mowers:
a history

IN 1731, when Thomas Ryley and
John Beaumont invented the fod-
der-cutting machine, little did
they know that what they created
to cut food for livestock would
turn into a suburban obsession.

That obsession — the lawn
mower — is now being heard
again, roaring through the Satur-
day morning air as the weather
slowly warms.

The first patent for a grass-
cutting machine was issued in
1803. Although the mower re-
quired considerable effort to use,
it was another step toward
mechanization and an easier way
of life.

The horse-drawn mowing
machine was introduced in 1870.
Later, steam powered mowing
machines were developed, but crit-
ics weren’t convinced that steam
was the most convenient fuel
source.

Shortly before the First World
War, Edwin George of Detroit
took a gasoline engine from a
washing machine and attached it
to a mower. His machine, which
utilized a reel blade, was an in-
stant success.

Refinement of the rotary power
mower took place after the Se-
cond World War, and the
machine came of age in about
1953. From then until 1959, rotary
mowers out-sold reel mowers
nine-to-one.

The 1960s brought case of
operation, safety, new features
and..a stable price to the lawn
mower. And with people’s migra-
tim to the suburbs, the lawn

F,

Re

NEWS photo Nell Lucente

PARKS MANAGER Dirk Oostindie plants a European beech
tree at Maplewood Farm. The tree is to commemorate 34
years of service with the District of North Vancouver.

Oostindie retires this year.

mower became a_houschold
necessity.

From its humble roots, the lawn
mower has become a sophisticated

piece of equipment. But because it

endures punishment weekly —
operating in a dirty, moist en-
vironment and high temperatures
— it needs routine maintenance to
perform efficiently and to last.

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