334 Report on the Exhibition and Trial of Implements 



The Tables show the reLative merits of the different machines in many of 

 the most important particulars ; but some further notice of several of the 

 machines seems to be required, and we trust that the following remarks will 

 not be deemed invidious. We did not anticipate perfection in any machine, 

 but we did hope to find a far greater number of them up to the mark than 

 proved to be the case on trial. We notice in passing that only four out of 

 fifty- live trials of the steam-power machines received our number denoting 

 perfection in clean- thrashing ; but four out of five in the horse-power machines 

 did, which we attribute to the extra speed from being worked by steam 

 instead of horse-power. Only eleven thrashed without injury to the grain ; 

 only five dressed perfectly ; three shook the straw satisfactorily' — the same 

 three alone produced the cavings free from corn ; and thirteen produced chaff 

 without corn. 



The performances of some of the machines were very nearly equal ; but 

 then we had the dynamometer to aid lis, and the points selected by the 

 managers of it to add to our own memoranda, as well as the additional 

 points selected by the Engineering Judges ; and on the sumnring up of the 

 whole our decisions were based. The machines manufactured by Messrs. 

 Clayton, Shuttleworth, and Co., and Messrs. Hornsby and Sons, were, perhaps 

 more closely matched than others ; but having adopted a system, we were 

 resolved to carry it out rather than proceed to divide the prizes amongst a 

 numerous class of meritorious machines, of which the two named would have 

 stood most prominent. Foster's machine came nearly upon a par with them ; 

 but there was notliing meritorious in the manufacture due to the exhibitor 

 of it, inasmuch as it was nearly a copy of another popidar machine. Messrs. 

 Eansomc and Sims' machines took a very high jilace, their lightness of draught 

 being a great excellence. Messrs. Humphries showed a very useful machine ; 

 Messrs. Garrett and Sons' was large and very powerful ; Messrs. Holmes and 

 Sons' thrashed to perfection as to cleanliness, but sj^lit the corn considerably ; 

 Messrs. Barrett and Co. did fairly, but worked unsteadily ; Messrs. Hart and 

 Gibbons exhibited a good machine ; Mr. Gilbert a highly useful machine ; 

 Messrs. Tuxford and Sons a highly useful machine, though it worked indif- 

 ferently. We will, however, go a little more into detail : the workmanship 

 of Hornsby and Sons' machines was superior to that of any other, good as 

 most of them were ; only one screw is now used for feeding the riddles ; the 

 barley-hummeller and smutter on one shaft across the top is a good arrange- 

 ment. The shakers (Brinsmead's) of Ransomes and Co. are excellent, and are 

 made to perform a two- fold duty ; for while passing the straw over a series of 

 revolving combs, assisted by a kind of rake to divide the straw, the corn is 

 sent back imderneath to the riddle : their new patent screw-beater to drums is 

 highly commendable ; riddles fluted and perforated. The machines of Clayton 

 and Shuttleworth took the highest standing ; it will, therefore, be desirable 

 for us to make a remark or two upon them. Their workmanship, in the con- 

 struction of their machinery, is equal to most, and nearly approaches Hornsby's ; 

 the working parts are simplified by having only one crank-shaft for driving 

 the five-box shaker, while the effective jumping at both ends is still retained 

 by three of the boxes working at the delivery end, and two at the receiving end ; 

 there are too many straps — nine in all ; their rotary screen has several blades 

 fixed inside for combing the corn on passing ; the shogging apparatus is nicely 

 balanced, the motion steady and even ; the riddles are excellent ; the barley- 

 riddle delivered the grain faster than the dressing parts could well clear it ; the 

 latter was made of inclined wood slats, with zinc slats let in crossing them ; 

 it sliowed great capacity, and did not clog. Oliver Maggs and Co. exhibited 

 a machine which deserves our notice for the introduction of a novel rotary 

 shaker, and had the preliminary trial. Tuxford and Sons have wood bearings 

 for their box-shakers, and cast-iron for the crank bearings ; they have only 



