increase in draught being the only 
result from dull knives. McCormick’s, which has the 
sickle edge, is quite unlike in form, the angles being ob¬ 
tuse, as in Fig. 2. This appears to furnish the reason 
why this machine, which operates so admirably as a reap¬ 
er, partially fails in the meadow, where the slender, 
polished surface of small wiry grass is operated on 
by the simply sawing and not shearing motion of the 
blades, but is bent down before them. In Manny’s mow¬ 
er, which cut so much better than McCormick’s, the 
angles were more acute, approaching in form those of 
n 
Rugg's Propeller. 
Ketchum’s. (Fig. 3.) Rugg’s machine differed from 
all the rest in being directly propelled by the horses be¬ 
hind. Its cutting apparatus was similar to that of Mc¬ 
Cormick’s, and it cut grass quite as well. It required 
more skill in driving, but less speed than any of the others,* 
which was perhaps owing to the greater multiplying pow¬ 
er of its wheels. 
The next morning, two more machines were tried— 
Burrall’s, and Bronson & Murray’s. Burrall’s is quite 
similar to Ketchum’s, and cut remarkably well with the 
exception of becoming frequently clogged—a difficulty 
which may be yet obviated, as it was then on its first 
trial. Bronson & Murray’s, being out of order, did not 
succeed well. 
Another trial of most of the mowing machines, was 
made in a heavy meadow, on the morning of the 23d On 
the lower portions the ground was rough, and the grass 
largely mixed with sedge and juncus, rendering it hard to 
cut. Ketchum’s and Manny’s machines did their work 
well, and cut closely to the surface. McCormick’s, Bron¬ 
son Sc Murray ? s, and Dan ford’s, did not succeed so well. 
The latter was now tried for the first time. Its cutting 
apparatus was quite different from the others, consisting 
of two sets of knives, vibrating in opposite directions, and 
operating like double edged-shears. High hopes had 
been entertained of the success of this machine, but they 
were not realised. This may have been owing partly to 
the absence of fingers to gather and hold the stalks, and 
to keep the edges from being crowded asunder. A por¬ 
tion of the grass on this meadow was completely prostra¬ 
ted, and here the superiority of the mowing machine 
over the scythe, was most strikingly exhibited. Against 
this lodged portion Ketchum’s mower was driven— 
it left the grass in appearance precisely as it was be¬ 
fore, but it was found on examination to be sbaved off 
closely to the surface of the ground, •without altering 
its position. 
A single trial like this, can hardly be considered as a 
decisive exhibition of the relative merits of the different 
mowers, where so much may depend on the nature of the 
ground and grass, the character of the team, driver, &c., 
while the liability to wear and tear will not be shown by 
the work of one day only. One point, however, was sa¬ 
tisfactorily settled,—the practicability and great advan¬ 
tage of the use of mowing machines on large farms, 
where one person with a single team, can easily accom¬ 
plish the severe labor of ten men. Indeed it was a mat¬ 
ter of surprise to many, that while grass cutting by hand 
is much slower work than cradling, reapers requiring two 
men each, should be so much more generally introduced 
than mowing machines, which cut nearly as many acres 
per day, with but one man each for their management. 
One defect appears to exist in nearly all the mowers-— 
that of requiring unnatural speed in the horses to do the 
work well. The motion of the knives should be so mul¬ 
tiplied as to accomplish the desired end with two miles 
an hour, instead of four. Excellent teams were purpose¬ 
ly procured for all on this occasion, and the experiment 
can hardly be regarded as a fair one for ordinary every¬ 
day work. -— 
The Reapers. 
The trial of these was commenced in the afternoon of 
the 21st. Burrall’s, of Geneva, first entered the harvest 
BurralVs Reaper. 
field, and cut in fine style, sweeping down a sheet of the 
standing grain about five feet wide, and throwing it off in 
handsome bunches for binding. It could be so arranged 
as to drop the grain either directly behind, or off at one 
side, the latter being the best arrangement, as not requir¬ 
ing binding and clearing the track before the horses could 
again pass round the field. This machine, which appears 
to be much like Hussey’s, possessed one advantage, 
which appeared to be an important one. By each vibra¬ 
tion, the knives were made to pass two sets of fingers, in¬ 
stead of only one, as in the others, cutting twice as much 
at each stroke, striking more rapidly, and rendering a 
change of motion less frequent. Hussey’s machine was 
next tried, and its operation was fine, quite similar tq that 
of Burrall’s, dropping the grain behind the machine. 
Neither of these machines was furnished with a reel, 
