and Miscellaneous Implements at Bristol. 93 
connecting-rod, and behind Robinson's friction gear for working the twister. 
The tying mechanism is all below, and looks as though it were rather near 
the ground for jiractical work. An upright shaft, which drives the reel at the 
upper end, lias at its lower end a crank, the pin of which works in the slutted 
eml of a long lever which actuates the rakes. Above is a rocking-shaft with 
spiral springs round it, the rear end of which carries the binder-arm, and the 
fore end a crank with a roller pin, which runs on a cylindrical cam on the 
upright shaft. A little below is a second rocking-shaft, which carries lour arms 
for compressing, and two for dischar>j;ing the slieaf. This also is surrounded by 
a spiral spring, and its forward end carries a crank with a roller pin, which runs 
on a cylindrical cam at the base of the one just described. The binding 
mechanism is below the platform, and consists of a pair of spring clamps or 
jaws actuated by a pair of spur wheels at . its lower end, the forward wheel 
being on a vertical shaft driven by the Robinson friction gear. The string, in 
a box above, is carried down the binder-arm in a channel, and passes through 
a string-guide or double-ended wedge. The box rocks on the end of a hollow 
horizontal shaft, through which tlie twister si'indle is carried ; this shaft is 
linked by a pair of cranks and short links to a second hollow parallel shaft, to 
the forward end of which is secured a crank kept up by a spiral spring, and 
connected by a vertical link to a swinging-lever which carries a roller pin 
running on the under side of the lower and larger cam on the shaft. Through 
this hollow shaft is the knife-rocking shaft, which terminates in the forward 
end in a crank kept up by a spiral spring, and actuated by a vertical link with 
a roller on its top, and also working on the under side of the cam as described. 
There are, in fact, four cam motions from the shaft, and the whole of the 
motions for the rakes and tying machinery are effected by one revolution of 
this shaft, always excepting the motion of the twister. The lever which 
actuates the knife has a tail through which the twister spindle passes, and is 
placed in and out of gear by its action. The same motion lowers the shaft 
which carries the box, and so enables the string-guide and the binder-arm to 
pass through the upper clamp. By an ingenious arrangement the stroke of 
the rack tor the tiaverse of the rakes is increased more than two to one by 
the wheel underneath being in two parts, one above the other, and of different 
diameters. The striug draws itself out of the jaws when the twisting is com- 
pleted, 'i'hc frame is of wrought iron, and is carried at the end by a small 
caster-wheel ; thus the frame runs on three wheels. Price of machine, 60^. 
The Trials. 
Great difficulty was experienced in finding crops suitable for 
the trials within such easy distance of Bristol as would allow 
those who had done so much for the success of the Meeting an 
opportunity of being present. Up to the date of the Show 
nothing was fixed, and a placard was posted in the Showyard, 
asking those who had the requisite areas of the necessary crops 
within a certain radius of Bristol to communicate with the 
Secretary. 
The neighbourhood on all sides is principally in grass. 
What arable fields exist are small, and inasmuch as the Society 
required a considerable area of the three cereals, no replies of 
at all a suitable nature were received, and finally, the Stewards 
fell back upon an offer which they had originally declined, viz. : 
to hold the trial on the Abbot's Leigh Estate, at the Hill Farm 
