162 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE, 



having taken a prize of £200 at tlie Massachusetts 

 Agricultural Exhibition in 1856 ; and another during 

 the same year at that of the Indiana State. It pro- 

 fesses to cut grain and grass at all heiuhts and on any 

 kind of ground, however rough or trying. It is only 

 right to say that its performance so far approaches its 

 promise. Mr. Clayton liimself is famous for his pipe 

 and brick making machines, which were not only de- 

 scribed at great length, but becoming illustrations of 

 them given in the Mark Lane Express about a year 

 since. 



On Saturday the judges were in the field early, con- 

 tinuing the trials of drills, harrows, manure-distributors, 

 grass-mowers, haymakers, horse rakes, &c.; and in the 

 later part of the day they were summoned to the rye- 

 field, to undertake the adjudication upon the reaping 

 machines. Lord Kinnaird and Messrs. Orosskill, 

 Burgess and Key, Dray and Co., Palmer and Monsieur 

 Mazieie were the exhibiters. This was by far the most 

 interesting trial of the day: the work was well done, the 

 balance of public favour evidently tending to the en- 

 couragement of the side-delivering machines. The 

 mowing machines were tried both on clover and grass; 

 the grass very heavy and entangled. One or two of the 

 raoveers myde good work; and, when it is borne in mind 

 that the same machine can be eifectively applied to 

 corn-mowing, it denotes great usefulness. It may afford 

 some criterion oi the labour of the .ludges, when we say 

 that already 27 horse-hoes, nearly as many drills and 

 manure-distributors, 4mowers, 7 reapers, 11 haymakers, 

 and 14 horse-rakes have been tried. 



Monday. — The trials of implements were continued 

 to-day. Mazier's reaper was again tried with two 

 horses in the rye field, the trial of the S.iturday with 

 one horse, and that not a strong one, not being consi- 

 dered satisfactory. The implement, however, pruved too 

 weak for its work, nor did it take sufficient breadth to 

 entitle it to an honorary distinction. Rowsell's win- 

 rowing rake was tried as a barley rake, and proved to be 

 well qualified to draw up the swathe, and rake clean at 

 one operation. Fowler's ploughswereat work in the field, 

 engaged for their use by the inventor. The inspection 

 of the mechanical construction of the various implements 

 tested, occupied the judges a large proportion of the day ; 

 and in the evening nearly all their awards were given in 

 to the Director, J\Jr. B. Gibbs, who is as indefatigable as 

 ever, and as accessible and temperate. What the Society 

 would do without him we can scarcely imagine. The 

 Stewards are early and late at their work, and do all that 

 men can do to promote the success of the meeting. To 

 please everyone is out of the question, and to keep all 

 their subordinates in useful action is no light task, so 

 many and varied are their engagements. Tha trial 

 fields are as conveniently situated as usual, but still wide 

 apart, and superintendence is everywhere required. 

 Complaints are so often made relative to the trials, 

 but the Stewards are seldom to blame. To-day the 

 steam ploughs were directed to be in the field at twelve 

 o'clock, in readine.=s to commence wo;k at three o'clock. 

 When we left at seven o'clock only one had succeeded in 

 reaching the table-land on the hill appointed for the 

 ploughing to take place. The consequence was that these 

 trials were put ofi' till the Tuesday morning, at seven 

 o'clock. The road to the trial-fields was certainly a real 

 test for the locomotive powers of the several steam en- 

 gines. It was situated on the top of a hill, near a quarter 

 of a mile from the road, and upon an ascent of one foot 

 in seven-and-a-halt incline. All the exhibiters, Messrs. 

 Fowler, Boydell, Williams, and Hall, were reluctant to 

 make the attempt; but Mr. Boydell, with his accus- 

 tomed boldness and energy, took the lead. He left the 

 ehowyard, with his tank of water, weighing about 7 tons, 



and descended into the road, then turning up at a short 

 distance he entered the fields through a gateway, passing 

 a plot of potatoes, then a field of oats, and ultimately to 

 the top of the hill, up the steep incline named above, 

 without a failure — a feat in steam locomotion never 

 before equalled. Fowler's engine could not ascend this 

 steep, and he was ultimately compelled to resort to his 

 wire ropes and anchorages, and thus succeeded in 

 reaching the top in safety. Hall made (he attempt to 

 get up, but he met with such difficult/ in a narrow 

 gateway as to bring him to a final stand, and ultimately 

 to break down. On Tuesday this most important 

 trial of steam ploughs and cultivators commenced, and 

 formed the most interesting feature in the imple- 

 ment trials. The visitors were very numerous, and 

 evinced too much interest to be pleasant to the officers of 

 the Society, for neither the Stewards nor the police 

 could keep them in order so that the judges covild fairly 

 view the working of each implement. Mr. Boydell's 

 locomotive traction engine was harnessed to three 

 double-breasted ploughs, attached by chains to the right 

 side of the engine frame at several distances, to insure 

 room for the ploughman holding the different ploughs. 

 The engine performed its part to the admiration of all 

 parties ; but the ploughs were ineffectual in ploughing 

 the stiff and stony soil appointed for them, and ulti- 

 mately, after the completion of the plot assigned for the 

 day, they were withdrawn. On Wednesday Howard's 

 ploughs were substituted. This was a great improvement, 

 and the work much better done. Fowler's ploughing 

 was afar better performance, and retrieved the character 

 of steam-ploughing. The work lay in fair and even 

 furrows of considerable depth, and the quantity ploughed 

 in a short time was marvellous. The performance was 

 not novel, but its simplicity attracted general attention. 

 A steam engine affixed at either end of the field drew by 

 wire ropes alternately the frame of six plough bodies, 

 three in work, three riding to be thrown into work 

 at the other end, the mould-turners so arranged that the 

 operation had all one inclination. Williams' apparatus for 

 drawing was nearly the same as the above, but his phough- 

 frame was a new arrangement. The plough bodies, six 

 in number, were curiously affixed to one side of a trian- 

 gular frame, and are worked by their own attachment 

 and weight. This arrangement was also ineffectual in 

 ploughing the still stifFer soil which fell to his lot. The 

 peculiarity about this plough-frame, and its working, is 

 that it is guided by a horse in front, and the ploughs are 

 so arranged as to draw the frame, aud not the frame the 

 plough. This is effected by draft-irons from the plough 

 bodies passing through the frame in part. The most bene • 

 ficial adaptation for cultivation in this department was 

 the attachment of Coleman's well-known cultivator, of 

 very large dimensions, to Boydell's traction engine. This 

 worked admirably, aud bids fair to achieve the desidera- 

 tum in steam cultivation — " an economical substitute for 

 the plough or the spade." The soil is so stony and stiff 

 that in ordinary ploughing two shares are requisite to 

 complete the day's work. To make some approximate 

 comparison for the guidance of the general public, one of 

 Howard's ploughs, with a pair of horses, was to be seen 

 ploughing on either side the steam-ploughs, and made 

 excellent work. This was a good feature in the trial, 

 but did not sarve to exalt steam cultivation, as the ex- 

 cellence of Messrs. Howards' plough and ploughman 

 tended to show an unfavourable contrast. It is also 

 favourable as testing the economy of the trial, as the 

 judges took time and depth, the result of which will 

 of course come before the Society. It was interesting 

 as well as amusing to note the various remarks at seeing 

 steam versus horse-power so closely in competition. 

 Coleman's scarifier moved the whole surface soil to the 

 depth of 4J inches readily, and left it in excellent order 

 for crop harrowing. 



