THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



51 



brought forward his modificatioa of his broadshare 

 adapted as a subsoiler. Nothing can work more 

 steadily, or do more effective service in such a simple 

 and inexpensive manner. The Prize. — Eddy's subsoiler is 

 an improvement of the Marquis of Tweeddale's invention. 

 It worked well after the two pulverizing prongs were 

 taken off, and received a commendation. — Comins 

 brought forward his well-known three -coultered sub- 

 soiler with wood beam. The coulter broke in working. — 

 J. and R. Wright's subsoiler is an effective implement, 

 but diflScult to manage in rough work. 



Turn -wrest Ploughs. — Eddy's is a well-made 

 and nicely-adapted implement for the purpose. The 

 mould-turner well adjusted for making good work. 

 The Prize. — Wright's did well, and was commended. 

 Horse-hoes for Bidge or Flat. — Messrs. Fry, 

 Carson, Comins, Wright, Hole, Bentall, and Lewis 

 again competed. Carson's worked truly and well, and 

 his coulters are so arranged through the beam as to 

 work without injury to the standing crop ; the hind 

 coulters showed symptoms of clogging, but did not. 

 The prize. — Comins showed a good form of curved 

 cutters. Wright's frame would do serious injury to 

 standing crops j his curved cutters were in excellent 

 form and inclination. Hole's has a movable expanding 

 frame, three chisel-pointed coulters ; two shares did 

 very well. Bentall's is another modification of his 

 scarifier ; it was commended for its many useful adap- 

 tations. Lewis has a long bar in front and wheel at 

 each end, sadly in the way when mangels are high. 

 Fry has one V shaped share, and two cutters of share 

 shape. All these hoes had various modifications for 

 ridge culture, and those of Fry, Carson, and Comins for 

 steep hill sides, Carson received the prize. 



Turnijj-thinyiers, — Eaton tried two very useful im- 

 plements for this purpose, for both ridge and flat work, 

 which made excellent work. The two-rowed thinner 

 received the prize ; it sets at 9 in. and 12 in. by altering 

 the gearing. 



General Manure Distributors. — Reeves and Brown 

 and May competitors. We were surprised at the facility 

 in working of Reeves's distributor, depositing from about 

 two bushels per acre to ad libitum with gi-eat equanimity. 

 Brown and May's possesses great capacity; it is also 

 adapted to spreading long dung, for which purpose it is 

 attached to the dung-cart j the manure is thrown into it, 

 and regularly shaken by turning forks around the drill 

 barrel. We did not highly appreciate the invention. — A 

 special prize was awarded to Reeves's liquid-drop drill ; 

 it is a combination of Chandler's liquid-manure drill, 

 with Chambers's dropping apparatus, and in working 

 fully answered our expectation. 



A special prize was also awarded to Woofe's paring 

 plough. It is arranged for cutting the turf pared into 

 lengths of about two feet each, for more readily collect- 

 ing for drying and burning. This is done by a little re- 

 volving knife as the plough proceeds. It worked well, 

 and received marks of public approval. 



The corn-drills were not tried — the only competitors 

 Bird with Smith's old Suffolk drill, and Wright ; the 

 former received the prize. 



Haymaliing Machines. — In this class only one in 

 competition, that of Messrs. Smith and Ashby, which 

 deservedly received the prize. 



Reaping Machines. — The only competitors in this 

 department were Messrs. Burgess and Key, and R. 

 Mathers. II. Bird was the exhibitor of Burgess 

 and Key's reaper. We took especial notice of the 

 reaper shown by Mr. Mathers in the yard, and we there 

 satisfied ourselves that it must work imperfectly, if it 

 could work at all. The result in the field justified our 

 apprehensions : it frequently choked, from imperfect cut- 

 ting, and was ultimately withdrawn. That shown by 

 Burgess and Key, and worked under the businesslike 

 superintendence of Mr. Rix, an extensive Hertfordshire 

 farmer, did admirably, cutting the green rye with great 

 precision, and in a clear, clean, and workmanlike manner. 

 Indeed, so evenly as to defy the powers of any experienced 

 mower, and leaving it in a more continuous and light 

 state for weathery influences. The trial of this reaper 

 may be stated as truly satisfactory, as evinced by 

 the plaudits of the spectators and the great interest taken 

 in witnessing its operations. 



Steam Potver to the cultivation of Land. — The 

 interest excited in the minds of the more enlightened 

 agriculturists and mechanics of this part of the kingdom 

 to witness this most important trial of steam-cultivating 

 implements is intense, and it is shared in very encou- 

 ragingly by the general public ; so that steam-cultivation 

 bids fair, not only to keep up, but increase in popularity. 

 Certainly the satisfactory evidences of its efficiency as 

 shown in these well-conducted trials will not diminish 

 that interest, particularly when such clever and extraor- 

 dinary specimens of inventive genius are brought to- 

 gether in peaceful rivalry to effect such a noble and 

 beneficial object ; for be it remembered that we are 

 novices yet as to its ultimate value. Talk not of it 

 merely as " a substitute for the plough or the spade" ; 

 it will attain a far higher power and purpose — even to 

 revolutionizing the whole system of agriculture ; giving 

 us deep cultivation such as horses cannot accomplish, 

 uninterrupted tillage when required, continuous crop- 

 ping upon chemical principles, &c., &c. — things we 

 can't go into now. The trials took place on the 

 Cryws farm, on a field of grass-seeds well eaten off. 

 The implements in work were those of Mr. Fowler, 

 Mr. Smith, Mr. Cambridge, and Mr. Coleman, and 

 deeply interesting were the various operations. Mr. 

 Fowler brought his four-furrowed plough upon the one- 

 way or turnwrest principle, worked by his new and ad- 

 mirable- windlass, by which one-third of the length of 

 wire rope is saved, and in a most simple manner — that 

 is, by winding it in grooves around two wheels or drums 

 4 ft. in diameter, and in such a way that as it is wound 

 up on the one it is paid out by the other, without re- 

 quiring a man to guide the coils. This is the main im- 

 provement since we last saw it. There are others of 

 minor character, for enabling the ploughing of irregular 

 fields, saving of labour, &c., &c., &c. It may be su- 

 perfluous to say so, but we do not wish to see better 

 work done ; and it was accomplished in a very quick 

 and expeditious way. The ploughing was deep, upon an 



