eock^y's conditioDs, and should be a good average length, say 



The best way we know to ascertain the exact leneth anv 



machme cuts IS to insert in the feed a small strip of pL or 



80 t wood; th,s strip aivances with the feed, and the'^piece 



cut from It show the exact length the feed advances each lime. 



Points of Merit: 



, . Ti , J . , Represented by Points, 



isr. uuty done in reference to power .... 25 



2nd. Evenness of cut sample ." 25 



3rd. Durability and facility of repair!! .'.' !! 20 



4th. Simplicity of construction !!!! 15 



5th. Materials and workmanshin in 



6th. Price ....'.'.*.'. *.* 5 



Note which was not sent to the Council, but is adde 

 now, as being likely to explain more clearly our views !- 



"The particular figures which we have attached to each quali- 

 fication of merit are simply intended to show our idea of their 

 rela ive importance, and not by any means as absolutely essen- 

 tial to be preserved as we have written them. Th« Society's con- 

 su ting engineer, or the judges, will probably determine the exact 

 ratio between tlie ditferent qualifications of merit by a careful 

 coHBideration befoi-s the Society's conditions are issued. We have 

 chosen ,00 a, t.,e sum total of the points in preference to a 

 2 u- ""'"'""■'.•"<'■•"" ">^t '"« .i"dSe. may have more power 

 exacd, to discnmmate between the merits of ditferent machines 

 tiled in the same class." Eansomes & Sims. 



TO the editor of the mark lane express. 



vnr^'^'~l''"^'''^'-y,°" ""'Py °f ^^'■- Samuelson'3 letter, with 

 reference to the trials of implements at the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society's annual shows. Yon will see thft Sr 

 Samuelson's remarks refer to the trials of implement^ 

 generally, and not in particular to the steam-encrine 

 » •, • rrr^ \'^^^^^^^h su", joiirs respectfullv," 

 Britannia Works, j u' „. 



Banbury, Nov. 13. ( For b! Samudson. ) 



c3td m . r. , Florence, Oct. 28,1857. 



hm,-My manager at Banbury sent me yourcircnkr in- 



ASt!ffv1;'°°%'''*° '^' V'^^ of implements at the Royal 

 Agricultural Society's annual shows; but as it has throi.Vrh 

 some accide.it misc^irned, I do not know precisely wheth'er 



hey are to have reference to the general policy of trials, or to 

 the details of their management. '"1^,0110 



If you will therefore excuse me if any portion of the fol- 

 lowing observations should appear irrelevant, I would siu'- 

 gest, hrst that the trials of all such implements as have at- 

 quired a fixed standard form be entirely discontinued, or!at 

 all events, held at very distant intervals. I should inclu ie 

 n this class ploughs, horse-hoes, harrows, mills, chaff and 

 turnip cutters, and several others. 



Secondly, that implements of more recent adoption and 

 Whose construction ,s in a state of transition froni^K it 

 contrivance o the finished machine, or which contains evi- 

 dent remediable imperfections, be tried say cNery thi^d 

 vear. I should include in this class, as examples, scarifier, 

 haymakers, manure-drills, reapers. suuiners, 



As regards reapers, I should abolish tlie July trial ind 

 sub.tuutea special one, corresponding as to Se 'wtli the 

 adjourned trials at Pusey, Bristol, and Boxted 



1 should try at convenient intervals (annually, if desir- 

 able new implements; that is (A), machinery to^ effect nr' 

 whathas hitherto been done by hand labour, or by rude 

 Ee™hin;r ^'^^' ^^—'•'^^'1 -Pl--n'ts in pLe" of 



I should abolish all money prizes, except one or two larcre 



r5:tSr/rsi\rrp?;,rJ;r;; -' ^-^ "^j'^^^'*^- '- 



I should, with respect to other implements, frame a table 

 ascertaining a series of points of excellence applicab e to each 



io? 'Ht 't tT''%T"i;'^"'"''^''^'^«"'-«P'-««'^"tingpe fec- 

 tion , and I should publish on the first public day of the Roval 

 Agricultural Society's show the poiiits and correspond ni 

 numbers for each implement tried.^ I should leave thrpS 



tefe^Vrn'KiSr'^^ '' ''' P°'"^^' ^^'^^' --' 



THE PARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



549 



. A committee of your Council could frame this table as the 

 imp ement-makers are sufficiently represented there.' 



it judges could not be found to undertake the trials on this 

 foo ,ng-as some believe, but in which I by no means anree 

 - hat would be a reason for discontinuing the tdals and 

 not for continuing them on the old footing ' 



I would not leave it in the power of tlie judges to issue 

 conimcndations or any other marks of approbation! 



