T[1E FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



431 



crop 1S5G. Two carts were placed at the slack, 

 and sheaf about was forked from it to the carts, 

 which were driven and unloaded at the English and 

 Scoicli machines. The former thrashed at the rate 

 of 5 r]rs. per hour, including stoppages; and some- 

 times it was found to be thrashing at the rate of 

 7 qrs. per hour, when it was fed fast and equally. 

 The Scotch machine had not <all the modern improve- 

 ments attached to it — the grain having to be put 

 through the hand fanners once or twice after it had 

 passed through the machine— which thrashed at the 

 rate of 2\ qrs. per hour. The wheat experimented 

 on yielded at the rate of oG bushels per imperial 

 acre. Tiie results of this experiment have already 

 been published ; but as there are probably some 

 present who have not seen it, and as it agrees so 

 nearly with the results of Mr. Hope's experiments, 

 with the permission of the meeting, I will give 

 the details: 



Eiiglisli mncliine 

 Ssotch machit^e 



6t. lb 

 3 9 

 2 1 



lb. 



62.^ 



6Ca 



It is to bo observed that the English machine gave 

 both u\ore good grain, and a greater weight per 

 bushel, namely, ]$ lb., and the sample was decidedly 

 superior, both in appearance and in handling, and 

 contained no broken grain. The results correspond 

 very nearly with tliose obtained by Mr. Hope, being 

 about 05 per cent, in favour of the English machine. 

 The good grain from both machines was sent 

 to market, and sold by an agent on the same day ; 

 that from the English machine brought os. per qr. 

 more than the grain from the Scotch. Wishing to 

 know what became of the wheat that passed through 

 the Scotch machine, he caused some of the straw 

 from it to be put through the English macliine, and 

 after a quarter of an hour's working, he obtained 

 52 lb. of wheat. He also ]nit some of the straw 

 from the English machine through the Scotch one, and 

 after iivc minutes work, obtained Iff lb. of wheat — 

 that is, at the rate of 5^- lb. in a quarter of an hour. 

 Allusion has been made to the proper feeding of the 

 mill. This is a most essential point ; the feeder 

 should have a good ear, he should knoAV when he is 

 feeding properly by the sound of the mill, and the 

 master, though at a considerable distance from the 

 oflices, if he has a good ear will be able to tell if the 

 mill is properly fed, simply by the sound which will 

 be carried to him by the wina. A machine is often 

 blamed for bad thrashing when the fault is altogether 

 the feeder's. He was glad to hear Mr. Hope throw 

 out some suggestions as to the elements of judgment 

 to be taken into account in awarding the prize. 

 Tills is most unportant ; and there is one point in 

 particular to which he would direct attention, namely, 

 a fair and full trial of the machines entered for 

 competition. Earmcrs willjiot be satisfied with the 

 short trials in the show-yard, which may be kept; up 

 to amuse mere sigiit-secrs, and tlms lielji to swell the 

 receipts at the gates. To show the inq)C)rtance of 

 this subject he supposed tliat the whole of the wheat 

 crop of iS50, in Scotland, had been thrashed by 



Scotch machines of equal etticicucy to those used by 

 Mr. Hope and him. By the agricultural statistics, 

 7,270,y.")2 bushels of wheat were produced in 1S5G, 

 which is equal to DOS, SOU qrs., arid as 5s. per qr. 

 more wns obtained for the English thrashed than 

 for the Scotch thrashed, there was a loss of £227,'21 7 

 to the farmers of Scotland, from crop 1S.5(), from 

 using the latter instead of the former. It will be 

 said that it was not all lo.ss, as the pigs would get 

 some of it ; true, but there is no profit in giving to 

 pigs, at present, food that is good for man; and 

 slovenliness in one operation on the farm is sure to 

 lead to slovenliness in others. This is no small sunt, 

 and it is no small matter for the Society to dcnl 

 with. It has shown its anxiety in the subject by 

 proposing this subject for discussion, and by ofl'ering 

 a pretty large sum for the best tin ashing machine, 

 to be competed for in 1S.59; but whatever the 

 expense, it must see that there be a fair and full 

 trial of the machines when brought forward. It is 

 rich, and is yearly laying past money ; it has now a 

 large sinking fund, and it can therefore well aiford a 

 good sum for carrying out an improvement so nmch 

 desired as that of the thrashing machine. We must 

 bear in mind that the usefulness and wealth of a 

 Society such as this, is not shown by its always 

 adding to its sinking fund, and by the amount of 

 capital it has in the bank. Its usefulness and 

 capital are rather shown in the zeal which it excites 

 in its members, and in the improvements which are 

 originated and carried out by its aid ; and the 

 interest of that capital is something far better and 

 more lasting than mere money interest ; it is the 

 results of these improvements contributing to the 

 prosperity of its members, the comfort of the 

 community at large, and the permanent wealth of 

 the country. 



Sir John M'Neill : Was the grain you sold at 

 market, sold to the same person, or to dilferent 

 parties ? 



Mr. M.\t LAGAN : Tlie grain was sold in the same 

 market, but I cannot say whether it was sold to the 

 same person. 



Mr. Maxwell said there was every desire on the 

 part of the directors to secure as fair a trial as 

 possible, and they would neither spare time, trouble, 

 nor money in endeavouring to obtain it. At the 

 same time, he might allude to this little difficulty. 

 The English makers, if they had their own way, 

 would have no trial whatever. They said, " We 

 don't want you to judge of the respective merits of 

 our machines ;" but the directors t bought they were 

 bound to take the best means of telling the people 

 who came to the show, what in their opinion was the 

 best machine. The directors had a duty to perform 

 to the machine makers on the one hand, and to the 

 public on the other ; and they would take care that 

 the trial should be the best that could be procured. 



Sir John M'Neill hoped that the Scotch macliine 

 makcn-s would not allow their English rivals to 

 go a-head of them. 



In answer to Mr. Wai-llu, 



iMr. ]\Ia(lagan said, he thought the drum of the 

 nuichine used by him was what was called a peg 

 drum. 



Mr. StrrxiE thought the machines should be tried 

 with different kinds of grain. A great deal, iu his 



