Implement Show at MancJiester. 
569 
togetlicr. These winders arc placed 10 feet apart at tlie foot of the stack on 
each side. The strips at the junction of the plates through which the eye- 
bolts pass occupy the place of rafters on the stack roof, and, if made deep 
enough, allow of any heat from the stack to pass between the hay or corn and 
the covering, though, if this was doubtful, larger pieces of wood of the character 
of purlins might run longitudinally along the stack, and so keep the covering 
away from the hay or corn. 
The cost of the " Thatch Substitute " for a stack 18 feet wide is 9s. per foot 
run, or &d. per foot of ground covered, exclusive of the cost of frequently 
painting the iron, which must be necessarily done. 
Assuming that the " Tliatch Substitute " with the extra wear and tear con- 
sequent upon frequent shiftings and carelessness in treatment by labourers will 
not last more than twelve years, the cost to a purchaser who must charge 
himself with repayment of the original outlay within that period will bo quite 
double the cost of ordinary thatching when everything is considered. The 
advantage of the invention will therefore not be due to any saving on this head, 
but to the readiness and quickness with which a stack may be covered by any 
labourer unacquainted with thatching, which will commend it to many prac- 
tical men. 
With the approval of the Stewards, a silver medal was given for this 
invention. 
John Coleman. 
J. S. Watson. 
J. Bailey Denton. 
7. Beport of the Judges of Miscellaneous Implements. 
We consider the show of implements in this department of extreme interest 
to the members of the Society. The number of entries in the catalogue was 
larger than at any other meeting of the Society, amounting to 7724, and of a 
most varied character. We were much struck with the exquisite finish of 
many agricultui-al machines, showing that the manufacturers are fully alive to 
the necessity of fitting agricultural machinery with as much nicety as the most 
important machines for manufactures. We observed that many of the most 
noted houses in the trade have come to the determination to simplify every 
movement, so that it may be well understood, and easily rectified by an ordi- 
nary farm labourer — who, we may remark in passing, whatever may have been 
said to the contrary, has generally showTi an extraordinary appreciation o{ good 
implements, and a desire to use them efficiently. Had we not been requested 
by the stewards to leave unnoticed implements which were placed under other 
classes, we should have felt it our duty to make some remarks on them. Still 
there were some points which we could not pass over, and we would suggest 
that, in future, Judges in the Miscellaneous Class should be left comparatively 
luifettered, as there are oftentimes special portions of implements, not perfectly 
efficient iU' themselves, but which might be adapted to other implements, and 
thus be made of great value to the agriculturist. 
Great latitude must necessarily be given to us, as the immense variety of 
utensils, implements, and machines requires great discrimination in making the 
awards. We would respectfully suggest, therefore, that some classification be 
made in future, so that the duties of the Judges may be somewhat lightened. 
When it is understood that the length of shedding was over four miles, and 
that all this was positively filled with implements, some conception may be 
formed of the labour undergone in selecting implements and inventions for 
notice ; and we sincerely hope that our heavy duties may be pleaded as some 
excuse for the imperfections that we have doutjtless been guilty of, and that we 
may be judged leniently by the Society, the exhibitors, and the public at 
2 p 2 
