at the Northampton Meeting, 1847. 341 



thrasliing-machine, a circumstance most favourable to the level 

 working of both machines : nevertheless the writer cannot but 

 consider that all the machines were driven too rapidly ; and, indeed, 

 an accident occurred to Cambridge's thrashing machine at the 

 conclusion of the ten minutes, which providentially was not 

 attended with loss of life, but which demonstrates the danger of 

 driving a machine too rapidly, as the material of which the drum 

 was composed in all probability not being strong enough to with- 

 stand the centrifugal tendency, the whole of the cylinder, torn 

 to pieces, was driven out of the machine, and in its transit 

 through the air knocked off the cap of the person who was feed- 

 ing the machine. 



Ploughs. — No fault whatever could be found, by individuals 

 sincerely desirous of testing the value of these implements, both in 

 light and heavy ground, with the choice which was made of Mr. 

 Pickering's farm at Moulton Park, and the fields of Messrs. 

 Seaby and Green adjoining the Rail Ground : the former land 

 being heavy clay, the latter good convertible soil, well adapted 

 for the trial of all the light implements. Owing to the dry wea- 

 ther which prevailed, and the consequent stiffness of the clay, 

 very many of the ploughs which were selected for the private 

 trial were broken, and, of 24 ploughs originally tested, but 10 

 were put aside for the public trial in the heavy land. The fol- 

 lowing is the report of the Judges relative to the trial of Ploughs 

 at Moulton Park : — 



" The method adopted for trying these implements was to start 

 them at equal distances from each other. Ten or twelve of these 

 made very indifferent work, while that of the remainder was very 

 satisfactory, considering the dry and baked state of the land. It 

 was clear from the commencement that the old Y. L. plough in- 

 vented by Messrs. Ransome, with an improved mould-board, 

 invented by the exhibitor, Mr. Busby, performed its work in a 

 superior manner. Although the land was so tenacious, this 

 plough worked more than eight inches deep, and turned the fur- 

 row-slice in good form ; the land-side was also very cleanly cut, 

 and very level. The Judges had no difficulty in coming to a 

 decision in favour of this plough. The next best were those made 

 by Howard and Sons, and Sanders and Williams, and Samuel 

 Taylor, of Bedford." 



The prize plough of Mr. Busby is thus described in the cata- 

 logue : — " A two-wheeled plough, invented, improved (with Ran- 

 som's truss-beam), and manufactured by the exhibitor for strong 

 land. This implement is capable of working 12 inches deep 

 when required ; and with a lighter mould-board will not be found 

 too heavy to be used as a two-horse plough. Prize 5Z." 



The plough made by Messrs. Howard and Sons was the same 



VOL. VIII. 2 a 



