384 General Report on the Exhibition of Implements 



for competition, allowing tliem to send everything they wished, provided only 

 that two machines of precisely similar construction were not exhibited by the 

 same firm. Much valuable time was consumed in looking over some 200 

 stands, and it w^as quite the afternoon before we reached the trial grounds. 

 "We beg to suggest, for the consideration of the Council, that in future this 

 part of the programme be altered, and that all implements entered for compe- 

 tition be taken from the yard to the trial grounds, and collected in classes the 

 day before tlie Judges commence work, so that they can at once examine the 

 collection, select those qualified for trial, and arrange their work to the best 

 advantage. 



The importance of the class of implements ujion which we were to pass 

 sentence, and the growth of their manufacture since the Society's trials at 

 Leeds, may be judged of from the fact that we had 35 reaping machines, 

 8 combined mowers and reapers, and 13 mowing machines sent to the field 

 for comi)etition ; and, with a few exceptions, all were well-made, eflicient 

 im])lements, tliat can be recommended with confidence, varying considerably 

 in details, and adapted for different conditions of crops, according to tlie i^ecu- 

 liari tics of the district for which each was specially intended. We wish par- 

 ticularly to state that our awards are not to be considered as condemning all 

 tile unsuccessful machines as useless ; but that, under the circumstances of 

 tlie trial, and, as far as we could judge generally of the implements as brought 

 before us, we considered that the machines to whicli we awarded the prizes 

 and commendations were on the whole the best. 



Competition and experience have in many instances brought the merits 

 of difterent implements very much on a par. Manj' a really good machine 

 was unavoidably passed over because superseded in matters of detail, although 

 such machine in its own district might be the best for the farmer to purchase, 

 inasmuch as its fittings could be easily renewed, and serious delays iu the case 

 of accidents avoided. 



Having selected and classified the implements, we took a survey of the 

 gi'ound ; and a first glance convinced us that whilst the 15 acres of meadow, 

 and the considerable area of clover, would afford a severe and satisfactory trial 

 for the mowers, and combined machines working as mowers, the 20 acres of 

 oats and rye on the hill side were insufficient for such a prolonged test of the 

 reapers as this important class demanded. The Inspectors appointed by 

 the Society have, doubtless, done their best, arable land being quite the excep- 

 tion in the county of Devonshire. The fields are also generally small and 

 irregular. 



The oats were very bulky, long, and much laid and twisted. It was at once 

 evident that the cutting of such a crop would be a severe trial, and that the 

 macliine that could make respectable work here would do anywhere. 



The reapers were divided into the following classes : — 



Value of Prizes. 

 £. 



1st. Machines with self side-delivery 40 



2nd. Machines without self side-delivery (f. e. Manual's) 20 



3rd. For combined reaping and grass mowing 20 



4th. One-horse reapers 20 



In order to make a selection of the better implements, it was deteiTained to 

 give the entries in each class a preliminary trial round two sides of the oats ; 

 and as the machines with manual delivery (1 and 2-horse) were the most 

 we took them first. 



Considering the very difficult nature of the cutting, and that many of the 

 machines, having the platforrp on the left side of the pole, were obliged to cut 



