Effort of the Judges. 243 



stmtc its usefulness; but in the fiice of the facts disclosed by the 

 trial we were reluctantly compelled to withhold a testimonial of 

 the approval of the Society. 



Class VII — A Ditching Plow for Opening Drains. 



It will be seen by the list of entries that A. P. Routt, of Som- 

 erset, Va., was the only competitor, while the premium is awarded 

 to N. Hawks, of Maine. Mr. Routt has addressed a protest to the 

 board of judges, and it is acknowledged that the award was an 

 improper one. 



The blame of this transaction rests wholly on the shoulders of 

 the chairman of the board of judges, whose duty it was to see 

 that every implement competing for a prize was properly entered 

 in the class for which it was competing. On account of sickness 

 in Mr. Routt's family his plow was tried out of its regular order 

 so that he might go home. Mr. Hawk's plow was tried in the 

 regular order, and Mr. Routt was therefore not present to chal- 

 lenjje his rio;ht to do so. The chairman havino- seen his name on 

 the entry list supposed it was quite right, and permitted him to 

 make the trial, without actually looking, as he ought to have 

 done, to see whether this was the class for which he had entered. 

 The mistake was not discovered until the premium was awarded, 

 and after this it was of course impossible to withdraw it. 



The ditcher consists of a double mould-board plow, which makes 

 the ditch, and is followed by a roller formed of two cones united 

 by their bases, which are two feet in diameter, the axis being 13 

 feet long. Two wrought iron arms proceeding from the rear of 

 the plow frame and extending laterally and backward embrace 

 each end of the axis, and draws the cones after the plow which 

 pack and smooth the side of the ditch. After seeing it work, we 

 did not think that it was a desirable implement for the farmer, 

 and we should not, therefore, have awarded a premium to it under 

 any circumstances. 



The ditching plow of Mr. Hawks is one part of a machine 

 which may be employed for various purposes. It can be used as 

 a ditching plow, a cultivator, as a seed planter and a potato 

 digger. Weight of the whole combined machine 180 pounds. 

 Price, $50. We took a memorandum ot the weight and price of 

 the ditching plow alone, but it is now obliterated, and therefore 

 we are unable to give it. 



Considered as a seed planter, it may be described as a double 



