Agricultural Meeting at Paris of 1856. 397 



smoke passes up the chimney fixed at the front end of the boiler. 

 The whole is removed by unscre.ving the front plate — an ope- 

 ration easily performed. 



A cart exhibited by Mr. Thomas Murray (art. 348) has a 

 contrivance for easing the labour of the horse when descending 

 hills. The body of the cart strikes upon a carriage fixed to the 

 axletree, and two wood blocks are fastened to the front of the 

 cart to act as breaks. Wlien the cart is descending a hill, and 

 the horse, by hanging back, endeavours to retard its too rapid 

 progress, the body slides backwards, the break presses against 

 the wheels, and a part of the load is removed from the back of 

 the horse by the centre of gravity of the load being thrown more 

 backward on the wheels. 



In the general exhibition may be noticed a seed-extractor (art. 

 26), exhibited by Mr. Burwell of Thetford, which is intended 

 for trefoil, and is a strong-made article, well adapted for the 

 purpose. 



Art. 1460, exhibited by M. Laborcy of Paris, is an excellent 

 invention for cleaning wheat. " Red wheat " subjected to the 

 process has the appearance of " white wheat " when it leaves 

 the macliine. 



Mr. Caldwell saw nothing which suggested improvements in 

 our existing machinery. The French threshing machines were 

 weak in construction, and wanting in some of our best improve- 

 ments. In the award the names stood thus : — 



Messrs. Eansome and Sims .. .. .. 1st Prize. 



Garrett and 8oii 1 .. , i o i -n • 



T> .i 1 T^ 11 > equal each 2na rrize. 



Barrett and Exall / .. '■ 



Duvoin (Frencli) .. .. .. .. 3rd Prize. 



Mr. Huskinson reports as follows on the plovgJis, harrows, 

 scarifiers, and roUcra : — 



" In ploughs, the English competitors were Howard, Ransome, 

 and Busby, all men who are most eminent in their class at home. 

 The foreign ploughs were very numerous, but, excepting the 

 ploughs from the Origiion establishment, and one or two from 

 Belgium, they need no mention." 



" The construction and finisli of the English plouglis were 

 superior to anything exhibitcil, but they were also tlie most 

 costly. The conditions under which the trials took place were 

 particularly upfavourable to the English ploughs, and the work 

 done was less satisfactory than I ever saw at any English trial, 

 and it was certainly disappointing and discouraging to see the 

 slight difiercnce there was in th(! work of the very best and the 

 worst })loughs. This result was j)artlv owing to the land experi- 

 mented u])on ; but 1 am inclined to think tliat similar effects, 

 perhaps in a less degree, would follow upon great part of the 



VOL. XVII. 2 E 



