and MisceUa?ieous Implements at Bristol. 
103 
make their award ; but the implement has been shown before, 
and consequently is shut out. When the rule was made, 
machines were subject to periodical competition, and the ex- 
hibitor of a novelty, though ineligible for a Silver Medal, had 
but to bide his time, and was able, sooner or later, to bring his 
invention to trial. Now that all this is altered, it is the more 
necessary that due encouragement should be given to those who 
are devoting their talents to perfecting agricultural machinery. 
The Judges therefore hope that this subject will be considered 
by the Implement Committee ; and suggest that Clause 2 of the 
Society's Regulations be altered, so that a novel principle may be 
rewarded, whether the same has been shown before or not. 
At Bristol there were not many absolute novelties, and of these 
very few of any practical importance. Improvements in detail 
were numerous, and some of the more striking will be described 
and illustrated. 
The following were awarded Silver Medals ; — 3729, Hornsby 
and Sons, Machine for Cutting and Trimming Hedges. 75, 
J. Fowler and Co., Church's Circular Steam-valve. 6606, Morris 
and Griffin, Turton's Permanent Rick Coverings. 
No. 3729. — Hornsby and Sons' Hedge-cutting and trimming Machine was 
probably the <;reatest novelty of the Show. The first patent was taken out by 
Mr. J. Gr. A. Walker in 1876, who must therefore be considered the inventor, 
although Messrs. Hornsby, who purchased his interests, have greatly altered 
and improved the original design. A second patent, No. 373, was taken out 
in Jaimarj^ of this year. The machine, in its |iresent form, costs 501., and 
weighs 18 cwt. The following drawings (pp. 110, 111) will fully explain its 
form. The frame is carried on two travelling-wheels, 4 feet in diameter, fixed 
about as far apart as a pair of cart-whee's ; the tires, 6 inches wide, have 
a number of projections for securing a bite in wet ground. Both wheels are 
loose on the axle, with ratchets, so that either is free in backing. In for- 
ward motion both wheels are drivers. Keyed on the axis is a gear-ring, h, 
which drives a clutch pinion, c, and a lever to the pinion d puts the machine 
in and out of gear. This pinion c drives a shaft above and parallel with 
the axis, which carries on its opposite end a bevel wheel, e, driving a vertical 
spindle carried by an upright frame. A pinion, g, on the top of this spindle 
drives a loose wheel, h, working on a horizontal spindle, i, lying at right 
angles to the main axis. On this spindle hinges an extendable telescopic 
arm, from the end of which depends the cutting apparatus, or rather from 
the end of the tube k, which slides on the aforesaid arm, and it will be seen 
by reference to Fig. 15, that by the agency of a lever, I, and rod, m, the cutters 
are under the driver's control. The arm / can be raised or lowered by a 
screw ; the bottom end of which is supported by the main axle, whilst the 
top end (also telescopic) is attached to the extendable arm ; by this means the 
cutter can be set to the required height, the range of variation being about 3 
feet. Inside the arm / is a square telescopic tube driven by the pinion p 
from the loose wheel h. This square tube drives a spindle, on the end of 
which is a wheel, driving the crank pinion and the cutters. 
The cutting apparatus is so hinged on the crank-spindle that it can 
swing round its own axis without affecting the free action of the knife. By 
a worm and wheel it can be set to cut at any angle, and be folded back over the 
