9 8 



Agricultural Machines in Italy. 



and spend money in exhibiting at the country agricultural 

 shows to prove the value of their wares. The existing demand 

 is principally for marks which have made their reputation 

 years ago after considerable outlay and persistent advertise- 

 ment, farmers being very conservative. Most of the great 

 British makers are represented in Paris in the way mentioned, 

 and some keep stock, and for these goods there is still a 

 good sale. The French makers of portable engines are 

 numerous. 



[Foreign Office Reports, Annual Series, No. 1852. Price \\d7\ 



In a Report to the Foreign Office on the Economic and 



of an agent or traveller is to sell the particular class 

 of article which they are accustomed to produce, and 

 which, in itself, they know to be good, rather than to 

 endeavour to meet the demands of customers what- 

 ever they may be. Major Law states that this tendency has 

 certainly caused serious prejudice to the agricultural machine 

 trade, since England was probably the first country to 

 appreciate and manufacture good agricultural machines, and 

 the deserved reputation of English agriculturists was such 

 that enterprising foreign landowners naturally looked, in the 

 first instance, to England to supply them with agricultural 

 machinery. To-day, however, with the important exception 

 of portable engines and steam threshers, England has prac- 

 tically lost the trade in such machinery. Reaping and 

 mowing machines and hay rakes are almost universally of 

 American manufacture, whilst ploughs, drills, and other 

 small machines are generally of German or Swedish origin. 

 And the reason of the change is not far to seek. In England 

 horses are strong and can drag heavy machinery, and farmers 

 are prepared to pay good prices for highly finished, strong 

 machines, solidity being specially appreciated, and weight, 



English Agri- 

 cultural 

 Machines in 

 Italy. 



Financial Situation in Italy, Major Fitz- 

 gerald Law says that he fears that long 

 periods of prosperity have had a tendency 

 to incline the managers of English manu- 

 facturing houses to the idea that the duty 



