334 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



by steam had been so far satisfactorily solved ; and thus pre- 

 judices that had previously prevailed were left like other cum- 

 bersome, but far more serviceable articles, to be dragged at 

 the heels of Boydell's engine. And here the Committee 

 would pass on to notice other implements more readily ad- 

 justed. The trial of Coleman's cultivator, followed first by 

 Crosskill's clod crusher, afterwards by the Cambridge roll and 

 expanding harrows, was iu the highest degree successful. The 

 ground, baked as it was at the surface, was, with its stiff 

 tenacious subsoil, stirred to the depth of five or six inches ; 

 and by the combined action of the three implements, a good 

 seed-bed was made at once. Cotgreave's trenching plough, 

 with subsoil ploughs attached, breaking up the ground to the 

 depth of twelve inches, did the work well. No doubt could 

 exist as to the success of these experiments. Results were 

 attained for which horse-power could not, in our opinion, be 

 made available. It is somewhat difficult to institute an exact 

 comparison between the power of this engine and that of 

 horses ; but according to the best estimate your Committee are 

 able to form, they are of opinion that while Coleman's culti- 

 vator was being used, the draught was equal to that of sixteen 

 horses and upwards ; and while Cotgreave's trenching and sub- 

 soil ploughs were at work, a uniform power of not less than 

 twenty horses was employed. The work done by six ploughs 

 was nearly at the rate of one acre per hour; that by Cole- 

 man's cultivator nearly two. With reference to the traction 

 power of the engine on common roads and over a farm, this 

 was fully and satisfactorily proved by the engine drawing four 

 waggons, heavily laden with chalk and road-scrapings, weighing 

 altogether about 18 tons, across scarified land, on rather rising 

 ground. Two of these waggons were drawn up a hill, the gradient 

 being one in nine, and the weight of the two laden waggons 

 being upwards of 10 tons, independently of the engine and its 

 equipments. From the experiments made on the above days, 

 your committee are led to the conclusion that the great features 

 in the character and construction of Boydell's engine are its 

 capability of laying down its own railway in endless suc- 

 cession, of travelling upon it in any direction under the 

 complete control of its driver, and its immense power of 



traction. They see no reason why the cost of working it 

 should much exceed the cost of working any other ten- 

 horse power engine. In short, they recognize in this 

 invention a great motive-power at a comparatively small 

 working-cost, requiring what experience alone can give — a 

 better knowledge of the proper mode of attaching and 

 managing the implements to make it .ivailable for the 

 farmer's purposes. Taking into account the extent of work 

 it is capable of performing, your Coramiltee consider that, 

 after allowing great latitude to the estimate of the cost of 

 working (£2 per day), as detailed in the Enyineer, it must 

 in this respect contrast favovirably with the expense of 

 horse draught ; favourably also as regards working duration, 

 steadiness of action, and economy of time. Your Com- 

 mittee are conscious, however, that it is only after careful 

 trials tliat men's minds will be made up. At present there 

 may be a difference of opinion as to the extent to which the 

 powers of this engine may be applicable to the operations 

 on the farm ; birt enough, in our opinion, has been proved 

 to establish the fact that the agricultural world is greatly 

 indebted to men like Mr. Boydell, who are thus providing 

 unforeseen facilities for meeting the requirements of an age 

 marked by progress in everything which appertains to 

 civilized life. May success attend their patriotic efforts, 

 and reward their skilful exertions for promoting the public 

 good. 

 (Signcd)- 



George Alincton (Chair- 

 man ), 

 H. W. Alington, 

 D. Briggs, 

 J. Byron, 

 R. Chatterton, 

 S. Gibbons, 

 W. Chatterton, 



C. North, 

 T. Randell, 



J. ROBSON, 



C. Sharpley, 

 W. H. Sbiyth, 



F. SOVVERBY, 

 J. SOWERBY. 



The report is also countersigned by Mr. A. Veitch, Hon. 

 Sec. Tetney Agricultural Society, and Mr. J. W. Wilson 

 and Mr. VV. T. Kim.e, Hon. Sees, Louth Agricultural 



Society. 



DURHAM COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SHOW. 



The annual meeting of the Durham County Agricul- 

 tural Society was held at Stockton on Friday, Sept. 4, 

 There was a most magnificent array of shorthorns, the very 

 best animals which the country could produce having been 

 sent to compete for the Challenge Cup of 100 guineas value 

 and the other liberal prizes given by the society. The cup 

 prize was won by Mr. Richard Booth, of Warlaby, near 

 Northallerton, with a splendid two-year-old heifer, in-calf, 

 called " Queen of May." This heifer had previously carried 

 off several important prizes. In 1856 she was shown at the 

 Royal Agricultural Society's Exhibition at Chelmsford, 

 and won the first prize ; and in the same year she was 

 equally successful at the Great Yorkshire show held at 

 Rotherham. In the present year she carried off the second 

 prize at the Royal Agricultural show at Salisbury, the 

 judges, after much deliberation, awarding the first prize to 

 Colonel Towneley's Rose of Athelstane. She subsequently 

 obtained the first prize at the Great Yorkshire show held 

 at York. In addition to carrying off the special prize. 

 Queen of May obtained the first prize in the class for two- 

 year-old hpifcrs in calf. 



Colonel Towneley's Victoria was considered the next best 

 animal on the show ground. In 1856, as a heifer, she ob- 

 tained the first prize at Chelmsford, and at Salisbury in the 

 present year she gained the first prize for cows. At the 

 Royal North Lancashire show she was exhibited at one, 

 two, and three years old, and carried off the principal prize 

 on each occasion in the class in which she was shown. At 

 Rotherham and at Craven last year she carried off the first 

 prize in the two-year-old classes ; and in the present j'ear 

 she gained the first prize for fat cows at the Great York- 

 shire show. 



The prize for the best bull of any age was awarded to Mark 

 Antony — a beautiful animal of a white colour, belongiog to Mr. 

 Mark Barrowby, of Dishforth, near Tbirsk. Last year he ob- 

 tained the second prize for two-year-eld bulls at the Royal 

 Show at Chelmsford, and the first prize in the same class at 

 the Durham County Show held in the city of Durham. 



General Haynau, belonging to Mr. John Watson, of Long- 



wathley, received the second prize. This animal had previously 



won several prizes, and, among others, he won the second prize 



' «t the Paris show. Ivanhoe, Lord Scarborough, Alma, sad 



