94 
WISCONSIN STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
full duty is chargeable to this cause, rather than to lack of purpose or good 
intent on our part to do justice to all. 
With regard to the real merits of much of the machinery, especially that 
devoted to farming purposes, no opportunity was given to test by actual op¬ 
eration, and our judgment in the main was based on their general appear¬ 
ance. And here your committee would, remark that it seems advisable to 
them, at future exhibitions, to arrange, as far as may be practicable, for a 
public trial of this class of machinery; offering suitable premiums and ap¬ 
pointing judges to make the awards, if deemed expedient or necessary. 
This will stimulate our manufacturers to make better machinery, and will 
bring the real merits of their work before the public, so that the farmer 
and others most interested can judge by actual observation what is best 
adapted to their purpose. 
Time and space will not permit us even to specify all the commendable 
articles exhibited, or to give those we deemed most worthy, anything more 
than a brief notice, therefore we will only attempt to note the most im¬ 
portant. 
The display of agricultural machinery made by L. J. Bush of Milwaukee, 
was very fine. Good specimens of Russell’s reapers and mowers, Sprague’s 
mowers, Birdsall’s clover hullers, power and hand corn sliellers and straw 
cutters of different manufacturers, the American and Hutchinson’s cider 
mills, Buckeye wheel horse rake, Tiffin’s revolving horse rake, lawn mow¬ 
ers, churns, etc., were presented. 
Mr. A. J. Hays of Milwaukee, also made a large exhibition of the same 
class of machinery, among which we found Hubbard’s self-raking reaper 
and mower combined, his light mowers, the Ithaca steel tooth horse rake, 
Continental feed cutters in variety, Young America cider mill, and the Phil¬ 
adelphia lawn mower; all very good machines. 
The Beloit self and hand-raking reaper and combination mowing attach¬ 
ment was exhibited by Parker & Stone of Beloit. 
The Wilbur Eureka mower and reaper was represented by two very fine 
machines. 
Messrs. M. E. Fuller & Co. of Madison, made a fine display of Wood’s 
combined reapers and mowers; a machine well known and appreciated by 
the farming community. 
Mr. George Esterly of Whitewater, exhibited his reaper and mower com¬ 
bined, with self rake or dropper, also his patent seeder and cultivator, with 
land measurer, agitator, or grass seed attachment; machines of his own 
manufacture, well made and first-class. 
The Valley Chief mower and self-raking reaper were entered by Harri¬ 
son & Judd of Janesville, and are regarded as very good machines. 
R. C. Farthing of Ripon, exhibited the Aetna mowing and reaping ma¬ 
chines. In appearance they seem to be excellent machines, and calculated 
to work equally well on rough and smooth ground. They are said to do 
good work. 
