at the Bristol Meeting in 1842. 351 



till after the award of the prizes was rendered to the Council. A 

 subsequent examination and trial of its powers proved that it 

 would have been well entitled to a premium^ as contributino: to 

 diminish the cost of an article so essential to agriculturists. The 

 machine is remarkably simple and cheap^ turning out sixteen 

 draining-tiles^ and twice that number of soles, at once. It may 

 be safely reported as capable of producing, from well-prepared 

 clay, 5000 tiles per diem, by the labour of one man and four 

 boys. 



Steam-engines. — Four steam-engines adapted to give motion to 

 implements in the barn were exhibited. Messrs. Ransome's col- 

 lection contained the excellent portable disc-engine (tried at 

 Liverpool), now set upon a carriage with four instead of two 

 wheels, and having a platform of sufficient dimensions for the 

 conveyance of a threshing-machine from farm to farm. A further 

 change had been made by applying the power of the engine to 

 give locomotion to the carriage, instead of using horses. 



A small and cheap engine, nominally of two-horses' power, 

 also furnished by the Disc-engine Company of Birmingham, and 

 occupying a space, including the boiler, of only about 12 square 

 feet, was exhibited by the same firm. This engine is not mounted 

 on wheels, but requires neither masonry nor any kind of founda- 

 tion for fixing it. 



Mr. Cambridge, of Market Lavington, Wilts, produced a very 

 complete portable engine, with boiler, on four wheels. This 

 engine, of about four- horses' power, is of the vibrating or oscil- 

 lating kind, and did great credit to the maker, from the simple 

 arrangement and good workmanship of all its parts. It was con- 

 nected with a threshing-machine from the same workshop, con- 

 veyed about separately. 



Mr. Alexander Dean, of Birmingham, exhibited a portable 

 engine, in connexion with his flour-mill, and intended for the ge- 

 neral purposes of the barn; but as it was not shown in action its 

 qualities could not be ascertained. 



In order to be able to decide on the particular merits of the 

 three first-named engines, as well as of some powerful chaff- 

 cutters, and Mr. Crosskill's portable saw-mill, the judges attended 

 at Frenchay, the seat of Mrs. Rooke, who very obligingly per- 

 mitted these trials to be conducted on her premises. Both 

 Messrs. Ransome's and Mr. Cambridge's engines performed their 

 work of threshing in a satisfactory manner ; and the small 

 disc-engine proved itself to be sufiiciently powerful to drive at 

 full speed a three-horse threshing-machine. The judges, in con- 

 sequence, awarded to Messrs. Ransome a prize of 30/., and to 

 Mr. Cambridge the sum of 15/. They consider it questionable 

 whether the substitution of steam for horses, as the force employed 



