634 



Report to H.R.H. the President 



natural chaff for the purpose, artificial chaff was made in this 

 way. At first the straw was cut in a rude box, with a chopper 

 raised by the hand, and cost 2d. per basket ; then with a circular 

 movement, costing \\d. ; and may now be cut by steam-power at 

 not much more than \d. per basket. The process makes, too, an 

 arable farmer independent of natural meadow ; for sheep, it is 

 well known, especially breeding ewes, require much dry food ; but 

 this artificial chaff mixed with rape-cake takes the place for them 

 of hay, or hay may be cut with the straw. It is also worth while 

 to cut hay, though consumed by itself. Even in the new circular 

 chaff-cutters we find a difference as to the labour required by 

 them for preparing a given amount of chaff. The difference, 

 indeed, was so great in the trials at York, that it is worth while 

 to quote some of the figures : — 



Weight 



Price. of Chaff Power 



Cut. required. 

 £. s. d. lbs. lbs. 



Cornes . 14 0 0 112 14,126 Did its work well. 



Garrett . 10 10 0 112 31,291 



Crosskill. 18 0 0 112 44,800 This machine made 



very rough work. 



This table is most instructive ; for we find here three first-rate 

 makers staking their reputation in a public trial on their respective 

 instruments, one of which nevertheless requires three men to 

 do badly what another enables one man to do well. Surely 

 farmers must learn from such results a more careful choice of 

 their implements. It is due to the two makers last named to men- 

 tion that the lesson was not thrown away on them. 



Chaff'- Cutters. — Mr. Cornes, of Burbridge, has in the trials at Kensington 

 maintained his previous reputation for the greatest economy of power in 

 proportion to the work performed ; also the machines of Messrs. Garrett 

 and Son, and Messrs. Smith and Co., of Stamford (17/.), are worthy of the 

 highest commendation, the latter for an ingenious application of a spring 

 lever to throw the rollers out of gear when starting the machine. To these 

 three we have therefore awarded a medal. 



C. B. Challoner. 



3. Linseed and Cojm Crushers. 



The same extraordinary disparity of power required was found 

 also two years since, at the Norwich meeting, in this class of im- 

 plements : — 



Linseed Power 

 Crushed. required, 

 lbs. lbs. 



Stanley . . 112 24,238 

 W. Nicholson . 112 94,080 



In fact this is the greatest difference vfe have found yet in any 

 machine worked by hand, being about four to one : so that to 



