52 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



distributor, all these lids are opened, so that the manure 

 passes from out the chest along its whole length. The 

 stirrer, by which the guano is made to pass out in the 

 state of powder, and by which it is prevented from 

 arching over and accumulating above the apertures, is 

 a flat bar of iron provided with projecting fingers at 

 each side, the bar having a reciprocating motion given 

 to it, through the medium of an eccentric deriving 

 motion from the main axle. As the manure passes 

 through the apertures, it falls upon a revolving cylinder 

 provided with a series of projecting studs ; in con- 

 nection with these the projecting fingers work of a 

 second revolving cylinder— placed parallel to the first; 

 so that the guano is scraped off, and falls on the ground 

 divided or pulverized. This apparatus is manufactured 

 by Mrs, Shireff, West Barns, Dunbar. It took the first 

 prize. 



4. In the section of " Extra Implements," Mr. 

 Macpherson, of Carstairs, Lanarkshire, exhibited speci- 

 mens of his Portable Sheep- fencing, and also the 

 ingenious machine by which it is manufactured. The 

 fence is a clever combination of wooden spars and 

 tarred ropes, or zinc or galvanized wire ; and so con- 

 structed as to be capable of being woven as it were in a 

 species of loom. The tarred rope strands are four in num- 

 ber, and placed horizontally ; the wooden spars are 

 vertical, and are securely fastened to the horizontal 

 ropes. Straining posts are fixed at intervals in the 

 intended line of fence by means of loops, embracing 

 hooks fixed in the posts. Although the fence is very 

 light— a thousand yards weighing only two tons — it is 

 remarkably strong, and although originally introduced 

 for sheep, it has been found competent fop the con- 

 fining of cattle. It is cheap — varying from 5d. to 9d. 

 per running yard. By using spruce branches, hazel, or 

 oak, a remarkably neat and ornamental fence may be 

 made. The machine is capable of working off— with 

 the aid of a man and a boy — from 150 to 200 yards of 

 fencing per day. The machine may be here briefly 

 described. In a simple framework four horizontal 

 shafts are supported in bearings and are put in simul- 

 taneous rotation through the medium of bevil wheels in 

 a shaft worked by a small winch. Each of the hoiizoiital 

 shafts carries two bobbins, round whch the tarred strands 

 forming the horizontal ropes of the fence are wound. The 

 two strands, one from each bobbin, are passed over a 

 moveable fran:ie in front of the machine, which performs 

 the office of what is called the " ley" in a common loom. 

 The two strands uniting at one point in one, form 

 an open angle, into which the wooden spar is inserted. 

 The handle of the machine is then turned three times 

 round, which causes the bobbins to revolve, and, ijiviug 

 the i-trands a threefold twist, unite them into a single 

 rope, which embraces at the same time tightly the wooden 

 spar. As there are four sets of bobbins making four ropes, 

 the spar is embraced at four difi-erent and equidistant 

 points. As soon as the threefold twist is imparted to 

 the strands, the bobbins are stopped in their revolu- 

 tions, and the " ley" or frame brought forward with a 

 jerk, which tiglitens the strands upon the spar. The 

 spar, thus secured to the ropes, is pulled forward over 



a roller, and a second spar inserted in the angles formed 

 by the strands from the four bobbins ; they are then 

 twisted into one, and another spar is fastened by the ac- 

 tion of the "ley." These operations go on till the 

 lengths of turned strands in the bobbins are exhausted. 

 One feature of this method of forming fencing is worthy 

 of particular notice, namely, that on estates with abund- 

 ance of home timber, the spars may be made out of 

 timber fit for scarcely any other purpose. It is also 

 worthy of notice that the fence is very quickly erected, 

 two men being capable of putting up 800 or 1,000 yards 

 per day. 



Amongst the extra " implements" exhibited, was the 

 National Coal Gas Apparatus, invented by ISIr. Bower, and 

 manufactured by J. T.B. Porter, of Lincoln. The judges 

 "commended" this apparatus ; and, as we believe that, 

 from the simplicity of its arrangements and the econo- 

 mical rate at which it produces gas, it goes far to meet 

 a want long desiderated amongst agriculturists and 

 country gentlemen, we deem a brief description of 

 its principal peculiarities will be useful and acceptable 

 to the reader. The retort is not of uniform diameter 

 throughout its length, but is larger at one end than the 

 other, gradually widening till it is connected at its widest 

 end with the interior of a vertical chamber (a), the foot 

 of which dips into a reservoir of cold water. The 

 smallest end of the retort is continued outwards for some 

 distance, and is made at this part (b) of uniform diameter, 

 so as to receive an Arcbimedian screw (c), ^hich is 

 made to revolve in it as desired, by turning a handle, 

 connected to the spindle of the screw, which passes 

 through a stuffing-box, made in the end flange of the 

 retort. Near to the outer end — and externally of the 

 retort furnace — of this cylindrical part (b) of the retort, 

 and to its upper side, a vertical chamber (d) is fixed ; 

 this is provided with an air-tight lid, formed of a conical 

 plug (e), which fits into an aperture in the lid of the 

 chamber. The principal part of the retort is confined 

 within a furnace, the flame, tkc, of which produces the 

 desired temperature of heat. 



In working the apparatus, the plug (e) of the vertical 

 chamber (d) is taken out, and a supply of the gas coal 

 put into it. This falls between the two threads of the 

 Arcbimedian screw (c) immediately beneath, and on 

 this being turned round by the handh^ the coal is de- 

 livered to the retort; the turning of the screw is con- 

 tinued till the whole contents of the hopper are delivered 

 into the retort. This the " first charge" is allowed to 

 remain one hour exposed to the bent of the furnace ; 

 the gas passing off by a " pipe" into the purifier, 

 and from thence into the gasom( ter. At the expiration 

 of this period, a second charge is provided in the ver- 

 tical chamber fdj, and is by means of the Arcbimedian 

 screw (c) passed into the retort; this the "second 

 charge" of course propels the "first charge" into the 

 wider part of the retort. The " third charge" is then 

 put in, after the expiration of another hour, which as 

 before pushes the " first" and "second" charges fur- 

 ther along the retort, till at last the addition of the 

 " fourth charge" in the retort pushes out the " first 

 charge" at the wide end of the retort, and as it descends 



