374 General Report on the Exhibition of Implements 



extent, had been prepared for the reapers, half with rye after 

 oats — a good upstanding crop ; the remainder Avas in oats after 

 clover, a remarkably heavy crop much laid and twisted. This 

 field was tolerably square, but rather too much on a slope, and 

 altogether insufficient for the trial of so large an entry of 

 machines. A second field of 19 acres was partly in clover — 

 an over-ripe crop, much beaten down, which was reserved for 

 trying the mowers — and partly ploughed and harrowed in readi- 

 ness for the drills, distributors, 6cc. A third field was drilled 

 with roots for the trial of horse-hoes, grubbers, tS:c. The 

 meadow was at some little distance on the other side of the 

 line, and nearer to the Marsh Mill Station ; there, in a low 

 Avet spot, subject to flooding, and called the Marsh, were reserved 

 15 acres of heavy grass, with a very rough bottom, containing a 

 considerable quantity of dead grass, bad to cut, and likely to 

 afford an excellent opportunity for a severe trial. 



A comparison of the number of entries at Leeds and Plymouth 

 will show that manufacturers have not been idle, and that a lively 

 demand for the home and foreign trade is kept up. 



As nearly as we can gather from the reports of the Leeds 

 trials, the two lists of entries may thus be contrasted : — 



Leeds. I'lymouth. 



Drills of various kinds 33 .... 66 



Water-drills 2 .... 3 



])rill-]n"esscs 4 .... 4 



Dr}' manure distributors 8 .... 8 



Liquid ditto 3 .... G? 



Horse-hoes _ .. .. 29 .. .. 42 



llorse-hoes for tliinning turnips .. 2 .... 1 



]\Iowin'j;-machines (not stated) .... 13 



Combined machines (not stated) .... 8 



Reaping-machines, manual .. .. 9 .... 25 



Eeaping-machines, self side-delivery 8 .... 10 



It will thus be seen that the Judges had a heavy task before 

 them ; and in consequence of unavoidable delay from one day 

 being thoroughly wet, and a further loss of valuable time in 

 selecting implements (with regard to which a suggestion is 

 made in the Report on Mowers and Reapers, which deserves 

 attention), the awards were not made until the Tuesday in the 

 Show week. 



This Report, which embraces a short description of the 

 more prominent machines, renders it unnecessary for us to 

 do more than allude to the general position of this important 

 branch of agricultural mechanics, and to the progress which 

 has been made since Leeds. In many respects this has 

 been considerable. The gearing has been simplified, friction 

 and draught have been much reduced, and weight and size 



