IMPLEMENTS, . RA1,, A loose applied to all imidements and tools used in farm ing, not only in the tilling of the soil, but in the later preparation of the crop for market. Doubtless the first tools used were such as re quired only human strength in their manipula lion. The crude spade, hoe, rake, sickle or scythe, and the flail of the ancients are the of the modern plow, cultivator, harrow, self binder, and threshing-machine. After animals were subjected by man, the primitive plow and appeared. At first these wire branches of trees; the former a crotched stick drawn through the ground. the latter a twiggy lint]) dragged over the surface. Cultivators and other implements for clearing the ground of weeds, for the occasional stirring of the ground under crop, and for earthing up crops are all modern inventions. Especially during the nine teenth century were improvements made in al most every kind of farm implement. Indeed, not a few first appeared during that period, not ably the perfected seed-drill, reaper, and self binder. The threshing-machine has not only
supplanted the flail and the use of animals in treading out the grain, but has also rendered obsolete the ancient methods of winnowing away the chaff. In short, every necessary operation of the farm is now performed with some imple ment or machine specially adapted to the pur pose, and horse, steam, and in some instances electric power, have supplanted manual labor as far as such substitution has been deemed feasible. Since the publication of Thomas's Farm Imple ments and Machinery (1859 and 1369), a few .1ineriean books have appeared which illustrate and describe many farm conveniences and appli ances; but improvements in farm implements have been so numerous and important, and the applications of scienee so striking, that there is great need of a work which shall deal with fun damental] principles. See 1lAnvEsr AND IAR