\Ve shall never have first-rate agricultural implements 

 produced as cheaply as unlimited competition would other- 



iTte', f!?tn"''fi''^'"]'.,"^" '^' P^^^*-"' «y«t«"' ^^-hich stimu- 

 lates us to "finical" alterations, is abolished and forgotten 

 1 am, sir. yours very obediently, 



r TT 1 ^ ^ SaWUELSON, 



James Hudson, Esq., (Of Banbury, Oxon.) 



Secretary Royal Agricultural Society of England. 



TO THE editor OP THE MARK LANE EXPRESS. 



SiR,-Agreeably to yourrequest, I annex a copy of mv 



*);«;:. o"rc;?^:L.if""^ '''- ""^^°"' --'-^^ 



/''Wovemcnts in steam-engines, as well as other agi-icul- 



ndtTJ!i'sar't^'\r'-""''''^ ^^" ^°^ a revision We 

 conditions aifecting their construction; for we have had 

 in some clashes articles much altered, others remodelled 

 and a few entirely metamorphosed, in order to furthe ma- 

 Sscd '^"'''^^'''^''" ^'' '''' ^"^« f°^ which they were 



„: AT , . ^ ^'"' »"■» faithfully yours, 



R>pon, Nov. 15. Thomas' Scorr. 



CONDITIONS OF THE 



LAST TRIAL 



AT CARLISLE, 1855. 



(Copied from the Society's 



printed Prize Sheet.) 



1. The portable steam engine 

 must not be more than 

 eight-horse nominal power, 

 nor must the diameter of 

 the cylinder exceed 9^ 

 inches. 



2. The exhibiters will be re- 

 quired to furnish to the 

 Society, along with the 

 specification, a longitudinal 

 and transverse sectional 

 plan of the boiler, showing 

 the action of the fire upon 

 the flues, and also to state 

 in writing : — 



CONDITIONS OF TRIALS 

 AS PROPOSED BY 

 MESSRS. TUXFORD & 

 SONS, OF BOSTON. 



1. No objection. 



(a) The thickness and quality 

 of the boiler plates. 



{b) The diameter of the cy- 

 linder. 



(c) The length of stroke of 

 the piston. 



(rf) The number of revolu- 

 tions of the crank-shaft 

 («ith its diameter, and 

 whether made of cast or 

 wrought iron). 



(e) The diameter and weight 

 of the fly-wheel. 



(/) The diameter of the 

 driviug pulley (which should 

 not be less than 6 inches 

 wide, nor move at a rate 

 of less than 1,600 feet per 

 minute). 

 ig) The number of horse 

 power the engine is calcu- 

 lated to work at. 



2. The exhibitor will be re- 

 quired to furnish to the 

 Society, along wiih the spe- 

 cification, a longitudinal aad 

 transverse sectional plan of 

 theboiler.statingthe amount 

 of fire-surface, and the clear 

 water space between the 

 tube3,aud showing theaction 

 of the fire upon the flues ; 

 also to state in writing : 



(«) The thickness and quality 

 of the boiler-plates. 



(b) The diameter of the cy- 

 linder. 



(c) The length of stroke of the 

 piston. 



{(l) The pumber of revolutions 

 of the crank-shaft (with its 

 diameter, and whether made 

 of cast or Brought iron). 



(e) The diameter and weight 

 of the fly-wheel. 



(/) The diameter of the driving 

 pulley (which should not be 

 less than 6 iuches wide, nor 

 move at a rate of kss than 

 1,600 feet per minute). 



(y) The number of horse power 

 the engine ia calculated to 

 work at. 



P P 



