The lawn mower was invented by Edwin Beard Budding in 1830 in Brimscombe and Thrupp, just outside Stroud, in Gloucestershire, England. Budding's mower was designed primarily to cut the grass on sports grounds and extensive gardens, as a superior alternative to the scythe, and was granted a British patent on August 31, 1830.
He was working at the time in Brimscombe Mill where a rotary cutter was used to trim the nap from woollen cloth. The idea came to him that a similar machine could be built to cut the nap off lawns.
Budding's first machine was 19 inches wide with a frame made of wrought iron.
The mower was pushed from behind. Cast-iron gear wheels transmitted power from the rear roller to the cutting cylinder, allowing the rear roller to drive the knives on the cutting cylinder; the ratio was 16:1. Another roller placed between the cutting cylinder and the main or land roller could be raised or lowered to alter the height of cut. The grass clippings were hurled forward into a tray-like box. It was soon realized, however, that an extra handle was needed in front to help pull the machine along. Overall, these machines were remarkably similar to modern mowers.
Two of the earliest Budding machines sold went to Regent's Park Zoological Gardens in London and the Oxford Colleges. In an agreement between John Ferrabee and Edwin Budding dated May 18, 1830, Ferrabee paid the costs of enlarging the small blades, obtained letters of patent and acquired rights to manufacture, sell and license other manufacturers in the production of lawn mowers. Without patent, Budding and Ferrabee were shrewd enough to allow other companies to build copies of their mower under license, the most successful of these being Ransomes of Ipswich, which began making mowers as early as 1832.
His machine was the catalyst for the preparation of modern-style sporting ovals, playing fields (pitches), grass courts, etc. This led to the codification of modern rules for many sports, including for football, lawn bowls, lawn tennis and others.
- 1 (10-1/2-ounce) can cream of broccoli soup
- 1 (16-ounce) container sour cream
- 8 ounces shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
- 1 stick butter, melted, divided
- 1 (32-ounce) package frozen southern-style hash browns
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups corn flakes, coarsely crushed
- Preheat oven to 350º. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, cheese, onion, and 1/2 stick butter; mix well. Stir in hash browns, salt, and pepper; pour into baking dish.
- In a small bowl, combine corn flakes and remaining butter; mix well. Sprinkle over potatoes.
- Bake 55 to 60 minutes, or until heated through and golden brown.
1905 – Marlin Perkins, American zoologist and television host (d. 1986)
1948 – Dianne Wiest, American actress
1955 – Reba McEntire, American singer and actress
1970 – Vince Vaughn, American actor
1986 – Lady Gaga, American singer and songwriter
HOW TO OBSERVE
- Master eating with chopsticks.
- Serve each meal on a stick. French toast for breakfast? Serve it cut up on toothpicks. Salad for lunch? Slide all the fixings on a skewer. The same goes for supper. Be creative and involve the whole family in the planning. Just don’t serve soup.
- Challenge the family to create a name as many foods on a stick as possible.
