432 Report on the Exhibition and Trial of Implements 



we do not approve of the combination which is found to be necessary in the 

 universal drills, causing them to be very expensive and heavy. Messrs. Holmes's 

 drill in this class was commended. 



In the class of corn drills we gave the first prize to Messrs. Holmes ; it is an 

 excellent machine, of light draught, and the price moderate compared with the 

 others on account of its greater width, viz. 2 feet. It has a brass index to 

 each slide, and thus a regular supply is kept up to each coulter. The steerage 

 from behind is good, and it has a uscfid adaptation for hill sides. In this 

 class we highly commended the drills of Messrs. Hornsby and Garrett. 



In the class of small occupation drills we gave an equal prize to Messrs. 

 Garrett, and INIessrs. Hornsby, both machines well worthy the attention of 

 small farmers ; both did excellent work. We also commended Messrs. Holmes's. 



In the class of ridge drills for turnips and mangold wurtzel, we cannot say 

 too much in j)raise of the work done by Messrs. Hornsby's machine. No 

 alteration of s})indle is required, and the patent rollers are made for different 

 width of ridges, and are easily altered ; it has a reverse motion for the manure 

 rollers. 



Messrs. Garrett received the second prize for a very good machine ; it is fitted 

 with ]\Ir, Chambers's manure distributor, and worked very well, but the ridges 

 were not left as perfect as by the pi'eceding one. 



Messrs. Holmes's is a very good machine, but leaves the ridges too flat. 

 While naming these three last machines, we beg to observe there is great 

 difference of ojjinion amongst farmers, whether it is better to leave the ridges 

 high or to flatten them ; we think that flat ridges are not so affected by drought 

 as higher ones, but this is quite a question between heavy and light laud 

 farmers. • 



The dropwater-drill of Messrs. Garrett, the invention of Mr. Chambers, 

 deserves every commendation ; the work done by it was most regular and 

 efficient ; it did not appear the least liable to choke, or to drop the water, 

 except in the exact place required. We gave it the first prize. 



We commended the drop water-drill of Messrs. Beeves, but the water was 

 delivered in rather too continuous a stream to be perfect. 



Messrs. Reeves had also a new imiilement, very useful and moderate in 

 price, for depositing any dry artificial manure, in four rows, 18 inches apart, 

 without mixing ashes. We awarded to it a medal. 



To Messrs. Howard, of Bedford, we awarded a medal for a " Drill Presser " 

 to follow three ])loughs ; it did beautiful work. The pressers have flat edges, 

 and tlie seed falls in the trenches made bj' them, as if broadcast ; instead of, as 

 with a drill, one on the other. Two horses work it with ease, and it covers the 

 seed as soon as it is sown. 



Having now noticed the drills to which we gave prizes, we must add that 

 many excellent machines were brought to trial, but amongst so many we were 

 obliged to draw a line, and taking all the pains we could, we cannot compare 

 the work done to that of the prize machines. As judges we, of course, had to 

 look at the work done in onr 2^resevce, not at what we were told a drill may be 

 ahle to do ; we looked strictly to work aud workmanship, but to name all our 

 likes and dislikes of so many different machines would fill a volume, Avhile 

 still few might agree with our opinion, on their own use and experience of this 

 or that machine. Bearing in mind the triennial trials, we sifted the merits of 

 each drill to the best of our abilities ; we wish to make no excuses for mis- 

 takes if we made any, but we are well aware there were many disappointed 

 makers ; and if we had been guided by all we were told, we might certainly 

 assure the public there was not a bad drill in the yard, though we must add, 

 that after trial, some makers had the candour to own that their drills were 

 deficient. The length of time that was to pass before another trial of these 

 machines could take place, made us try many that we should otherwise not 

 have taken to tlie field ; in order that, while endeavouring to do our duty to the 



