346 Report on the Exhibition and Trial of Implements 



requires more time to make it in. The churn exhibited by 

 Messrs. Burgess and Key was fairly entitled to the premium. 



Draining-tools. — The premium of 3Z. for the best draining- 

 tools was awarded to Harry Winton and Sons. It is very 

 difficult to decide on the relative merits of these tools and those 

 exhibited by Mapplebeck and Lowe, of Birmingham, and made 

 by Lyndon. Each are excellent in their way, and the digging- 

 forks exhibited by each of these firms are superior in point of 

 general usefulness and economy to any before offered to the 

 public. Great improvements have taken place in the manu- 

 facture of common tools, such as forks, spades, draining-tools ; 

 their lightness, strength, and elasticity sufficiently recommend 

 them to those engaged in every-day toil. 



Medals. — In the distribution of medals, it will be proper first 

 to notice those articles most important in an agricultural point 

 of view, particularly where a new principle is introduced. 

 Fowler's draining-plough, during the trial to which it was sub- 

 jected, performed the work in an admirable manner and to the 

 satisfaction of those called on to inspect and report upon it. The 

 ground the plough was tried upon was an open friable loam, 

 with a retentive clayey subsoil, having occasional stones, but of 

 a general uniform character, and well adapted to give this novel 

 implement a fair trial. The plough was first introduced to the 

 Society at the Exeter Meeting ; it has since undergone some 

 improvements. At that time it was not supposed that ordinary 

 drain-pipes would bear the pressure required, and wooden ones 

 were provided at considerable cost. Subsequently it was dis- 

 covered that the common drain-pipe, well made and well baked, 

 would bear the pressure, and these are now successfully laid 

 down at a reduced cost ; but larger ones can be used, and it is a 

 question with the Judges whether it would not be advantageous 

 to use a larger mole and a larger tile. It is obvious that the 

 smaller the tile the greater the risk in preserving a continuity of 

 the aperture ; for this reason the socket-pipe is recommended, 

 but this adds to the cost, and the bell-mouthed pipe has been 

 found on trial not to succeed. In working the plough it is very 

 desirable to have the rope, to which the tiles are slung, exactly 

 to fill the tile, so that there shall be no chance of displacement 

 by stones or other obstructions. The machine is drawn with a 

 windlass by 4 horses, and, at a depth of 3 feet 6 inches, moved 

 at the rate of 10 feet a minute, taking the tiles slung on the rope 

 with the mole, and leaving them with the greatest precision and 

 regularity. The number of acres drained by this implement per 

 day will depend on the distance of the drains apart. The cost 

 per day in working it will be, exclusive of tiles, — 



