Implement Show at Bury St. EdmnnrYa, 601 



Our fiwnm was as follows : — 



First prize, Holmes and Sons, 207. 



Second jnize, Cla3'ton and SImttleworth, 15?. 



Third prize, Marsliall and Sons, 5/. 



Amongst the novelties at Bury, one of the most interesting was Mr. Daniel 

 Crowe's portable 7-horse power thrashing-machine, with engine combined. 

 It closely resembles an ordinary threshing-machine in appearance, the engine- 

 works being at one end, with the boiler ])laced underneath, but so enclosed in 

 the framework that the tall chimney alone suggests the notion of steam. 

 Weighing 7 tons 1 cwt., it travels with perfect case, and, having the fore- 

 wheels placed under the carriage, turns in its own area with rapidity. The 

 steerage is very simple, and, if strong enough for stony roads, admirable. 

 Mr. Crowe, who hails from King's Lynn, Norfolk, brought his apparatus from 

 Towcester, in Northamptonshire, to l)ury St. Edmunds, 84 miles, consuming, 

 as he states, only l(j lbs. of coal i)er mile. The fire and boiler are both carefully 

 shut in ; the latter, though near the ground, is never sufficiently hot to lie 

 dangerous ; indeed, Mr. Crowe states that he has purposely surrounded it with 

 straw and chaff whilst thrashing. The drum is not driven direct from the fly- 

 wheel, as in ordinary cases ; and thus the speed of the drum can be altered 

 to suit the corn, whilst the other parts of the machine are working at a fixed- 

 speed. One strap drives both dressing part and shakers, and a Y-groove friction- 

 wheel is emjiloyed to drive the fan ; all the straps are untler cover, and are not 

 easily affected b^' weather. The rapidity and case with which the machine is 

 l^laced in position and set to work offers a marked contrast to the loss of time 

 that invariably occurs in fixing an ordinary ]iortable engine and threshing- 

 machine. We were at first aiiprehensive of accidents from the proximity of the 

 fire to the straw, but, after trial, are satisfied that there need be no more risk 

 than with a common engine. We set Mr. Crowe to work on some inferior 

 wheat, which had been objected to as not good enough for the trials, being much 

 blighted, and the straw in consequence rotten. In 9 minutes 44 stones of 

 well-blown but much broken Avheat was thrashed, the waste under and about 

 the machine being absolutely nil. The breaking was caused by the drum 

 being set rather too close at the top. Several loads of barley having been 

 thoroughly soaked by the rain on Monday were ofiercd to some of the makers, 

 but declined. Crowe steamed iip to the stack, steered through a narrow 

 space, set to woric, and threshed it marvellously well — no doubt in conse- 

 quence of the greater speed at which the drum was driven ; the cavings were 

 all but free from corn. It is, thcrelbre, quite evident that we have a prac- 

 tical and efficient combination, capable of some improvements in detail, but 

 of great use for letting out. The price, 3807., appears very moderate. 



In concluding our Rejwrt we desire to tender our best thanks to the Imple- 

 ment Stewards for their kind attention to all our wants, and also to ]\Ii-. James 

 Amos for the patient and unflagging attention with which he conducted the 

 dynamometic experiments, and for his assistance in carrying out the trials. 



H. B. Caldwell. 

 John Brasnett. 

 Thomas Scott. 

 John Coleman. 



This excellent and comprehensive Report may be supplemented 

 by a few remarks touching^ the arrangements at Bury, with a 

 A'iew to improvements in the future. The importance of the 

 verdict to the exhibitors may be judged of from the anxiety- 

 evinced to secure the prize, and the extreme jealousy that prevails 

 as to impartiality. Seeing, then, that Implement-makers are 



