62 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



implement has a high reputation in England, and con- 

 sists of a series of press-wheels on a central bar ; each 

 wheel has a slightly eccentric motion on the bar, and 

 the wheels are made alternately large and small. 



In Section 28 (Liquid Manure Distributing-Machines), 

 Mr. Isaac James of Cheltenham took the first prize of 

 £4. The liquid in this machine is forced through a 

 distributor, which gives a shower capable of covering 

 from 10 to 15 feet wide. The joints are all waterproof. 

 The valve is prevented from choking by the employ- 

 ment of a double strainer through which the liquid 

 manure is made to pass before it enters the body of the 

 cart. 



In Section 29 (liquid manure pumps), Mr. David 

 Falconer, Causeyside-street, Paisley, took the first prize 

 of £2. The arrangements of this pump are simple and 

 ingenious. The two pump barrels, so to speak, are 

 formed of tubes of vulcanized India-rubber, and are 

 made to collapse and extend alternately by the recipro- 

 cating movement of a beam. 



In Section 30 (straw cutters for hand labour), 

 Messrs. Richmond and Chandler, of Salford, took the 

 first prize of £2. This machine is remarkable for the 

 simplicity of its arrangements, its compactness, and for 

 the excellence of its workmanship. By the use of 

 toothed rollers, instead of the fluted ones generally 

 used in straw cutters, the apparatus is nearly self- 

 feeding. 



In Section 41 (root washers), the same firm took the 

 first prize of £2. To the back of the trough in which 

 the cylinder containing the roots to be washed revolves, 

 two curved racks are attached, one at each end. These 

 extend beyond the machine. When the handle of the 

 cylinder is turned in one direction, the cylinder conti- 

 nues to revolve in the trough, washing the roots. 

 When they are judged sufficiently clean, the cylinder is 

 caused to revolve in the opposite direction, when the 

 toothed wheels at the end of the shaft take into the 

 teeth of the curved racks, up which the cylinder climbs, 

 as it were, and delivers the potatoes. When empty, it 

 rolls down the rack to the bearings in the side of the 

 washing trough. 



In Section 42 (steaming apparatus), Messrs. R. and 

 W. Smith and Co., of Eglinton Engine Works, Glas- 

 gow, took the first prize of £b. This apparatus is ex- 

 ceedingly comjoct in arrangemeut, and complete in its 

 details. The boiler is on the Cornish or internal-flue 

 principle, and constructed specially with a view to 

 economize fuel. 



YORK MEETING. 



This, the twentieth meeting of the Yorkshire Agri- 

 cultural Society, from its splendid show of stock, and 

 its admirable collection of implements, proved itself no 

 mean rival, in bidding for public favour and attention, 

 to the Royal Society's show at Salisbury. From a 

 good authority we learn that, at the society's nineteenth 

 meeting, last year, i'800 in prizes, besides gold and 

 silver medals, were awarded, ,£200 of this being given 

 tor implements alone ; the amount of the Royal Society, 

 for the same class, at Salisbury this year, being only 

 £173. The Yorkshire Society had at its show 700 im- 

 plements — less by 180 only than the number exhibited 

 at Salisbury. While at the latter show 154 exhibitors 

 met, at the Yorkshire show there were no fewer than 

 93. But in stock the Yorkshire show bore off the 

 palm : for, while at Salisbury there were only 151 

 horses, at the Yorkshire show there were 177 ; for 109 

 shorthorns at Salisbury, there were 100 at the York- 

 shire show ; while of poultry 220 entries were made, 

 against 156 only at Salisbury. Certainly, this society 

 owes no little to the district in which it is held, with a 



population of little short of two millions, noted for their 

 enterprise in trade and commerce. 



With reference to the implement department of thig 

 most important show, the two great features were the 

 competition for the steam cultivation and the reaping 

 machines. For the former the prize was announced in 

 terms which, from their explicitness, contrasted favour- 

 ably with the announcement for a similar prize com- 

 peted for at Salisbury — " For the best application of 

 machinery impelled by steam power to the cultivation 

 of the soil, £30." But, still further to remove all 

 doubts as to the comprehensiveness, and at the same 

 time the precision, of the results aimed at, as regards 

 economy of working, the following note was added: 

 " N.B. — It is essential that the operation performed by 

 this cultivator, whether it be disintegration or complete 

 inversion of the soil, be accomplished at less cost than 

 similar or equal results can be obtained by horse or 

 manual power, and that the work be also as well done 

 by the former as by the latter agencies." In competi- 

 tion for this prize, which thus included steam ploughs, 

 rotary cultivators, and digging machines, two entries 

 were made — namely, by the Patent Traction Engine 

 Company (Boydell's endless railway), and by Mr. 

 Fowler. Mr. Fowler's apparatus was not brought for- 

 ward, so that the only apparatus tried was Mr. Boydell's 

 traction engine. Being engaged at Glasgow, we could 

 not get forward to York in time to witness the trial of 

 this machine. We understand, however, that the work 

 performed by the engine dragging Coleman's scarifier — 

 taking a breadth of 7 feet 9 inches, and a depth varying 

 from 5 to 12 inches — was, on the whole, satisfactory. 

 While working with four iron ploughs, which were 

 afterwards used, the crank of the engine broke, and put 

 an end to the experiment, which, from all we can learn, 

 seems to have been the most successful yet attempted 

 with this form of traction engine. 



For the reaping machine prize three competitors en- 

 tered — Mr. Palmer, Mr, Wray, and Mr. Busby. The 

 machine entered by the latter was that of Messrs. Dray 

 — Hussey's improved, with tipping platform. The 

 principal peculiarity in Mr. Palmer's " Union" reaper 

 is the side and back delivery. This is effected by the 

 use of a radiating platform at the back of the machine; 

 the floor of this platform being composed of a series of 

 rollers, those being of larger dimensions at the outer 

 than at the inner extremities. The two outward rollers 

 have a rotary motion given to them. The attendant, 

 sitting on the machine, uses a rake, with which he 

 draws back the cut produce from the front of the ma- 

 chine on to the receiver board, and the first of the set 

 of rollers. On the line reaching the last rollers, which 

 have, as above stated, a rotary motion given to them, 

 it is taken on by them, and delivered to the ground in a 

 line parallel, or nearly so, to the line of draught. A 

 steel separator precedes the cutters, and, jointed to the 

 side opposite to the working gear, it marks the division 

 in the standing crop between the portion to come 

 under the operation of the cutters and that left for the 

 return of action. While passing over the platform, the 

 corn is retained till it is delivered to the last rollers by 

 a light fence. This is supplied with a roller, which 

 facilitates the passage of the corn over its surface. 



The peculiarity of Mr, Wray's machine is, that it is 

 worked with one horse only. The inventor has aimed 

 at making all the parts light, and moving the knife 

 slowly. The knife is an endless one, revolving freely 

 from under the back of the machine. 



In the show-yard we noticed one or two novelties 

 only. Amongst these the compact portable gas-making 

 apparatus of Mr. B. Sanders, of Layerthorpe, attracted 

 our attention. Gas can be made by it without much 

 trouble, at the cost, it is said, of Is. per thousand cubic 



