498 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



Though the members of these sentences do play a 

 little at " cross-purposes," slill, in spite of the compo- 

 sition, it is clearly to be understood tliat the exhibitors 

 are not again anxious to purchase " a pig in a poke;" 

 and, as we shall see, they have good reason for re- 

 quiring precise explanation of what awaits them at 

 Chester. 



"As we observe that the judges in their report of the 

 trial at Salisbury express the opinion, ' that the word- 

 ing of the premium can never justify a judge in giving 

 a prize whilst a. plough is used,' it is we think essential 

 that it should be clearly stated lohether amj or all 

 those plans lohich ice re-present are excluded by 

 the wording of the offer of the premium from com- 

 petition." 



Now, five of the judges understand by the words of 

 the Society's offer, " an economical substitute for the 

 plough," a machine that shall " turn-over" the soil in 

 a different manner to that; of the plough. Xo modi6cd 

 form of plough, having share and mouldboard, and 

 turning over a furrow-slice by a screw-wedge action, 

 can receive a prize at their hands. They must have a 

 new variety of tilling implement. But two of the 

 judges under>tand the terms to mean, a substitute for 

 the common or horse plough. That is, a steam ma- 

 chine which can economically take the place of the 

 present horse plough, no matter whether effecting pre- 

 cisely the same or a better tillage operation. They 

 want either ploughing, or some other process equally 

 effective, done by steam-power instead of horses. Tlie 

 thing you " substitute" for another is not necessa- 

 rily of a different kind; but it may be either of the 

 same or of a different kind, provided only that it 

 "stand in place of" or answer the purpose of the 

 other. It might be argued, indeed, that a " substitute 

 for a plough" nmst perform the ivork called jilough- 

 ing ; otherwise, it would not take the place of liie old 

 implement ; and not being able to accomplish the same 

 end, could not be called a "substitute." But why 

 quarrel about words ? Mr. AYren Hoskyns says, 

 " When it is already evident that a plough worked by 

 steam-power gets rid oi some of the evils incidental, on 

 certain soils, to that worked by horses, it becomes quite 

 conceivable that retaining substantially the same 

 form, it might yet come to get rid of tliose remainin"-. 

 The nominal objection could hardly survive the real 

 one, since the only object of substitution is the complete 

 removal in the substitute of tlie defects in the original. 

 This accomplished, substitution is literally as well as 

 substantially attained, for there is nothing in the 

 etymology of the word to prohibit similarity of form 

 in the instrument which shall furnish the whole of 

 the qualities required . . . .; while it is equally true 



that there is nothing in the nature of the prize which 

 pi-ohibits a suspension of judgment, while this object 

 may be in process of accomplishment." Let the 

 Council state plainly whether they understand their 

 own offer in this sense — whether they will award the 

 premium to the steam machine that is found the most 

 " economicfl substitute for the plough or the spade," 

 no matter whether coulters, shares, and mouldboards be 

 parts of it or not, so long as it fulfils the object in view. 

 This is, the tillage of Lunl by steam-power as 

 effectively and more advantageously than by horses. 



" We would also suggest that to insure such a trial 

 of these machines as the importance of the subject 

 deserves, a mucli longer time is necessary than can be 

 given during the show week by the judges, who have 

 a great many other duties to attend to ; and that 

 it would be of great importance that the judges of this 

 department should have their whole time at their 

 disp sal for this subject, as no fair comparison with 

 horse labour can be instituted except by a lengthened 

 trial." We hope that this request will be com- 

 plied with ; and that the steam-cu'tivator may 

 not be left for the cursory inspection of the judges, 

 after examination and trial of the thrashing machines, 

 chaff-cutters, and mills. Let us have a trial of 

 several days' duration, with coal weighed, time taken, 

 and work measured ; and in a situation favourably 

 adapted to this young class of invention, rather than 

 selected and laid out so as to baffle the inventors with 

 unfair and unusual obstacles. Let us not absurdly test 

 general efficiency by means of a maximum of difficulty. 

 " The length of time that elapses between the publica- 

 tion of the judges' report and the adjudication of the 

 prize also exercises a very prejudicial effect on the 

 business to be done at the meeting. So much so that, 

 in our opinion, a machine known not to be competing 

 for the premium stands a better chance of obtaining 

 orders on its own mei'its than one upon which a report 

 is expected in a few months, and for which the public 

 are likely to wait." There can be no reason why the 

 judges of the steam cultivators should not give in their 

 report while on the spot; though it is perhaps too 

 much to expect the necessarily elaborate reports upon 

 all the numerous classes of machinery and multitudi- 

 nous " miscellaneous articles" in the show-yard. Let 

 the judges of steam cultivators, reapers, thrashing ma- 

 chines, and steam-engines at any rate, if not of other 

 important machines, have time to conduct the neces- 

 sary experiments, and afterwards compose their separate 

 reports, bef ire or during the public sliow-days. And 

 for this purpose the work should be more divided than 

 heretofore, rather than more classes forced upon fewer 

 judges. 



THE TRIALS OF THE THRASHING-MACHINES. 



Sir -The inclosed paper waa laid before the Coudc.1 of tbe Ro;)al Agricultural Society of Euglaud, at the meeting 

 y€3 crJay. If you can find room for it, I shall feel obhged. I am, Sir. yours siDcerely, 



UnoSuUon,Maye,l^,^. J. A. CLARKE. 



