the Philadelphia Centennial Inhibition. 
65 
fan and a screen. The fan has six blades ; the wind space is regulated by 
slide boards ; the shake is controllable ; upright teeth in the bottom of the 
hopper assist the feed. The grain first falls on an auxiliary screen, of very 
fine mesh, which removes small seeds before the grain is winnowed. This 
is a well-made and eilicient machine. 
Machinery applicable to Farm Economy. 
Portable and Stationary Engines. — In this department England 
was represented by Messrs. Davey, Paxman and Co., of Col- 
chester, with their portable 8 horse-power engine, which made 
such a good trial at Cardiff in 1872, and their equally good 
vertical engine and boiler ; neither of them was tested. I 
believe from the trials that were made of some few American 
engines, that they would have maintained our reputation for this 
class of machinery ; some opinion may be formed by a com- 
parison of results as published. At Cardiff, the portable engine, 
running at 80 lbs. pressure, 115 revolutions per minute, and 
doing 13*66 horse-power duty on the brake, ran 4 hours 20 
minutes actual time, consuming 2*85 lbs. of coal per horse-power, 
and evaporating 11*02 lbs. of water for each pound of coal con- 
sumed. At the trial of engines at the Cincinnati Industrial 
Exhibition in 1875, the engine of the Lane and Bodley Com- 
pany, Cincinnati, which stood before four others, and made what 
was considered an extraordinary result, consumed 14-583 lbs. 
of combustible (best hickory wood) per indicated horse-power, 
equal to 6*562 lbs. of coal. Of course as the conditions were 
different, the comparison is only approximate, but as far as it 
goes it is in favour of the English invention ; and I believe, 
from what I saw, that makers of portable engines in the States 
have aimed at producing machinery easy of transportation and 
reasonable in price, without much regard to the question of 
economy of fuel. In other words, the boiler and fire-box capa- 
city are insufficient to produce the most economical results. 
Practical considerations have doubtless influenced the line that 
has been followed ; but it is worth consideration whether more 
attention should not be paid to the economy of fuel, especially 
in the Eastern States, where coals are expensive. As most 
of the work of portable engines occurs during the winter, when 
the temperature is often very low, I think it would be desirable 
if the cylinder and boiler were felted and lagged, a precaution 
which at present is very exceptional. Considering the small 
value attaching to straw in the Western States, where fuel is 
often both scarce and expensive, I am surprised that makers have 
not turned their attention to the construction of straw-burning 
engines, which have been brought to such perfection by some 
of our firms. Another point that strikes an Englishman is the 
VOL. XIII. — S. S. F 
