and Miscellaneous Implements at Bristol. 101 
most wonderful shape and size." Now the horses were of me- 
dium strength, and certainly less powerful than Wood's team. 
Then the stoppages were frequent, and at last even the strong 
horses lost their temper and grew restive. Now the driver, 
instead of being a clever servant, was a young farmer named 
Pearce, from King's Weston, who, it is said, had never even 
seen one of these machines before the trials, and he was able to 
devote his whole attention to driving the team, which he did 
uncommonly well. Not only was the binding-arm perfectly 
automatic — that is, doing its work without assistance of any 
kind — but a sheet-iron shield or cover, above the point where 
the corn is delivered by the elevator, prevents the driver from 
even following the traverse of the arm. One man was in 
attendance, in order to regulate the position of the tying-plat- 
form, alter the position of the reel, &c., all which could have 
been done by the driver with a little more experience of his 
machine. In this feature of adaptability both McCormick's 
and Wood's machines are admirably finished, and leave nothing 
to be desired. These trials on the oats finished the work of the 
forenoon. After an interval for luncheon, two plots of wheat 
(a moderate upstanding crop probably 22 to 26 bushels per 
acre), each containing la. Or. 28 p., were set out. Lots were 
drawn, and the two machines started nearly at the same time. 
Here McCormick's agents drew No. 1, the upper plot, which 
was rather the lightest, but equally grassy in the bottom, and 
the stones were about the same. The conditions were as 
follows : — 
1. Height of cut not to exceed ?n average of 6 inches. 
2. Every attendant except the driver will be noted. 
3. Time of cutting will be taken. 
4. Number and duration of stoppages will be taken. 
5. Quantity of wire used will be taken. 
McCormick's machine started at 4 P.M., stopped twice on 
account of wire breaking, consuming 1^ minute, and finished 
at 4.50j. Actual time in work 48| minutes. 
The weather having become fine, and it being a Bank Holi- 
day, the attendance was very large, great interest being evidently 
taken in the proceedings. At first the spectators were pretty 
evenly divided in their attention to the two machines ; but, as 
the work proceeded, there was a manifest leaning towards Mc- 
Cormick's, and when the last grain was cut the driver received 
quite an ovation. There was one man in attendance as before. 
The stubble averaged about 5^ inches, and was very evenly cut. 
The sheaves were laid with great regularity at intervals of about 
15 feet. This is tlie distance at which the arm works auto- 
matically. They cannot be placed nearer, as far as I know ; 
