Report on the Exhibition of Implements at Bedford. 625 



In conclusion, I have to warmly acknowledg-e the assistance I 

 have received from my fellow Stewards ; and also from Mr. Mil- 

 ward, who was good enough to give me the l^enefit of his four 

 years' experience in the same department. There cannot be a 

 question that the office of Steward afibrds a valuable opportunity 

 of making the personal acquaintance of leading men engaged in 

 •every branch of agriculture, and of thus gaining valuable infor- 

 mation, especially on the subject of the legitimate differences of 

 opinion that must always prevail in a pursuit such as agriculture,- 

 carried on under very difl'erent conditions of soil, climate, and 

 markets. 



XXVII. — Report on the Exhibition of Implements at Bedford. By 

 T. C, Booth, of Warlaby, Northallerton (SENIOR Steward). 



The implements for trial in 1874 comprised drills for various 

 kinds of seed — horse-hoes and grubbers, carts and waggons, with 

 the addition of a new section for shepherds' huts, and vans for 

 the accommodation of men engaged in steam cultivation. 



The great number of entries in these sections shows that com- 

 petitive trials are still esteemed of importance by the great body 

 of exhibitors ; and whilst what are known as some of the " large 

 firms " did not enter for competition, it is satisfactory to find 

 that after going through a more severe trial than at any previous 

 exhibition of the Society, the Judges were enabled to make their 

 awards without requesting the Stewards to act on Clause 24 of 

 the general regulations. 



Acting on a suggestion made at the general meeting of 

 snembers in December last, and also with the knowledge that 

 legislation was proposed to remedy the supposed danger to 

 people working on threshing-machines, the Council determined 

 to offer the Society's Gold Medal for the best guard or appliance 

 to the drum of a threshing-machine for preventing accidents to 

 the people employed. In the list of competitors who had taxed 

 their ingenuity to further the endeavours of the Council appear 

 the names of the most eminent makers of these machines — one 

 section had acted on the principle of combining a self-feeder 

 with safety, the other had simply devised a guard in various 

 forms. 



After carefully examining the different appliances, and con- 

 sulting with the Stewards as to carrying out the wishes of the 

 Council, the Judges, not satisfied that any of them could be 

 considered of sufficient advantage to justify them in awarding 

 the prize, determined to withhold it, with a recommendation 

 that it should be repeated another year, making two classes — one 



YOL. X. — s. S. 2 s 



