Agricultural Implements and Produce. 45 



order that the jury might not be incommoded, several mounted 

 gens-d'armes, a few soldiers of the line, and a drummer, were 

 sent forward to Trappes to prevent the crowd from inccmveni- 

 encing them. On the 2nd August, at 11 o'clock, the machines 

 were divided into three groups, and the contest for superiority 

 commenced as follows : — 



GrOUJ) Id,— Metres. 



M. Coiirnior's allotment 1,628 



M. Atkhis' „ 1,733 



M. Lawreiit's ,, 1,825 



Group 2nd, — 



M. Mazicr's „ 1,82G 



M.Manny's „ 1,<JOO 



M. Crosskill's „ 1,058 



Group Qrd, — 



M. M'Cormiclv's „ 1,987 



M. Dray's „ 2,256 



Canadian ,, 1,650 



Having grouped the machines as above, the conditions were, 

 as far as I could learn, — the time required to cut the allotment, 

 the number of hands employed, and the perfection with which 

 the work was executed without injury to the grain. These con- 

 ditions being ascertained, the first group commenced operations, 

 by beat of drum, at 11 o'clock, all three starting at the same 

 time. 



Gkoup 1. 



Courniers Macliine (French) on Bell's principle. — This ma- 

 chine, with one horse, cuts clean, but is liable to get entangled 

 in the cutters with straw. A great deal of time was lost from 

 this cause, and this defect appears to be common to all the 

 machines when tlie speed liappens to be reduced under 2^^ miles 

 an hour. In this respect. 1 found the maximum A-elocity of the 

 machines to be as nearly as possible 3 miles an hour ; and the 

 knives, for every 18 feet in distance, made 11 single or 22 

 double cuts for one revolution of the wlieel. This machine had 

 a sliding rake motion for the convenience of the reaper, and in 

 order to enable him to clear the receiving-board of the grain as 

 it is cut. With some improvements, this machine may be made 

 irmch more effective, and would work much better with two 

 horses and a wider cutting-board, so as to take a greater width of 

 grain, and maintain the speed necessary to accomplish a max- 

 imum result. From the frerjuent clogijing of tlie cutters it re- 

 quired 1)7 minutes to cut 1(')28 square metres of corn. The reel 

 in tiiis macliine for gathering the corn went too fast, and proved 

 injurious by striking the grain too high up the stalk. 



JSI. Aihiiis Automaton Machine (American) executed 173i) 



