578 Report on the Exldbidon and Trial of Implements 



The following macliines were selected : — 



BelVs improved machine, exhibited by Crosskill, price 42?. 



IJnsseifs reapinci machine, exhibited by W. Dray and Co., price 25Z. 



M^CormicFs machine, exhibited by Burgess and Key, price 40Z. 



Forhush and Co.'s reaper, improved and exhibited by John Palmer, price 32?. 



Trials at Boxted Lodge. 



The trials of reapers were resumed at Boxted Lodge on the 13th and 14th of 

 August. 



Two fields of wheat, one a heavy and partially laid crop, gn a well-drained and 

 flat surface, the other a lighter and standing crop of wheat, on ridge and furrow, 

 both perfectly free from all couch and weeds ; and a field of oats consisting 

 of a strong, partly standing and partly lodged crop, were the fields selected 

 for trial. Every variety of crop which a varied and extensive farm could 

 supply, an unlimited command of horse and manual labour, and every facility 

 wdiich could be given for insuring a satisfactory trial were provided most 

 liberally by Mr. Hobbs. For the greater part of two days, favoured by the 

 finest weather, these machines were successively tried in wheat standing and 

 lod'.'ed, on level surfaces and over ridge and furrow ; on oats both standing and 

 lodged, and in such variety of situation and circumstance as appeared best cal- 

 culated to exhibit their respective merits. 



As none of these machines, with the exception of Crosskill's, which will be 

 specially mentioned hereafter, have undergone any important change in their 

 construction since last year, to describe them in detail would be merely a repe- 

 tition of last year's Report ; the Judges therefore content themselves with 

 saying that, excepting Crosskill's machine, they are all substantially what they 

 were last year, and since then no improvement whatever has been made. 



The machines having been submitted to various trials, in which all were 

 found capable of cutting and delivering ordinary crops of corn, at least as per- 

 fectly and economically as the mower's scythe, a standing crop of wheat of 

 gi-eat strength and bulk was set out in jDlots for each machine, in which the 

 quality of work and the time of performance were the conditions of competition. 



The following was the result : — 



Name of Exhibitor. 



W. Dray and Co. 

 A. Crosskill .. 

 Burgess and Key 



Timo at 

 Work. 



h, min. 



1 40 



2 5 

 1 53 



Quantity 

 Keaped. 



a. r. p. 



1 2 27 



1 2 23 



1 1 16 



The sum of 50?. was offered by the Society for the class of reaping machineF, 

 and of this sum the Judges awarded to Alfred Crosskill, for the best reaping 

 machine for general harvest purposes, 20?. 



To William Dray, for the best reaping machine for wheat crops, 15?. 



To Messrs. Burgess and Key, for their reaping machine for general pur- 

 poses, 15?.' 



The reaping machine belonging to Mr. John Palmer, o\ving to the non- 

 attendance of the owner, was not put m competition. 



In the trials at Leigh Court last year, the first prize was given to Messrs. 

 Burgess and Key, though Mr. Crosskill was then a competitor with Bell's ma- 

 chine. As the trials at Boxted have led the Judges to give Mr. Crosskill the 

 first prize, it seems desirable that the grounds of this change of position should 

 be stated. 



The machine of Messrs. Burgess and Key has undergone no improvement 

 since last year, but Mr. Crosskill has improved his machine. 



There have always been some jwiuts of excellence in Bell's machine not 



