Award of Medals, ifc, at Kilhurn. 
745 
test could be suggested than the yielding mud at Kilhurn. Yet 
the gauge and connections remained intact throughout. The 
rails of steel are made in three strengths — of 10, 14, and 18 lbs. 
weight per lineal yard. It has been found that iron rails, ori- 
ginally employed, will not answer, as they bend too much on 
soft ground under the influence of a load. Three gauges are 
made, viz. 16 inches, 20 inches, and 24 inches, according to 
requirements. The 16- and 20-inches have been chosen as 
the most rigid and portable, because a man, by placing himself 
between the rails and grasping one in each hand, can carry a 
length, the weight of which does not exceed 1^ cwt. Each rail 
is thus secured : a wrought-iron chair is riveted to the sleeper, 
which fits over the flange, and against the outside of the rail a 
hooked bolt is passed through the corrugation of the sleeper 
under the rails, and the hook holds the inside flange of the rail, 
and presses it firmly against the chair. All that is required in 
fixing the railway is to see that the rails are laid upon the 
sleepers against the chairs, and the bolts tightened up, care 
being taken to keep the ends square. The price of the 20-inch- 
gauge rails is Ss. per yard. A variety of carriages for the con- 
veyance of farm-produce are also supplied at reasonable rates. 
When operations are conducted on a large scale, such an 
apparatus must, I think, prove highly advantageous for the 
transport of the root-crops, carting manures, 6cc, 
Amongst other novelties exhibited by Messrs. Fowler and Co., 
was a patent scoop, designed for the making of ponds. This is 
specially exported for Australia, for which colony it was designed. 
The merit of its invention is mainly due to Mr. Peter Waite, the 
pasture manager for Sir Thomas Elder, of the Paratoo Run, 
South Australia, who, finding it impossible by manual or bullock 
labour to excavate to any great depth, so as to secure a proper 
supply of water for a dry country, turned his attention in 1875 
to the application of steam-power to the formation of deep arti- 
ficial water-holes ; and, in conjunction with Messrs. Fowler and 
Co., devised and patented the scoop, which has since been con- 
siderably improved, until at the present time it is a very efficient 
machine. It should be mentioned that, previous to the intro- 
duction of the scoop, the greatest depth that could be practically 
reached was about 12 feet. J\ ow double that depth, and probably 
more, is obtainable ; and this, in a country where the evaporation 
frequently reaches 4 to 6 feet per annum, is a point of immense 
importance, securing thereby, not one, but three years' supply of 
water, and practically insuring a permanent water-supply. The 
method of working may be shortly described : — Two winding- 
drum self-moving engines of 16-horse-power are used ; the one 
engine is placed on the edge of the dam, the other on the 
