Canastota High School - Toot Yearbook (Canastota, NY)

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8 THE TOOT English inventors did much to prepare the way for a good reaping ma- chine, the first successful one was made in the United States. In the summer of 1831, Cyrus McCormick made a trial of a reaper which he had invented and accomplished the magnanimous task of cutting six acres of oats in in afterr.con. McCormick’s invention gave new life to the farming in the United States. Improvements upon this machine came “thick ard fast , ard so the self-raking reaper was finally made. It saved the labcr of the man who had raked the wheat from the platform. Then came the self-b rder, which the labor of four or five men by binding the grain as it was cut, into sheaves. The last step in the development of the reaper was taken when the complete harvester was invented by Mat- teson. This machine cuts the standirg grain, threshes it, winnowes it and places it in sacks. The combined harvester and reaper is drawn either by horses; thirty or forty in number, or by a powerful engine. It does as much work in a day as one hundred men could have done before the days of McCormick. To propel these gang-plows and harvesters requires a powerful en- gine for this and various other purposes the tractor is indispensable. This machine is equipped with an internal combustion engine which furnishes power both for propulsion and cutting, thrashing and binding the grain, it is especially advantageous since it can be managed easily in places where there is little room. Another very useful invention is the sowing machine used for planting grain. Formerly all grain was sown by hand, and in regions where farms are small this practice is still continued. The modern seeders are drawn by horses and under ordinary conditions one of them will plant from eight to ten acres a day. Considering agriculture as the art of raising clcthing materials, the cotton gin, invented by Eli Whitney in 1 793, has had more influence on industry, wealth and political history than ary other labor saving device. Its purpose was to separate the seeds from the cotton, a task which then required so much lime that cotton was very expensive and only the rich could afford to buy it. By using Whitney's machine one man could clean a thousand pounds in a single day. This invention increased the cotton production to such an extent that today it is one of the leading industries of our country. Besides the complicated machinery for the larger farms, are the simpler implements more commonly used. Among these are the special potato machinery, the mewing and thrashing machines, hay rakes and loaders. Of the potato machinery, the planter fills a place cf importance. This machine not only delivers the seed at regular intervals but mixes fertilizer with the soil at the same time. The spraying machine is becoming very important in combatting irsects and diseases. It consists of power spray- ers which hold from fifty to one hundred gallons. The potato diggers vary greatly in style. The most common type digs the potatoes, separates them from the rubbish and dirt and runs them into crates, or if crates are not used the potatoes are caught in an iron box and dumped at intervals.

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THE TOOT 7 FARMING MACHINERY AND ITS DEVELOPMENT IN AMERICA When tillage begins, other arts follow. The farmers, therefore are the founders of civilization.” These words cf Daniel Webster exemplify the importance of agriculture, the oldest of all occupations. Agriculture began when the first man selected plants for his food. His next step was to scratch the ground with a stick and plant seed. From these simple beginnings, it has advanced thru the centuries until today, traction engines haul over our great wheat fields gang plows that engines pull over the fields of ripened grain a machine which at one operation harvests, thrashes and sacks the grain; and as one humorist says, ‘Does everything except to cash the check for the crop.” Foremost among the causes for this progress in agriculture is the de- velopment of farm machinery, many of these implements being the inven- tions of Americans. At the time of the early colonists the plow was a poorly constructed af- fair made entirely of wood; and it was in the United States that the first improvements in the plow were made. Among those who helped per- fect the plow was the statesman, Thomas Jefferson, who constructed the first mould-board according to scientific principles. Afterwards, Jethro Wood made a plow wholly out of cast iron. This, however, did not meet the needs of the western farmer. The sod of the vast praries could not be broken fast enough with the plow of a single share; so about the mid- dle of the eighteenth century came the gang plow which turned from four to five furrows at a time. At first it was drawn by horses, but later steam was used, the plow being propelled by means of cables. The plow has thus become a great force which leaves in its make a bread belt of well-broken soil. This useful invention was scon followed by that of the reaper. Altho

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THE TOOT The thrashing machine combines the thrasher, winnowing machine and stackes. The most recent type was invented by Curtis C. Baldwin. Hay rakes and loaders are also machines which have saved time and labor in comparison with older methods of raking and loading by hand. Such has been the progress in this art, that the labor of producing a bushel of wheat has been reduced from a little over three hours to about ten minutes, ard from a cost of eighteen to four cents a bushel. This great savirg of time and labor has made America the greatest agricultural nation. It has been one of the most important factors in the development of the West, and has increased our commerce and exports to a great ex- tent. America, today is not only feeding herself but is practically feed- ing Europe. The old world is calling upon the new to supply it with food- stuffs until the devastated portions are again able to produce crops and, thanks to the American farmer with his modern machinery, America can respond to the call. MILDRED I. WILLIAMS. FOUR AMERICAN STATESMEN “Statesman yet friend to truth of soul sincere In action faithful and in honor clear. Who broke no promise, served no private end. Who gained no title and who lost no friend.” True statesmanship is founded net on cunning, artifice or selfish princi- ples, but on the ideals of great men and for the purpose of serving hu- manity. It stands for all that is honorable and just; all that is faithful and true; in short, Statesmanship is Right prevailing over Wrong, Justice over Injustice. It seeks to preserve rather than annihilate and to advance rath- er than retard. America—“America the Hope of the World” has de- velcped the standards of her statesmanship on the immortal doctrine of Abraham Lincoln—“that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that the government of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not perish from the earth”. Let us see how a few of America’s statesmen measure up to these regulations. Benjamin Franklin, successful in many varied careers, whose genius, the pressing need of his country revealed to its full proportions, was the first great American statesman. He defended the principle, very unusual among the colonists, that local disputes should be set aside for the public good. As soon as the thirteen colonies had formed themselves into the United States of America, George Washington became renowned as a statesman. He was an influential leader, the soul of honor, not hasty in his decision but always careful and judicious. A believer in a strong government and strictly enforced laws, George Washington is remembered by every American as the father of his country . America had a hard struggle for existance and England made it more difficult by her impositions until finally President Madison, urged by Henry Clay, waged a strong fight in defense of the smaller nation’s honor.