3 1 6 Report on the Exhibition and Trial of Implements 



Wantage, Berks, was awarded the prize. It appears an excellent implement 

 for sands or light soils. The leverage and form of the shares are very good. 



Hoy-making Machines. — Smith's, of Kettering, was again victorious. The 

 simplicity of the contrivance for reversing the motion is very clever. 



Ridge-hoes. — Twelve were selected for trial, some of which were not tried^ 

 from the absence of the owners. Those of Howard, Busby, Hensman, and 

 Gray were of nearly identical construction, and worked very well. The prize 

 was given to Howard's from its having a long axle in front, which causes the 

 wheels to run in the adjoining intervals to the one which is being hoed ; the 

 hoe is consequently more easy to steer as well as to turn at the end of the field. 



Horse-hoes on the flat. — Garrett's hoe was again unapproachable. The 

 judges think that any comment upon this sterling and well-known implement 

 would be quite superfluous. 



Filling-in Plough. — Mr. Slaney's prize was again withheld: Comins'& 

 plough, the only one tried, was decidedly a failure. 



Norwegian Harrows. — Of the three tried in this class Kearsley's, of Ripon, was 

 the most efheient. It pulverized the surface for the drill in an admirable manner. 



Horse-Rakes. — Nine were tried upon some newly-cut grass where the hay- 

 spreaders had been previously tested. With the exception of Howard's 

 they were all liable to one or other of the following faults, viz. that the 

 grass collected was too much compressed, the deli\ery unsatisfactory, or the 

 leverage not instantaneous. The judges were divided in opinion as to the 

 superiority of the two first mentioned. They were consequently afterwards 

 tried on clover ley, upon which some straw was scattered, in order to test their 

 merits as stubble-rakes. Howard's was here the most efficient, and conse- 

 quently received the prize. 



Clod- Crushers. — Four were taken to the heavy lands for trial. Owing tO' 

 the novelty of two of them a close test was entered into by first applying them 

 on the plough seam, afterwards on land which had been some time ploughed 

 and harrowed, imagining Crosskill's would have a near run ; but such was not 

 the case ; a decided preference was given to the standard implement. 



Reapers. — The several exhibitors in this class were Messrs. Thompson. 

 Woods, Holmes, Ransome, Mason, Burgess and Co., Crosskill, Samuelson, 

 Garrett, and Howard — all of which were tried upon a piece of rye nearly ripe 

 and perfectly erect. After a trial of once round the stitch allotted to each, 

 four were selected, one on the " M'Cormick," exhibited by Messrs. Samuelson, 

 and three on the " Hussey " principle, exhibited by Messrs. Thompson, 

 Crosskill, and Garrett. Mr. Ransome would have figured amongst the last- 

 mentioned, but, from some arrangement between him and Mr. Garrett, a second 

 trial was not desired. From a short trial the judges arrived at a conclusion 

 that Garrett's was the best, and Crosskill's the second-best machine ; but they 

 are of opinion that these machines must be made nmch stronger and divested 

 of as much of the complication as practicable, ere they can be generally 

 useful, and further trust that skill and perseverance will be brought to bear on 

 these universally required machines.* Beman. 



Thos. Scott. 



* It is my opinion that the reaper will never be an implement upon which a 

 farmer can solely rely for cutting his corn, but may be a useful addition to the 

 scythe. Where the crop stands, and is free from weeds and stones, it works per- 

 fectly ; but where the crop is laid, and land foul, the stoppages do away with the 

 economical use of the reaper. I came to this conclusion by having tried it on 

 barley where there were seeds. — A. Hamond. 



The principle having now been established that corn may be advantageously cut 

 by machinery, there appears to be every reasonable expectation that the machinery 

 itself will, ere long, be so far improved by the perseverance and skill of our manu- 

 facturers, and its employment so far adapted to the various conditions of grain crops. 



