Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1870 — THE GRAND PRAIRIE GRADER. [ARTICLE]

THE GRAND PRAIRIE GRADER.

The Grand Prairie Grader may be described as a large breaking plow, of peculiar construction, with a mould-board extended so that it deposits the loosened earth as tar from where it is taken" as may be de sired. It is used for preparing the ground for hedge plants as described above and is very serviceable for this purpose—two men and three span of horseß being able to throw up from two to four miles a day in our prairie soil; for grading public highways, railroads, etc., and what is of more immediate imfarmers in flat countries it is a perfect ditching machine. — We saw where a ditch twelve feet wide at the top, three feet deep and over a third of a mile in length was constructed in less than two days by two inexperienced hands with an imperfect machine drawn by three span of horses raw to thework. This ditch is in wbat is known as the Big Slough, near the j county line, on Dr. Caldwell’s farm,’

starling at the bridge where the Chicago road crosses the slough and runs south. It is a better recommendation for this simple machine than anything that can be written. ' Such a valuable machine can not long retnain out of general use.— Wherever it has been introduced it finds a ready sale and it is destined to make somebody a competency. Dr. Caldwell informs us‘ that farm and township rights, with the grader, may be bought on reasonable terms. v