Agricultural Implements and Produce. 51 



I regret that the Exhibition closed without any declared pro- 

 gress in the great problem of steam cultivation. Hopes had 

 been entertained that a steam cultivator, the invention of Mr. 

 Romaine, brought from Canada, promoted by funds voted by the 

 Canadian legislature, would have been so far perfected, that it 

 might have been presented to the jury for examination ; but un- 

 foreseen difficulties beset the path of the inventor, and he was 

 compelled reluctantly to give up the cherished hope of signalis- 

 ing his machine by a public display at Paris. 



Still it is just to Mr. Romaine that I should bear testimony to 

 what I saw, and to the point which he had attained. I saw in a 

 field, near the walls of Paris, Mr. Romaine's machine, carrying 

 its own boiler and engine, travel by its own locomotive power 

 100 yards up the field, and break up and cultivate the land in 

 its course. 



Besides taking the lead in promoting cultivation by steam, 

 the Canadian legislature voted a large sum of money (10,0007. 

 currency) for the general objects of the Exhibition, and sent some 

 good machines and a magnificent collection of products. 



The Exhibition of 1851 brought favourably into notice the 

 great resources of Canada, increased the general confidence in 

 the security of sums invested in its public works, and facilitated 

 the introduction of capital into the colony. The display which 

 was made at Paris cannot fail to fix on broader and firmer foun- 

 dations the confidence in the natural resources of the colony, and 

 in the intelligence and public spirit of its inhabitants. 



The sales of English agi'icultural machinery have been for 

 some years past much more extensive to the German states than 

 to France. 



Belgium exhibited some good machinery ; the first prize 

 was awarded to her for churns and for chaff-cutters. The Com- 

 missioners of her Government were diligent in turning the Exhi- 

 bition to good account. They purchased several of the best 

 English implements, which will no doubt speedily be reproduced, 

 possibly with improvements, in her active and well-appointed 

 workshops. 



It may be sufficient for the purposes of this report to say of 

 the foreign agricultural machinery in general, the collection of 

 which was very large, and of which only a small portion was 

 subjected to trial, that, without venturing to express an opinion 

 of the merits of some of these implements, or of their adaptation 

 to the different localities where they were employed, it did not 

 appear to our macliine-maker or to our consulting engineer that 

 they offered models which it would be important to adopt for the 

 purposes of English farming. 



Gold medalsof honour in Class III. for norricultural niachinrrv 



