Sugar as a Food for Stock. 
81 
" The second prize of 50?. to James and Frederick Howard, 
of the Britannia Iron-works, Bedford, for their Sheaf-binding 
Reaper, No. 47." 
This question will now doubtless arise to many readers of 
this Report: "Has the sheaf-binding leaper at last attained 
to that degree of simplicity and perfection which would make 
it a safe thing for me to buy one for next harvest ? " I do not 
attempt to answer the question. There may be room for 
greater simplicity and for further reduction in price, but I am 
Iree to state that the sheaf-binder can now cut and tie an 
average crop of grain in a manner superior to any other 
process of cutting and tying that I have yet witnessed. The 
machinery for elevating and binding is no doubt somewhat 
complicated ; but on this point there is not, in my opinion, any- 
thing approaching the difficulty which was present to the ordi- 
nary agricultural mind when manual and self-delivery reapers 
were introduced. 
It may here be noted that those corners of the trial-fields which 
did not form part of the trial plots were cut by Mr. Minton's 
self-delivery reaper, and tied in the usual way by hand. The 
work done in this way presented a woefully ragged appearance 
when compared with the clean ard trim adjoining work made 
by the self-binders. 
My respected colleagues, Mr. Mason Cooke and Mr. Wm. 
Scotson, with myself, would be lacking in our duty if we failed 
to express our satisfaction with the courtesy which we received 
from the exhibitors and the whole of their attendants during the 
trials, and also to the exhibitors for the descriptions and illustra- 
tions of their machines, many of which have been utilized in 
this Report. To the Assistant Engineer (Mr. Courtney) we are 
particularly indebted for much technical information and 
assistance ; and we desire also to take this opportunity of con- 
veying our thanks to the Secretary, the Stewards, and the Con- 
sulting Engineers, for their unfailing attention to our varied 
requirements, whether expressed or understood. 
II. — Sugar as a Food for Stock. By Sir J. B. Lawes, 
Bart., LL.D., F.R.S. 
The very low price of sugar at the present moment has natu- 
rally attracted the attention of agriculturists, and such being 
the case, it is certainly desirable, and at the same time may be 
useful, that its feeding properties should be more generally 
known. In a Liverpool price current I find the following 
VOL. XXI.— S. S. G 
