and on JSlixccllancous Inventions at the Birmingham Show. 275 
power reaper to drive the gear, and the steam reaper cut and 
delivered only because the mechanism was driven directly by 
the engine and was independent of skidding wheels. It was 
weather in which reaping by ordinary machines was impossible; 
but on all sides of the field, except ascending the steepest gradient, 
the steam reaper proved itself able to cut. Mr. Aveling, with 
that indomitable energy and fertility of resource for which he is 
famous, would not be overmastered by even the steep slippery 
ascent, and by means of spikes on the wheels on the Friday, in 
the absence of biting-irons which were not available till the 
next day, succeeded in demonstrating the ability of the engine 
to climb up the greasy incline without burying the wheels, 
carrying the reaping machine with her. This was a trial under 
extremest difficulties ; but both here and in the first trial, where 
the work was exceedingly well done, enough was shown to prove 
the correctness and practicability of the principle of combining 
a Crosskill reaper and crane-jib farm locomotive in the manner 
invented by Messrs. Aveling and Porter. An estimate of the 
cost of working was not made. It is evident that the working- 
expense of an 8-horse engine in cutting, say 30 acres per day, 
must be considerably less than that of the number of horses in 
relays which would be required for executing the same area of 
cutting in the same time ; but comparative economy is a small 
consideration beside the advantage of such vast expedition as 
adding by steam power 25 to 30 acres of reaping per day to the 
extent already commanded by the horse power on the farm. 
That an 8-horse power locomotive shall be purchased for sole 
use in cutting down corn during one or two harvest weeks in a 
year is not proposed by anybody ; the interest and depreciation 
upon first cost would be far too heavy for such a small amount 
of time engaged. The capability to perform reaping by a 
locomotive engine becomes, however, of great importance in 
relation to the extension of steam cultivation. For one main 
source of profit from the adoption of a steam plough con- 
sists in the displacement of the costly power of horses ; the 
more farm operations you can execute by means of the tillage 
engine, the larger is the proportion of horse teams you can 
dispense with ; and with your one or two ploughing engines 
put to the cutting of all your corn, your carting of the harvest 
with the smaller force of horses remaining may be as rapid 
as before. 
The Judges recommended the Council to award Messrs. 
Aveling and Porter the Gold Medal of the Society for this im- 
portant, well-conceived, practically worked out, and at the same 
time still promising invention. 
T 2 
