594 Implement Show at Bury St. Edmund's. 



to be an advantage in the event of a cog breaking. This, however, is doubtful > 

 barn and horse-works carried on loose wheels ; patent drum with six round 

 twisted beaters; cast-iron bearings; the drum-frame altogether too small. 



No. 4. Messrs. Turner and Fardon's machine is fitted with a drum capable 

 of working far beyond the power of four horses ; consequently 100 sheaves 

 were slipped through in only 4^ minutes, consuming 15-horse power. 



No. 5. Woods and Cocksedge's machine is a complete contrast to the last. It 

 has a nominal 3-horse power ; the drum is only 2 ibet 6 inches long, and the 

 feeding is a very slow, tedious business, as is evidenced by the time consumed 

 over 100 sheaves. 



We awarded to Messrs. Wallis, Haslam, and Stevens, First Prize, 121. ; 

 to Tasker and Sons, Second Prize, Si, 



Class B. 



The entries in this class, which includes all machines that only profess to 

 prepare the corn for final dressing, were the most numerous and important ; 

 we are unanimous in considering that in portable machinery employed in the 

 field, the complication of a separating apparatus is undesirable, the result 

 obtained not being commensurate in any degree with the outlay of money and 

 power. How seldom is the crop sufficiently even in quality to present an 

 uniform sample throughout, and how impossible it is that the top, middle, and 

 base of a stack, should be alike; lastly, how can sufficient steadiness of motion 

 be secured when the fans and screens, which are depended upon for separating 

 the corn, are all driven through the drum-shaft.? Who has not felt the sudden 

 check, and sometimes almost stoppage, of the drum from irregular feeding? 

 And, when this occurs, the speed of the various parts of tiie machine is 

 retarded, so that the fans do not blow out the chaff, the screens fail to separata 

 the grain; hence we have, as our experiments fully prove, much tail-corn, 

 chaff, &c. mixed with the head-corn, or else a fair sample is obtained at the cost 

 of allowing much good corn to go over with the tail. If our readers will direct 

 their attention to the power consumed by the single and finishing machines 

 respectively, they may judge for themselves whether the result is worth 

 the cost. 



The restrictions of the Society as to the amount of horse-power consumed by 

 these machines very materially afi'ected our awards, putting out of court some 

 excellent machines that otherwise might have been distinguished ; the fewer 

 the restrictions, either in live stock or implements, the more satislactory to all 

 parties are the awards. Still it is only reasonable to expect that for a single 

 blast-machine an 8-horse-power engine should amply suffice. The conditions are 

 well known to exhibitors, so that if they fail to comply with them they have no 

 ground for complaint ; nevertheless it must be very annoying to be thrown out 

 owing to a small excess of draft. 



Having an unusually large entry, and a limited time, our object was to give 

 such a preliminary trial as would enable us to cull out the worst machines, 

 and thus narrow the list for the final and conclusive test. A high shed, 

 sufficiently large to hold two machines, was provided ; under a second shed 

 the dynamometer, on a frame with wheels, traversed by means of rails from 

 one position to the other as required, a dunnny, with band-wheels of sinnlar 

 diameter, enabling the authorities to get a second machine into place ^vhilst 

 the trial of tlie first was proceeding; the introduction of the dummy is a 

 decided improvement over the Worcester arrangements, and when once we got 

 into work no unnecessary delays occurred. Two of Burrell's 10-horse power 

 engines, provided with three speeds for the governors, were employed to drive 

 each machine ; and very steadily they worked. Everything being ready, 

 10 sheaves were allowed to insure the straps, screws, &c., being in order. 

 Then 100 sheaves were put through, time noted, the dynamometer indicating 



