liNGLISH rLHLlCATlONS. 67 



Clover was now to be tried, but at this sta^e of the proceedings we 

 left the Held. Clover-cuttin*^, we should state, formed no part of the 

 competition. The atjreement merely refers to wheat and barley. 

 M'Cormick's machine is not intended for clover-cutting; but some of 

 the land owners and farmers were an.xious to see clover cut by Hus- 

 sey's machine. Mr. Tiiompson, we understand, iiad re(|uested his 

 pro.xy to have the exi)eriment made. We were told on the Ljround 

 that the machine had alread\' been tried on chjver at Newport, near 

 Midillesbrough, and "cut it well: — If the weather had been dry, it 

 would have cut it bcautifull}-." 



It was pleasant to mark the anxiety and watchfulness of the p^entle- 

 men in charge of the two machines. Mr. M'Cormick suffered no loss 

 from his absence, he was so admirably represented; and in Messrs. 

 Pierce and Steevens, Dray & Co. had invaluable agents — on the Thurs- 

 day in particular, when a storm, which ravaged land and sea, could not 

 deter them or Mr. Hussey. from practically attesting the reaper's 

 prowess in the field. The trial, throughout, was conducted with a 

 fidelit}' to self which would not throw a point away, and a courtesy to 

 rivals which should ever mark honorable competition. 



[ From a Correspondent. ] 



Stockton, Monday, September 29. — A report reached me, after I 

 left the farm, that Hussey's machine cut the barley very much better 

 than M'Cormick's. It came to me however, through parties who 

 might fairly be suspected of a bias, and therefore I kept my judgment 

 in suspense until I could obtain information on which I could more 

 implicitly rely. This I have now got. I have been to the farm again 

 to-day, and made inquiries of persons who saw the completion of the 

 trial. M'Cormick's machine did not cut the barley so well as Hussey's. 

 It cut it much too high; and as the crop was very much laid, the heads 

 only, in many cases were cut off. We had Husse)-'s machine in oper- 

 ation to-day, both on barley and wheat, and made better work than 

 on Saturday. Mr. F'awcitt worked it with the greatest ease. I think 

 he would soon beat the inventor himself. Even I, townsman as I am, 

 made fair work; and in an hour or two's practice, I would engage to 

 cut a crop in a manner not to be found fault with. Vou may safely 

 say that any ordinary workman about a farm would be able to manage 

 the machine; and when I say this of Hussey's, it is also true of M'Cor- 

 mick's. The one may be a better machine than the other, but the 

 merits of either of them may be brought into practical action by a la- 

 borer of average intelligence and skill. It is the ojiinion of farmers 

 and others witli whom I have conversed, that the saving jier acre, by 

 the use of Husse\''s machine, would be about 5s. 



At the close of the contest on Saturday, the knives of the two ma- 

 chines were placed in the hands of Mr. Robinson, engineer to Mr. 

 Bellerby, of York, that he might report thereon, and on the machinery 

 generally, to the jury. 



Wednesd.w, October 1. — The Marcjuis of Londonderrs'. and several 



