This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1852 edition. Excerpt: ...Exhibition of 1851, an ingenious Cumberland farmer, Mr. Mann, of Raby Cote, in Holme-Cultram, invented a reaping-machine in the year 1832. This implement performed the cutting work with considerable regularity and despatch, but delivered the corn in a confused state in the swathe, and from some cause was never entirely perfected. It was thus described: --"The cutter is a disc of a regular polygon of twelve sides, and the gatherer a revolving drum with rakes, from the teeth of which a comb strips the straw, which then drops at one point of the machine in a continuous swathe. It requires horse-power, and a man to guide." Haymaking machines are but thin in the county, and this may be imputed more to the cost than to any prejudice against them. Many farmers are more inclined than able to keep pace with the times by purchasing a new set of implements every now and then, with the improvements which every successive year is adding to them. Great as is the support given to the numerous agricultural machine-makers, many a worthy and well-intentioned small farmer is obliged to suppress his inclination to buy, because of the inordinate amount of capital he must invest to give him the facilities his wealthier neighbour enjoys; and he who ventures on the inventions and improvements continually coming out, About 7$ cwt. The common cart weighs a little over 6 cwt. soon finds his store of discarded implements a serious item of dormant capital, and a consequent drawback on the profits. The small farmer is thus disadvantaged by being compelled to work his farm with a lesser variety of implements of an inferior class; and, in addition, has usually to meet the greater competition for his small holding by the promise of a higher rent in proportion...