and Miscellaneous Implements at Bristol. 97 
convenience, with the Steward's request converted into a com- 
plete success what must otherwise have been a trial open to grave 
criticism. Xow, the reader may be interested to know how it was 
that we found eight quarters an acre of oats within half a mile 
of the miserably deficient crops of the Hill Farm. It was not 
owing to anv improvement of soil, for the land was thin and 
the stone equally near — indeed a considerable portion of the 
field was occupied as a stone quarry for lime-burning. Mr. 
Bishop is the contract scavenger for Bristol, and also a lirae- 
bumer. He delivers lime into the city, and brings back manure, 
which the somewhat hungry soil is grateful for. Last year the 
oat field was occupied by a capital root crop, which was well 
mucked, and there remained enough in the land to produce the 
oats. The lesson here taught might with advantage be taken 
home by others, for I should judge, from the general appearance 
of the crops in the neighbourhood, that high farming is the excep- 
tion. Not only were the crops originally chosen much too light 
for the purpose, but the date finally fixed for the trials was fully 
a week too soon, and this, notwithstanding the experience at 
Aigburth last year. The oats alone were anything like ready, 
and they might have waitetl without injury. The wheat and 
barlev were actuallv green. I believe that the original arrange- 
ment was for the 7th and 8th of August, which even would have 
been too soon ; but during the hot weather which followed the 
Show, the bailiff at the Hill Farm, only recently appointed, and 
who therefore may be excused for misjudging appearances, wrote 
urging an earlier fixture, viz., on the 2nd and 3rd, stating that 
the crops would be dead ripe, and great loss would occur even if 
left so long. 
Finallv, the Society, misled where they naturally expected 
correct information, fixed Monday and Tuesday, .5th and 6th, 
whereas the proper time would have been the 12th and 1.3th. 
In one respect the test of cutting green corn was more severe ; 
the grain was heavier to handle, and it proved the ability of 
the transporting mechanism to bring the corn to the binding 
machinery, and also showed the comparative efficiency of the 
latter to get rid of the sheaves when bound : but, on the other 
hand, it was impossible to judge as to whether there would be 
any waste of corn in a fairly ripe crop, and with which machine 
this would occur. ^loreover, as a general principle, it is more 
satisfactory to place the machines during the trial under the 
same conditions that they are designed for and will have to work 
under. The condition of the corn was aggravated by the 
weather, which was certainly trying. On Saturday and Sundav, 
the 3rd and 4th, rain fell, and on the latter day there was a 
regular downpour, which lasted from lO.oO A.M. to 4 o'clock 
VOL. XT. — S. S. H 
