434 HIGHLAND AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY, 



the Society's show there in 1837. It was tried on the 

 Lochar Moss, about four miles from Dumfries, on the 

 Annan Road, under the superintendence of Mr Parkes, the 

 engineer of Mr Hcathcoat, assisted by three practical 

 persons. The machine was in operation for three days, 

 and there were many visitors. After the exhibition, the 

 machine disappeared during the night, having sunk in the 

 moss ! It has been said that portions of the machine may 

 have been recovered, but that, as a whole, it has not yet 

 been brought to the surface, A description of the ma- 

 chinery and plough was published in the sixth volume of 

 the second series of the Society's Transactions. Mr Heath- 

 coat was elected an honorary member of the Society in 1837. 



The premium of ;^5oo was repeated in the list till 1843, 

 when it was withdrawn. In 185 1 and 1852, the Society 

 offered a premium of ;^200 to the person who should suc- 

 ceed in the practical application of steam power to the 

 ploughing or digging of land. The merits of the invention 

 were to be judged of by a committee, and its success was to 

 be tested by its general applicability, by the character of its 

 work, and by its saving in time, labour, and outlay, as com- 

 pared with animal power. Intimation of intention to com- 

 pete was made by several inventors, but ultimately only two 

 parties came forward. These were the late Mr Jas. Usher, 

 Edinburgh, and Messrs Fisken, Gellyburn, Strathearn, Perth- 

 shire ; and trials of their different systems took place. 



Mr Usher's steam plough was exhibited at work on 

 the farm of Niddrie Mains, near Edinburgh ; and Messrs 

 Fisken's apparatus (which was adapted for either water or 

 steam) was shown in operation at Gellyburn and Drumphin, 

 Perthshire, Although the committee did not feel justified 

 in recommending the premium to either, they were both 

 considered entitled to high praise for the ingenuity dis- 

 played by them, and sums were voted to each. 



In 1857, the Society again offered a premium of ^200. 

 On this occasion, it was for the practical application of 

 steam or water power to the ploughing or digging of land, 

 the merits of the invention being tested, as was stated in the 

 specification for 185 1. Although great pains were taken to 



