498 
Bejiort on the Implements 
consequently shoves the apples off the forks. The forks them- 
selves have a revolving motion given to them independent of 
that of the frame. The cycle of operations is as follows : — An 
apple placed on the first fork is brought into position against the 
paring knife, which is held up by a spring, and has a certain 
lateral motion given to it ; the apple revolving is pared ; an arm 
■with a cutter very much like a gouge chisel then enters the centre 
of the apple, cutting round the core, and when this is finished 
the projection behind the fork frame pushes forward the loose 
spindle between the prongs of the fork and throws off the apple. 
While the above operation is going on, an apple is placed on the 
next fork, and so on. The movements, however, are so rapid 
that, with the machine running at its steady working speed, it 
would keep one person fully occupied merely putting the apples 
on to the forks as they came round. 
In the trial that was made of this machine, 100 apples were 
pared and cored in 7 minutes 10 seconds, but this cannot be 
taken as any test of the rate at which the machine would work, 
as the operator was not in any way an expert at working it — 
indeed, it was as much as he could do to fix the apples on two 
out of the three forks of the machine. The paring and coring 
were done very well, there being no excessive percentage of 
waste in either. Four other machines were exhibited by this 
firm for doing similar work, of various sizes, the smallest (Art. 
No. 1120), at a cost of 2s. 9d., being admirably suited for do- 
mestic purposes. The fork upon which the apple is fixed is 
mounted on the end of a travelling screw, which conveys the 
fruit past the paring knife and then up to a stationary curved 
coring knife. 
II. Silver Medals. 
The Hop-Washing Engine (Art. 16C), exhibited by 3Iem's. 
W. Weelcs cfe Son, Malcldone, shows several improvements upon 
their machines, which have been for some time in use both in 
Worcestershire and Kent. It consists of a substantial iron 
tank 3 feet 3 inches long, 1 foot G inches broad, by 2 feet 9 inches 
deep, carried on a pair of iron road wheels 3 feet diameter by 
4 inches broad, the axle passing through a sleeve secured inside 
the tank, and the wheels are connected to the axle by means of 
the usual ratchet attachment. The tank is covered by a pair of 
hinged lids, and in the rear opening is inserted a wooden box, 
the bottom of which is formed of a finely-perforated strainer. 
Inside the tank and towards its rear end are fixed a pair of 
inclined brass pump-barrels, 3 inches diameter by 5 inches 
stroke ; the buckets are actuated through connecting rods by a 
