574 Rejwrt on the Exhibition and Trial of Implements 



liibited by Dray and Co. ; together with then- tubular fic4d-gates and the rick- 

 stands of Hill and Smith, both of which we commended. 



We cannot close these remarks without expressing our thanks to Mr. Amos, 

 and more )>articularly to his assistant, Mr. Coombs, who efi'ectually assisted us 

 in our duties. 



, Thos. Hawkins. 



James Hall Naldee. ■ 



Tkial of Field Implements. 

 Report on Ploughs. 



The sum of forty sovereigns was offered by the Society in prizes for the 

 class of ploughs generally, not as in former years in the shape of a single 

 l^rize for the best plough, but at the discretion of the Judges for a])p)ortionment 

 to the several competitors in proportion to their respective merits. 



The Judges divided the ploughs selected for trial into five classes, and ap- 

 j)ortioned the prizes in each class as follows, viz. : — 



1. For the ploughs best adapted to general purposes .. £15 



2. For the ploughs best adapted to heavy land .. .. 10 



3. For the ploughs best adapted to light land .. .. 10 



4. For the best ridge plough 3 



5. For the best turn wrest plough 2 



40 ' 



PloiigJisfor General Purjwses. — Eight ploughs were selected for trial in this 

 class, two of which were local ploughs, constnicted partly of wood, belonging 

 to Mr. Bentall and Mr. Warren of Maldon ; and the remaining six were iron 

 ploughs belonging to Messrs. Eansomes and Sims, Howard, Ball, Busby, Car- 

 son, and Fry. All the ploughs, except Mr. Warren's, were fitted with wheels. 



Two series of experiments were made in this class, first on a freeworking 

 and rather light loamy soil ; and next upon a tield of pastured seeds, on soil 

 naturall}' strong, but rendered stronger by the treading of stock, and unusually 

 hard from the dryness of the weather. 



It was arranged that each plough should commence with a fun-ow of 9 

 inches by 5, to be gradually increased to a depth of 7 inches by 10, that 

 the draught of each plough should then be tested by the improved dyna- 

 mometer specially manufactured for the Society by Mr. Amos, and which 

 was used on this occasion for the first time with most satisfactory results. 



In the light land the work was generally well done by all the ploughs, 

 though even here the advantage of the iron wheel ploughs was very obvious," 

 and the work produced by Messrs. Howard's plough in particular exhibited a 

 marked superiority. 



It was, however, in the strong land that the capabilities of the several im- 

 plements were worthily tested, and none but ploughs of the best constructitu 

 had the smallest chance of success. Notwithstanding the difficulties arising 

 from the heavy texture and extreme hardness of the ground, much of the 

 work was well done, and though, during the progress of the trials, the com] e- 

 tition was occasionally very close, and the merits of several ploughs sometimes 

 pretty evenly balanced, yet the performance of Messrs. Howard's plough was 

 upon the whole such as clearly to entitle it to be placed the first in its class. 

 The Judges awarded the sum of 15Z. in the proportions which in their opinion 

 indicate the comparative merit of the several ploughs, viz. : — 



To Messrs. J. and F. Howard, of Bedford, the sum of .. £1 



,, Mr. Ball, of Pioth well, near Kettering 4 



„ Mr. Bentall, of Hey bridge, near Maldon 4 



