130 
Report on the Trials of Sheaf- Binders 
been shovelled out. The Judges were much pleased with this 
invention. 
Mr. J. H. Knight's Patent Digging Machine by steam-power 
for Hop-grounds, exhibited, I believe, for the first time, excited 
considerable attention : driven by an 8-horse power engine, it 
was stated by the inventor that this machine will dig from 3 to 
5 acres a day, at a depth of from 8 to 12 inches, and I hear from 
hop-growers that it has done very good work. The machine 
comprises a frame or carriage on four wheels. The front-wheels, 
which are comparatively small and close together, are for steering. 
The hind-wheels, which carry the greater part of the weight, are 
used for propelling. On the upper part of the frame and a little 
behind the driving-wheels, a crank-shaft of three throws is fitted, 
which works three vertical connecting-rods, into the lower end 
of which, guided by radius-rods or guides, are fitted the tines 
which penetrate the earth, turning it up and over. One end of 
the crank-shaft carries a bevel wheel which gears into a pinion on 
the driving shaft ; on the other end of the shaft is a grooved pulley, 
driven by a high-speed hemp rope, which communicates motion 
from the engine to the machine. A train of wheels commu- 
nicates motion from the crank-shaft to the driving-wheels. The 
engine may be placed in any corner of the field, pulleys attached 
to ordinary farm waggons being used as movable anchors on 
each headland. 
The cost of the machine, including two sets of tines, rope, 3 
corner porters, 4 working rope-porters, 14 post-porters, tension 
carriage, pulleys to attach to waggons, pulley blocks, anchor- 
bars, tools, &c., is 230Z. Mr. Knight calculates the daily cost of 
working, including allowance for interest and wear and tear, at 
21. 12s., for which four acres can be dug, thus giving a total cost 
of 13s. an acre, against an average of 25s. for hand lab6ur. The 
work has been very favourably reported upon in some of the 
leading agricultural papers. The ' Agricultural Gazette ' of 
Nov. 6th, 1876, thus describes actual work, which unfortunately 
the Judges had not the opportunity of seeing : " When the 
machine is in motion, these forks or spuds are forced into the 
soil evenly and regularly, being guided uniformly by the guide- 
rods, taking spits or furrows of about 5 inches wide, lifting the 
earth, and throwing it not exactly over perhaps with perfect 
accuracy, but moving it, disintegrating it far more than hand- 
digging could, and fairly burying the weeds and manure." As 
it is in contemplation to offer prizes for steam-cultivating ma- 
chinery in 1880, it is probable that this machine will receive 
a thorough trial. In setting the apparatus to work the hemp 
rope is led round tlie field from the engine on pulleys and 
porters, taking a turn round the driving pulley on the machine ; 
