Agricultural Implements and Produce. 47 



gives numerous testimonials of its efficiency, exclusively of 

 medals, premiums, and awards from different districts in Ame- 

 I'ica, and from different countries in Europe, for its performance. 

 According to Mr. Manny's account, " it will cut eitlier grass or 

 corn when down, wet or dry, and in whatever direction the wind 

 blows, without being stopped for a single instant." Mr. M. 

 further observes, " that it can easily be converted, in a few 

 seconds, from a reaper into a mower, and the only thing required 

 is to withdraw the platform and change the scythe of the reaper 

 for the cutting scythe of the mower. The cutting apparatus, for 

 corn or for grass, is made in such a way that it cuts as well 

 backwards as forwards when the machine is reaping ; the wheat 

 is received on the platform, gathered, and put into a heap by the 

 action of a wing-board, and by a single stroke of his rake the 

 attendant puts down on the ground at the back of the machine 

 the already made sheaves, which only require tying." It will 

 not be necessary to follow Mr. Manny furtlier in his description, 

 which evinces great confidence in the superior performance of 

 the machine; suffice it to observe that it did its work, with the 

 exception of some parts not very clean cut, moderately well, and 

 in 26 minutes completed the quantity it had to perform. 



CrosskiWs Machine (English) is an improvement upon Bell's, 

 and in great repute amongst the farmers of the North Riding of 

 Yorkshire and other parts of England. In the hands of Cross- 

 kill it has received several improvements, but unfortunately on 

 this occasion the key of the connecting-rod that woiks the 

 knives got loose, dropped out, and stopped the process of reaping. 

 Under these circumstances it was thought desirable to withdraw 

 the machine, and leave the field open to the other competitors. 



Group 3. 



M^Cormick (American). — This reaper is probably one of the 

 best machines of its class. It reaped 1987 square metres in 

 seventeen minutes, and judging not only from tlie quantity of 

 work done in so short a time, but from tlie manner in which the 

 ground was cleared, and the grain cut, it evidenced much greater 

 perfection in its operations than any of the others whose powers 

 were brought to the test. It cuts a clean track of 5 feet 6 inches 

 wide, and pcnlorms the operations with a degree of certainty and 

 precision sufficient to account for the very short time in which 

 the allotment was cut down. This macliine, like most others, 

 is susceptible of still further improvements, and I am glad to 

 find that Messrs. Burgess and Key, tlie makers, are about to in- 

 troduce a new moveable apparatus, consisting of three Archi- 

 medean screws, for delivering the grain from off tlie receiving 

 Ijoard as it is cut. The jrreat defect of this machine was the 



