LABOUR-SAVING MACHINERY ON THE FARM.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 59, 9 March 1878, Page 5

LABOUR-SAVING MACHINERY ON THE FARM.

(From the North British Agriculturist.) 'Labour-saving machinery is often pointed to as the direction in which farmers must look for the means to enable them to hold anything like their own in the greatly altered condition of agricultural matters. Too much in some quarters is made of this supposed panacea. That the heavy drain which has in recent years fallen on the farmer's purse can be reduced to a comfortable degree in this manner is impossible. From other quarters— such as reduction in rent where ifc is hio-h aid must come. Meanwhile, every oar should be put in the water in ordor to lessen tbe outlay in labor, keeping always in view efficient cultivation. Any- . thing saved at the expense of thorough cultivation and liberal manuring of the land is not, of course, what we mean is not what would bo profitable, either to the farmer or the nation. It is possible, however, to save manual labor

even to a yet greater extent on the farm, thanks to ingenious heads and careful, hands. Attempts... are being made to gather and tie the grain i from the reaper by mechanical means, nnd these efforts have been attended with an encouraging measure of success. •>

The latest production in the form 'of labor-saving machinery that we have witnessed, is a hay-lifting, carrying, and elevating machine, designed by arid made under the superintendence of Mr Taylor Seton, West Mains, East Lo« thian. After an inspection of this, machine in operation on Mr Taylors farm, near Prestonpans, last week, we have pleasure in saying that it performed its work wonderfully well. It- can, of course, hardly be claimed for the implement that it is yet perfect, but about it there appeared to us to be the means of saving a great of manual labor in tlie hay-stacking season, and also of savin othe hay from loss of seed, &c. °

The machine is very simple in design. It consists of ft . platform about 8- foot wide by 14 or so long, raised about 20 inches from the ground, and supported by an axle and two wheels within about 3 feet of the front, and by a pair of swivel wheels a similar distance from the rear of the platform. When the machine is being backed to a cole or hay rick the back end of it falls close to the ground. A rope is then put round the cole, near the ground, and fastened to the platform, so then when tho horse in front pulls, the machine and the colo are drawn together, the former slipping under the latter very satisfactorily. The cole being then lodged about the middle of the platform— when the coles are not largo two or more can be taken ou-~ the man has only to hoist the back end of the platform to tho level by means of a lover attached, and then start for .tire stockyard. One man can drive tho horse, take the cole on board, and brine it to the yard. When the hay arrives there the platform is drawn alongside what is termed the elevating part of tho machine. It consists of a wooden frame with a slope similar in degree to that of tho old-fashioned straw^falling hacks at threshing mills,. When tho cole is right auent the elevator, a rope

is again put round the hay and brought over the apex of the elevator, and yoked to the ropes, hauls the entire cole up to a stationary platform, about 9ft. from the ground. It is intended to have a pair of pulleys on which the ropes stretching over the elevator will work. The elevatiDg apparatus is, of course, placed close by the hay-stack, so that from the raised platform the cole can be speedily turned on to the stack until it is a good way up, and is much more easily forked to the top than under ordinary circumstances. There appears little reason to doubt that by some such plan as Mr Taylor bas devised, bay can be stacked more speedily and cheeply than it is generally done, while the hay will be saved a good deal of the handling and work by which it loses so much of the seed.