of the Vioma Exhibition, 1873. G3 



■nnd to exhibit implements the counterpart of what appeared at 

 the English stands. In my report on the rural economy of the 

 various parts of this vast empire, I shall l)e able to show good 

 reason for the statement that England and America are almost 

 -exclusively looked to for a supply of agricultural implements in 

 Austro-Hungary. 



Professor Fuchs, in an introductory article upon the Agricul- 

 tural Machinery of the Vienna Exhibition, ' Wiener Landwirth- 

 schaftliche Zeitung,' June 5th, writes as follows : — "At the end 

 of our round we were still convinced that in the manufacture of 

 agricultural machines, England is the first among the European 

 nations. We say this without jealousy, as we were fully con- 

 vinced of the fact both by the extent and excellence of the 

 English section. Xo feeling of admiration touched our souls as 

 "we passed through the Machine Halls of Germany, Austria, and 

 Hungary.' The Professor proceeds to complain of the want of 

 attention which has been bestowed upon this branch ; the low 

 estimation in which it is held by their own mechanical engineers, 

 and the small belief which exists in it as a profitable investment 

 of money. Surely, he asks, " the countries of Krupp, Barsig, 

 Schwarzkopf, Sigl, and Ganz, can compete with the countrv of 

 Clavton, Ransome, Hornsby, &c. ?" The answer is conveyed in 

 the question, and there is no doubt that when the agricultural 

 implement manufacture is taken up by the great firms of the 

 country, a severe struggle will at once ensue between the English 

 -and Austrian firms. Sigl has already led the way ; and if he adds 

 an agricultural implement factory to his gigantic works in Vienna 

 and Berlin, he will prove an awkward rival to English makers. 



Entering the Eastern Agricultural Hall, a very quaint display of 

 ordinary implements was observable from Russia, comprised of 

 winnowers, horse-rakes, drills, horse-power threshing-machines, 

 tScc. All brought forcibly to mind the illustrations of agricul- 

 tural implements seen in old editions of Tull and other writers, 

 and the finish was rough. A Polish firm showed a large assort- 

 ment of implements, among which were many quaint instruments 

 x)f cultivation almost identical with ancient Egyptian, and early 

 Saxon ploughs, associated with CrosskilFs clodcrusher, drills 

 after Garrett, and portable engines, bringing us suddenly- back 

 to the present time. From Russia the visitor passed into the 

 Hungarian section. Here, attention was arrested by the excel- 

 lent show of Hungarian ploughs, exhibited by Stephen Vidats, 

 of Pesth. This manufacturer is the great Hungarian plough- 

 inaker. He makes and sells 4000 to 5000 ploughs in the year 

 at the very moderate sum of 30 to 35 florins (£3 to £3 10s.) 

 each. There was also a creditable show of drills with revolving 

 .seed boxes, and a scuffler with a faulty arrangement of the 



