at.tlLe Salishiirij Meeting, 1857. 431 



■with a force diminlslied only by the readier pre-combination — pos- 

 sible but not sure — of a smaller number, but increased by the 

 responsible and costly reception awaiting them, individually, as the 

 temporary representatives of a great and wealthy Society. It may 

 be that in a great body comprising so much wealth and honour, the 

 usual experience of a narrowed selection of officers to fill important 

 posts which such causes are apt to generate, may have been as 

 yet indistinctly felt, obscured by the reluctance of individual 

 acknowledgment, or the easy self-release from voluntary obliga- 

 tion ; but if the full and conscientious performance of duties 

 honorary in name, but becoming annually more leal and exacting, 

 be an object worth attention, it may be allowed to one for whom 

 the four years' task is ended, to recommend that in future these 

 honorary duties should be rendered less extravagantly burthen- 

 some. The anxious labours of long days unaided (except by some 

 " field assistant " from the locality, utterly ignorant of the duties 

 and embarrassed by the requirements of his new position) should 

 be relieved from the personal inconveniences of an over-crowded 

 town, where no head-quarters are provided by the Society for 

 those engaged in the discharge of offices which render inadinis- 

 sible the courteous offers of neighbouring hospitality ; — offers 

 that have ever marked to the Society the cordial welcome every- 

 where awaiting its representatives and members, and the value 

 with which its visits are justly received. 



Drills. 



In the trials of the various tlcscriptions of drills at Salisbury, the judges 

 were agreeably surprised, and astonished, at the numbers brought for exhibition. 

 The workmanship of many was of a very superior description, and the general 

 work in field operation was good. 



To commence describing some of them, we must begin witli the universal 

 driUs, and first with that of Messrs. Hornsby, which won the first prize, and 

 whose adaptation of vulcanised Indian-rubber tubes* is, we think, a great im- 

 provement on the old tin pipes, and one, we think, whicli ought to be followed 

 by all drill makers. Their plan also for altering the position of the seed 

 coulters when sowing guano at the same time, is a great point gained, as it 

 prevents the necessity of placing the seed directly on the manure. This 

 machine worked admirably ; the seed box is balanced on its centre for hill 

 sides, and can be regulated while at work. The manure and seed coulters are 

 on different levers, and their depth is regulated by weights. This drill cleared 

 itself of rubbish better than any of the others that were tried. The coulters are 

 all of wrought iron, and steeled. 



To Messrs. Garrett we gave the second prize for an excellent machine, fitted 

 with the broadcast manure distributor of Mr. Chambers ; this we found an 

 excellent drill ; but while we praise the work done by both the above machines, 



* Which we believe Messrs. Hornsby first produced at the Eoyal Agricultural 

 Society's show at Exeter. 



