(mil on Miscellaneous Inventions at. the Birmingham Show. 277 
number of strokes in proportion to the rate of advance is so high that one 
cut is made for each 1^ inch of advance. This machine, with a 4 feet 3 inch 
cut, worked by two horses, finished its plot in 46 minutes, but made inferior 
cutting. The delivery is not aided by tipping the platform by the rake-man's 
foot, but by the platform being hung with a counterpoise weight and yielding 
to the downward pressure of the weight of the sheaf-bench and the thrust of 
the delivery-rake. The sheaves were not laid so well or with such square 
butt-ends as when the grate is dropped by the foot, nor did the platform 
gather up so neatly for carrying the next sheaf as with a pedal-delivery. 
Plot 5. — Messrs. Lewis and Lowcock's Left-hand Machine (1027 Catalogue 
number), with 4 feet 3 inch cut ; breadth over all of 8 feet 4 inches ; pedal- 
delivery by tipping grate-platform, but only a single speed for the crank-gear. 
The plot was completed in 36 minutes, in moderately good style ; and it was 
observed that the rake-man's position was such that one of the driving-wheels 
chafed his clothing. 
Plot G. — Messrs. Lewis and Lowcock's Light Machine (1031 Catalogue 
number), with pedal-delivery, and the draught-iron yoked to the tilting- 
frame. The work was tolerably well done. 
Plot 7. — Messrs. Alfred Field & Co., of New Edmund Street, Birmingham, 
" Sieberling Excelsior " (American) machine, (764 Catalogue number). This 
machine takes a cut 5 feet 2 inches wide, with a breadth over all of 10 feet 
0J inch ; it has 3a-inch knife sections, with serrated edges, downward thrust 
of a very long crank connecting-rod, two driving-wheels of 2 feet 9 inches 
diameter, and a four-bladed reel with provision for raising and lowering the reel 
axis while the machine is in motion. When the platform is tipped for 
depositing the sheaf, a horizontal transverse rod above the stuff is dropped by 
the same movement into such a position as to catch and hold up for an 
instant the cut stuff falling backward toward the platform, till the under 
sheaf-bunch has passed clear off. On raising the platform again, this rod is 
lifted simultaneously. The action of this rod and the reel together are 
designed to do the work of a rake-man, thus dispensing with one workman, 
while all is performed by the driver, who rides. The machine cut badly ; the 
sheaves were square-ended, but the stuff was trailed to some extent on the 
side next the standing crop. There occurred also some breakages ; for however 
good the ideas embodied in this reaper, the construction is much too frail for 
contending with bulky crops. In fact, a mechanic criticising this invention, 
spoke of it as " begotten, not made." 
Plot 8. — Messrs. Alfred Field & Co.'s "Mianisburg Excelsior" machine 
(763 Catalogue number) has a lever to raise the cutter-bar, and a reel and a drop- 
bar or separator acting in conjunction with the tipping-platform. The cut is 
5 feet 7 inches. In 39 minutes the half-acre plot was finished ; but the cutting 
was very badly done where the crop lay away forward from the machine ; 
indeed, this made the worst performance of any during the trial. 
Plot 9. — Messrs. llichard Bickerton & Sons, of the Old Tweed Imple- 
ment Works, Berwick-on-Tweed, " Buckeye A 1 " combined reaper and 
mower (2454 Catalogue number). This has a cut of 4 feet 6 inches ; 
breadth over all of 8 feet 10 inches ; floating finger-bar of cast-steel, in 
advance of the two driving-wheels of 2 feet 8 inches diameter, with ribbed 
tires ; and this bar is lifted at the heel or inner end by a lever, and at the 
outer end by setting a small eccentric at the joint. The finger-bar is turned up 
for removing the connecting-rod. A very simple method of changing the two 
speeds of the crank driving-gear is provided, — the first motion shaft being 
slided sideways, bringing a lesser or greater pinion in gear with greater or 
less intermediate pinions, which are cast in one piece and driven by an 
internal wheel on the main driving-wheel. There is no reservoir for oiling. 
The fingers are at 2f-inch intervals, and the throw of crank 3£ inch. The 
