526 Report on the Exhibition and Trial of Implements 
machines attests in the stronciest manner the importance attached to their 
improvement, and the necessity which is felt for so valuable an auxiliary to 
the labours of the harvest. 
Six machines were submitted for trial ; and a thin standing crop of unripe 
rye, upon a small area of ground, was the only means at the command of the 
Society at the time for testing the relative merits of the respective machines. 
It was felt by the judges that experiments upon so limited a scale, which 
■were finished in a few minutes, and confined to a crop so unlil<e those to 
which reapers must in practice be applied, was unworthy of the importance 
of the subject, and such as could not justify the judges in maldng any award. 
Mr. Fisher Hobbs, the senior steward, concurred in these opinions, and having 
represented them to the President of the Society, directed that the Judges 
should select such of the machines as they deemed best, and reserve them 
for a further trial upon Mr. Miles's estate, at Leigh Court, near Bristol. 
The following machines were selected : — 
BdVs improved machine, exhibited by Crosskill, price 42Z. 
McCormich^s macldne, improved by Lord Kiunaird, and exhibited by J. 
Burry, price 31Z. 10s. 
Hufiscy's reaping inacliine, improved and exhibited by Dray and Co., 
price 25?. 
McCoivnick^s reaper, improved and exhibited by Burgess and Key, price 
35?. 15s. 
Forhush and Co.''s reaper, improved and exhibited by John Palmer, of 
Stockton, price 30Z, 
Trials at Leigh Court. 
The trial of reapers was resumed at Leigh Court on the 29th of August. 
Two fields of wheat, the one a moderately-light standing crop, on level 
ground, without furrows— the other a heavy crop, partly on uneven ground, 
and partially lodged, in which there were occasional patches of grass and 
weeds ; and a field of barley, with a full crop just ripe for cutting, partly 
standing and partly lodged, — were the fields appropriated for trial. 
An ample supply of horse power and manual labour for working the ma- 
chines, and every provision and facility which could be given for ensuring a 
satisfactory and conclusive trial, were provided by the liberality of Mr. 
Miles. 
Under these favourable circumstances, and in the finest of weather, the 
trials were conducted ; and from morning till night each machine was succes- 
sively tried in cutting both wheat and barlej^ in light standing crops, and in 
heavy and lodged ones, in clean stubbles and in foul, and under circum- 
stances as varied as an extensive farm could sujiply, and such as left no dif- 
ficulty in appreciating the respective merits of the several machines. 
As most of these machines have been exhibited at former meetings of the 
Society, and as they retain very much the same ])rinciples of construction 
and arrangement of parts which they have had for the last three or four 
years, it seems unnecessary to enter into a minute description of their details ; 
the Ju<lges deem it sufficient to note what appeared to them the special merits 
and drawbacks of each machine, and the grounds on which the prizes of the 
Society were finally awarded. 
Crosskiirs machine, invented by Bell, showed great power of cutting corn, 
whether standing or partially laid, and takes the large breadth of 5 feet 
9 inches ; did not seem liable to choke ; has great advantage in cutting back- 
wards and forwards, and requiring no scythe -man to prepare its way ; the 
side delivery is equal to any other machine, and certainly superior to the best 
workmanship of the scythe, but tlie endless web appeared liable to become 
disordered. The objections are — its heavy cumbrous character, occasioning 
