270 Tlie Agricultural Features of the Paris Exhibition. 
there. Mr. M. J. Neale's string-knotting sheaf-binder was also 
exhibited, and was minutely inspected by many. Mr. Neale's 
invention is ingenious, and has the lead of all other binders in 
respect that string-binding has advantages over wire ; but of 
course it is one thing to look at an implement and another to 
see it put to the practical test in the field. Another curiosity 
among harvesting machinery is Messrs. Aveling and Porter's 
steam reaping machine, not unknown to English agriculturists. 
This mechanical monster is driven by an 8-horse-power loco- 
motive crane-engine, and cuts 12 feet wide. It is stated that 
about 30 acres ought to be cut in a day with this implement, 
which, in construction, does not differ much from the old 
reaper. Messrs. Samuelson and Co.'s reapers exhibited several 
serviceable alterations ; such as an appliance for controlling the 
rakes, with the view of regulating the sheaves ; self-cleansing 
fingers, of the open pattern, preventing accumulation under the 
knife ; a new near-side shoe and knife-slide, giving greater 
facility for the removal thereof; new means of rapidly raising 
and lowering the height of the cut ; means of putting in and out 
of gear with the driver's foot ; a head-lifter working in conjunction 
with the rake ; and last, but perhaps the most important of all, 
new fingers of welded steel and iron. The judicious use of the 
materials composing this finger not only permits of a lighter 
weight and improved form, but also a greater proportionate 
strength, while they dispense with steel-rivetted plates which 
sometimes cause annoyance by getting detached from the ordi- 
nary malleable-iron fingers. Mr. Kearsley, besides other im- 
provements, has introduced in his machines a lifting-lever to 
enable the driver to raise the outer end of the finger-bar to pass 
over any impediment. Several other reapers and mowers showed 
various minor improvements too numerous to mention. 
An object of interest on the Stand of Messrs. Ruston, Proctor 
and Co., Lincoln, was Mr. Loader's harvesting-machine, which 
may be used as a hay-maker or for loading hay or corn. It is 
asserted that it will load a ton of hay or corn in five minutes, 
with the assistance of two men to place the hay or corn when 
delivered on the waggon or cart. Few implements earned a 
better reputation in the Exhibition. Of hay-makers and horse- 
rakes there was a large and varied assortment, but nothing 
strikinglv novel. 
In few classes of agricultural implements has greater im- 
provement been recently made than in threshing and dressing- 
machines. They formed a large display at Paris, and in detail 
several important alterations were noticeable. Accidents to 
persons employed in feeding these threshing-machines formerly 
occurn>d so frequently, that, by Act of Parliament, manufac- 
