TdE FAllVIiiil 'S MAGAZINE. 



93 



NOTES ON NEW IxMPLEMENTS AND MACHINES EXHIBITED AT 

 THE SMITHFIELD CLUB SHOW OF 185 7. 



Once more have we encountered the confusion and 

 the crush of the implement galleries of the Baker- 

 str?et show. Right pleasant was it, nevertheless, in spite 

 of all the disadvantages attendant thereupon, to witness 

 the interest taken in the mechanism displayed, by 

 burly farmers and well-to-do agriculturists. Nor 

 less pleasant was it to be informed, amidst the crush of 

 commercial combinations, and the gloomy forebodings 

 of "cotton men," and men of other substances name- 

 less here, that something more than a passing interest 

 was taken, as was evidenced by the comparatively well- 

 filled " order books" of some of our leading firms. Truly, 

 in their quiet unostentatious progress, and in their freedom 

 from the shocks of panics and the untoward turns of 

 trade, our agriculturists have little need to envy the 

 position of their commercial brethren. In view, how- 

 ever, of the rising importance of the implemental de- 

 partment of the show, fast treading on the heels of its 

 more imposing rivals, one could not help — amidst the 

 bustle and the buzz which prevailed — feeling it to be a 

 pity that the e.xpansive capabilities of the space for 

 exhibition were not coincident with those of the exhibi- 

 tion itself, and that something could not be done to 

 have it held in some place commensurate with its im- 

 portance. The present galleries may be termed places 

 for the exhibition of implements and machines ; places 

 for their examinotion in no wise are they. The close 

 proximity in which the machines were huddled together 

 was subversive of all attempts at examination of their 

 details of construction or principles of arrangement ; 

 indeed, the feeling raised by a survey of the various 

 "stands" — so called, we suppose, on the principle of 

 hicus a 71011 lucendo — was surprise at the ingenuity 

 which could, in such limited spaces, cram so many and 

 such bulky articles. 



The time has gone by, when the farmers were satisfied 

 with a mere look at implements and machines; passing 

 them over, as if careless of their uses to them ; or if pur- 

 chasing them, doing so on the faith of the opinion of 

 some friend, or the statements of the manufacturer. By 

 the gradual increase in the number and in the import- 

 ance of the objects of our agricultural shows, we have 

 been educating the farmer in the uses and value of 

 mechanism ; and, no longer dead to the aid which it 

 can afford him in his various operations, he is anxious 

 to see new things, and careful to examine their claims 

 to support. Hence arises the value of well-ordered 

 exhibitions, in which every facility is granted to examine 

 the details of all machines there exhibited. And hence 

 also arises the value of well-arranged catalogues, in 

 which the various machines manufactured by the several 

 firms shall be clearly, that is mechanically illustrated 

 and described. We of course refer lo the trade cata- 

 logues issued by the respective firms not to the cata- 

 logues issued by the show or shows at which their ma- 

 chines are exhibited. In view of the advantages of a 

 catalogue in which mechanical descriptions and accurate 

 detailed illustrations would be given, it is certainly curious 

 that no firm, so far as we know, has yet brought ont 

 one in which this species of information has been dis- 

 played so fully as the importance of the subject de- 

 mands. The advantages obtained by the use of such 

 catalogues would be as much on the side of the manufac- 

 turer as on that of the purchaser. Makersof manufacturing 

 mechanism in our cotton districts know this well ; and 



although they do not issue catalogues in the manner of 

 our agricultural implement makers, still, when they 

 have anything new to bring before the notice of the 

 manufacturers, they take care in their circular or pros- 

 pectus to illustrate mechanically and describe clearly the 

 details of their invention and the principle of its opera- 

 tion. And this they do, knowing that the parties who 

 may be the purchasers are well acquainted with the 

 operation of the machine which the new candidate for 

 their favour is designed to supersede ; and that conse- 

 quently what the manufacturer wants is information 

 which can enable him to decide in what respect the new 

 machine is calculated to do better work than the old, 

 or how the machine presented to his notice by one maker 

 is better than that brought forward by the rival trader. 

 Are the machines or implements used by the farmer, 

 because they are less costly or complicated than manu- 

 factuiing mechanism, less important to him ? or is he 

 presumed to be indifferent to their details of con- 

 struction, or principle of operation ? or is it supposed 

 that he cannot understand or appreciate mechanical 

 description ? These questions we do not venture to 

 answer ; but true it is that the more facilities are thrown 

 in his way to understand fully the nature and operation 

 of the mechanism which he is desirous to buy, the more 

 readily will he become a purchaser. We have said that the 

 time has gone by when the intelligent farmer will be satis- 

 fied with a bare look at machinery; a thorough examina- 

 tion alone satisfies him : and the more readily the manu- 

 facturer throws facilities in his way for this thorough 

 examination, the more will they find it redound to their 

 own interest. It is impossible to overrate the uses of 

 well-arranged catalogues in enabling farmers to examine 

 quietly, and at their leisure the peculiarities of machines 

 which may have attracted their attention at the shows 

 which they may have visited. It is easy to conceive 

 what close attention would be given to the detailed de- 

 scriptions of a machine which a visitor and an intending 

 purchaser saw, but could not examine, midst the crush 

 and confusion of the Baker-street show. We have 

 ventured thus far to detain our readers with remarks on 

 this subject, because we conceive it one of considerable 

 importance, and because we happen to know that with 

 many practical agriculturists it would be a matter of con- 

 gratulation if they were enabled to examine leisurely 

 the construction and operations of machines in which 

 they felt an interest. 



Not longer to keep back the more immediate subject 

 of our paper, wc proceed to notice a few of the new, or 

 comparatively new, implements and machines exhibited, 

 following as closely as possible the natural order in 

 which the agricultural mechanism is used in practice, 

 beginning with cultural implements, and ending with 

 the mechanism used for the preparation of food for 

 stock. 



(1.) In the department of cultural implements we 

 have little new to notice. Mr. E. Clarke, of Great 

 Badley, Essex, exhibited a "furrow-opener and slide," 

 invented by Mr. Wm. Delfe. The cultivating part of 

 this implement bears a resemblance to " Bentall's broad- 

 share;" and the lever movement by which it is raised, 

 when it reaches tlie end of the stetches at the head- 

 lands, is a modification of that used in Garrett's horse- 

 hoe. The implement is supported in front by a small 

 wheel, and at the rear end of the frame or beam by two 



